Favorite Rifles

[crossthreaded]

ibewgypsie wrote under "ears pierced..." about an old .22 rifle he kept & valued. I wonder how many of us have such a rifle we prize for what ever reason. I would bet he falls under the old rule "beware of the man with only one rifle,; he may know how to use it." My favorite rifle is a TC Hawken muzzleloader in .54 caliber, built from a kit. It got passed from my brother, to my father, to me. Although I still have a safe full of misc. guns, the one I usually take out is the Hawken. It's got double-set triggers (which several of you guys helped me to adjust some months ago on this forum) and will shoot groups with the holes touching out to 50-60 yds. or so off hand. I have never found another rifle that would settle on my shoulder so naturally & shoot to center.

[x39]

My favorite doesn't have any sentimental value to me, but I really enjoy shooting it. It's a Finnish Mosin-Nagant model M-39, chamered 7.62x54r, in almost new condition. I'd really have to say that it is a rifleman's rifle. I'm a big fan of old Mosins, I have four of them in various configurations. They're cheap, rugged, reliable, accurate, powerful, and ammo is inexpensive. I'm off to a service rifle match with it tomorrow (Sunday).

[jfsmith]

I like my Remongton 40X in 300 Mag. I can throttle the load down or use lighter bullets. I can hit things out to 500 Metres with no trouble.

Next to that is a Winchester Model 52 in .22 LR

My favorite pistol is my FN High Power.

Jerry

[ibewgypsie]

X39... the M39.. they dominated the olyimpics for years. The 03 springfield in 30-06 was thier only competetion. I had one of them too. They were 3 for $99.00 at one time.

Later. the 308 made faster velocity with same bullet, less powder. Higher pressure round giving more accurracy that only came from more consistient ignition. (the round was more full of powder) What do I know thou? I had bipods on mine, shot them across the fold up table with very large optics.

Funny thing, the viet cong.. had adapters to shoot 7.62x39 (AK)... 7.62x51 (308) or 7.62 x 51R (russian) rounds in thier M39 rifles. Only lil inserts. the rifle could shoot all.

I made inserts for a 12 guage to shoot 30-06 rounds in my double barrel. I turned down a barrel and made hubs to fit the barrel. You dropped the adapter down the barrel like a long 12 guage shell.. It sure did surprise a deer. Shot hit right through the lungs w the 30/06, then shot gunned his head and neck with 12 ga 00 buck. He went about 20 feet and ran around and around in circles till he died.

I throwed up when I gutted that one. He stunk inside. I probably don't smell much better inside thou.

[SJorgensen]

I'm happy to have grown up in a family that enjoyed firearms. My grandfather was a renowned marksman before my time. He was the highest qualifier of the 145th Field Artillery unit in 1923 with a 45 cal. (1911) that weapon was a hard one to be accurate with I am told. I have the silver cup he won. When I was 10 or 11 the thing that I wanted most in the whole world was a Browning lever action 22. I used to dream about it. Still I've never owned a Browning but have had Winchester bolt actions, and Ruger semi auto 22’s. I had the mindset of a big game hunter but my quarry was all the varmints of the world. I did a lot of them in, for no reason at all, other than it was a good shot. Later I got involved in archery and then falconry. Somehow the kill was more satisfying in falconry because I was proud of my Hawk and it served my Hawk and I didn't leave a wasted carcass. Still I would have liked to own that Browning lever action 22 because of the TV show “The Rifleman†with Chuck Conners. It was a very good show and I liked the morals of the characters. And he looked so cool quick-drawing that lever action.
Spence

[x39]

ibewgypsie- I remember when they were cheap, unfortunately, I was cheap then too! :b One Mosin I did pick up dirt cheap was an M-27 Finn in excellent condition. The guy wanted $50.00 for it with a full box of Norma ammo. I felt guilty and gave him $60.00, LOL! The first time I took it to a range was a match, I took second with it.

[KenS]

Tough question. I've got some 100 rifles and have sold more than that but I've got three that I wouldn't sell. Probably my favorite shooter is a Rem 40x in .222. It's an early one with the original barrel and will still shoot .300" center to center regularly. Next is a factory original (not rearsenalized) Remington 1903a4. I usually shoot it with a non-original scope because the issue Weaver 330 is a piece of junk. Then a Garand national match I guess. When I bought my first Garand there was something about it's feel that made me know that it was right - a rifleman's rifle. There's another that would be a favorite if I still hunted squirrels. It's a Stevens Walnut Hill .22 rf single shot with a tang site. That one points fast and easily and would have been my choice for wandering around in the (now developed and gone) woods near where I grew up. I used a Marlin 39 then and that one would rank right up there if I still had it. The finest lever action .22 ever built IMO, and in production under two model designations since 1897.

There's a bunch that I shouldn't have left out and if I think of them I might change this ranking somewhat but I could probably run on for hours. I love rifles.

[ibewgypsie]

There may be a few available still. I bought a Nazi Mauser 98's for $145. THey had been sent to israel when it was formed. They have a nazi proof eagle on the reciever, and a Star of David on the barrel. Rebarreled to 308. Easy gun to build. A custom stock, cut reweld and bend the bolt. One of the strongest actions in the world. WEll.. The 2 1/2 pound synthetic stock made it kick so hard my eyes watered for 5 minutes.
The 3 bad discs in my back were all hammered. I waited till my eyes quit watering then shot again. I thought I missed, put another dot on the target, shot again, then shot again. it was shooting in the same hole.

My stepson has that black rifle now. The barrel being a different metal , when it was in the blue tank, would come out and not match the reciever. Back into the tank. IT ended up black. Black stock, Pretty rifle.

But a rifle is a tool, he still deer hunts. I don't, that tool is getting used. SO many stupid people hunting in most the management areas, and then the thrill just passed out of it for me.
I went to pistol hunting for a while, that was fun, then I quick drawed and killed one before he even got off the bed. That kinda ruined that for me. No competetion.

Now I love my 22's several 22 ruger standards, a ruger competetion target models, a 10/22, the old mossberg, and of course a few bigbore ruger pistols. That old 44 superblack hawk, well it has dropped everything it was shooting at. THE best all around pistol on the market. I even used to handload shotshells for it (snake cures)

I carried a colt 45 for years. A 1911 model, bomar sights, stainless magazine, accu groove barrel, micro bushing, fitted slide, and beavertail saftey. All my working buddies (bodyguards) carried them too. I remember one night one of my friends shot himself. He had the 45 cocked and locked and in his waistband. He was readjusting it and it went off. Put a large red stripe down his leg. He told me later "you know what really scared me? I knew there was 6 more right behind that first one"

[siminov]

Picking a favorite is tough I really like a lot of my rifles, definitly prefer rifles over shotguns or handguns. my favorite is My Marlin model 444 It puts 5 300gr Barnes in 2" at 100 yards,it points like an extension of my arm, it has put a lot of meat in my freezer. but my favorite memory with this rifle was the time while out hunting I ran into a " balistics expert " who decided to give me **** for hunting with a 30-30. ( I guess he mistook my rifle for a 336 ) so after his speech about how useless a 30-30 was and how great his .270 was. I simply ejected the round from the chamber and handed it to him ! the silence plus the look on his face makes me laugh even today.

[bdarin]

I love my 1893 Marlin. Shoots a 32-40 round. Makes me feel like Wyatt Earp every time I use it. Thanks gramps!

[rbregn]

8mm Rem Mag Model 700 custom deluxe Left handed

[wierdscience]

My grandfather had only two guns his whole life,a 12 ga. double and a .22 bolt action.The .22 he passed on to me after he got to old to use it anymore,he said he got it for christmas when he was 23,it came from Sears-Robuck,he's 98 this year so its got some age on it but it is my favorite,one thing I noticed is it doesn't have nary a serial number on it also no mfg name either,but the quality is excellent even though it only cost a few dollars back then,look at what you get now mostly pop rivets and spot welds can't even take the things apart.

[ibewgypsie]

Siminov..

I shot a junk car with that 444 round. It pierced the rear bumper, broke the rear axle housing, the shrapnel shatterend the transmission case and moreso blowed out part of the plastic grill.
A deadly round worthy of any animal on north american continent. Them were expensive bullets in the 70's what's a box cost now?

When you shoot any rifle you have to place your round, too bad the muzzle blast don't kill. Lots of young hunters with Weatherby magnums.

AND, by the way, the 30-30 has killed more deer at last recording then any other cartridge known. 30 caliber, 30 grains black powder. If you have the proper winchester you can use it for Antique firearms hunts. Be prepared to pull apart the black powder rounds for inspection thou, and some arguments.
They will not allow the break down muzzle loaders either thou. A modern design that uses black powder.

I have a lot of notes on modifying trigger pulls on different weapons, I have thought about publishing. But then the demon of lawsuits to consider..

[x39]

Well, I'm back from the match. My M-39 gave me a second place score, behind two guys who tied for first. One of the guys had to leave, so there wasn't time for them to shoot against each other for a tie breaker. All in all a nice day at the range, a variety of old Springfields and Mausers, some Garands and several FN-FALs as well.

[Michael Az]

I don't have a lot of rifles, but would have to say my favorite is my Springfield Garand. Shots like a dream and mint condition and I will never let it get away. I guess a Marlin 39 made in 54 would be second choice. It doesn't shoot very well, but I love the way it feels and the craftsmanship. A Winchester 30 carbine I sure had a lot of fun with. I don't think anybody ever beat it for cleaning the table of five bowling pins. I just remembered a Winchester 94 30 WCF made in 49 I haven't shot yet that could end up high on the list.
Michael


[This message has been edited by Michael Az (edited 06-29-2003).]