Rifles... Our favorites

[Savage99]

To me a rifle can be a work of art. A well crafted rifle can bring a sense of pride to some owners.

[jimbob86]

Guns can be a work of art ..... but a work of art is a liability in the field.

[Ske1etor]

Originally Posted by Savage99

To me a rifle can be a work of art. A well crafted rifle can bring a sense of pride to some owners.

It sure can. Ability to hang on a wall isn't something I look for in a firearm, it's a tool to me and form should always follow function IMO.

[Savage99]

Some of the guns shown are not attractive to me. They may be made for war and use in the mud.

I like fine looking guns for my shooting and hunting enjoyment. They are also functional.

[HungryHunter]

I guess I'm the poor folks around here. Quite a few of them were upscale to me. ..

[Hook686]

I think Savage99 understands, as does HungryHunter.

[Mosin-Marauder]

What's more beautiful than a K-31?

[SIGSHR]

I am partial to the M1888 Rifle-Rod Bayonet Trapdoor Springfield in 45-70. Carried one up San Juan Hill in 1898.

[barnbwt]

Favorite rifle...
At the moment; the BM59 I just built and am loving every minute of
For range fun; the STGW57 owing to its shear ridiculous size
As a practical gun; the VZ58
For target shooting; K31, accept no substitutes

I couldn't believe it either, but I actually like the BM59 more than the FN49 (which is both '06 and lacks any recoil abatement while being a good bit larger/heavier)

With any luck, a semi-auto Hotchkiss Universal will be joining the fleet in the near future, which should be real fun to shoot because of the heavy bolt (soft recoil), large magazine, and the fact it folds up into a baguette-sized object for the range bag

TCB

[Unlicensed Dremel]

What's more beautiful than a K-31?

Hey you're onto something there. Not much - the ingenuity of that design for that time, and the way they're made, is something else.

Art is only a liability in the field to the extent you're worried about scratching / messing it up - which can in fact be an issue. If you fully accept scratches and can enjoy it, then why not?

[tdoyka]

30-40 krag


20 vartarg/ 6.5 creedmoor


270 win


theres also a 444 marlin coming in tc encore. my son has a m98 custom in 7x57 mauser.

[armoredman]

I am disappointed to read most like military guns and only one classic upscale rifle was mentioned.

That's a weird thing to say right after my post... The CZ 527M has never been adopted by any military for any purpose and at an MSRP of less than $750 I doubt it would qualify as an "upscale" rifle. I could be wrong.
Perhaps I misunderstood you?

[Mosin-Marauder]

What's wrong with military guns?

[Major Dave (retired)]

Short Action Carbine, push feed, in .243.

It is very small and light weight - just perfect for "sneaking and peeking" in the East Texas Piney Woods, where the terrain is hilly, and the understory is thick.

[Tucker 1371]

I'm a huge fan of the M14/M1A in any configuration. I've turned mine into an abomination with a Rogue Juggernaut Stock but I plan to build another one day and keep it classy, all wood and steel.

[Bushmaster1313]

Favorite rifle?

This is a real hard question because any rifle I didn't really like is no longer one.

However, my DPMS Lite Hunter in .243 Winchester has a lot going for it:

1) Chambered for my favorite rifle cartridge (.243 Win.);
2) New Jersey legal, semi auto, black rifle;
3) The color matches my Leupold 1x4 scope;
4) Official sticker signifying non-assault rifle status.

[Pinky Carruthers]

FAL

[barnbwt]

"Guns can be a work of art ..... but a work of art is a liability in the field."
Do keep in mind that those lightweight upland German game rifles with the full-Mannlicher stocks and Shnaubel (not even trying to spell this correctly ) forearms were designed specifically for use in the field. Cape guns could have all the fancy wood and engraving/inlaying in the world on them (and some do ) and it won't have one whit of impact on how the gun performs on a charging animal.

When a gun becomes too nice or dear to use, that is the liability. And it can come from either cost or sentimental value. For guys willing to drop the coin for a safari hunt (either as a hobby or as a one-time event), going in for a masterpiece of a rifle over a bland field gun is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. For many, if they manage to bring the gun home as a testament to their adventure, they would probably be reluctant to shoot it again (sentimentality, cost, and all the horrible PTSD flashbacks of tiger attacks, no doubt ), so for them, the extra fanciness makes it all the better as a museum piece.

"I am disappointed to read most like military guns and only one classic upscale rifle was mentioned."
As much as we complain and moan about military procurement practices, they do ultimately tend to settle on good designs, that work well, are made well, and stem from solid designs. Add to that that governments have historically been far more willing/able to spend inordinate monies on infantry arms than most civilians, and you can readily see why military rifles are so popular. A K31 may be uglier than a commercial Mannlicher Shoenauer (itself a 'military deisgn' ), but it can likely hang with them in every other category, and probably cost more to produce in the first place.

The 'cheap infantry arm' of which we are acquainted today is actually a fairly recent phenomenon (i.e. 1960's). Prior to that, battle rifles and even submachine guns were cutting edge technology given very high devotion in terms of quality, workmanship, and innovation. It's no coincidence that rifle development has more or less stalled the last 50 years once we learned how to make them cheap but still 'good enough'

TCB

[johnnydollar]

Custom .243 Win. built on a commercial FN Mauser action.

[B.L.E.]

Do keep in mind that those lightweight upland German game rifles with the full-Mannlicher stocks and Shnaubel (not even trying to spell this correctly ) forearms

It's "schnabel" and it literally means beak (of a bird). Think of it as a duck bill forend.

[bamaranger]

No question, for me, if I had to grab one and lose the others, it would be my Granddad's M88 Win....308. Pap, my Dad, and me have all hunted it, and bamaboy will someday too. There are a ton of memories wrapped up in that old lever rifle.

The M88 is a looker too!, sleek, well balanced, and the old gal will shoot into an inch with 3 rds and go 1.5 for 5, always, with W-W 150 gr Power Points. Its been out in the snow, the rain, hot cold, at least 4 states, and I dunno how many deer its killed, Pap shot a bunch w/ so said my Dad. Only real negative is the trigger is a bit mushy, you cannot get sloppy with your trigger work on that old rifle. I've got the factory box too. Mailed by Montgomery Ward to Paps house in 1956.

I really ought to hunt it a bit this year.

[DATL]

My favorite right now is my Ruger Gunsite Scout in .308. Love the factory short barrel, 10 round mag, flash suppressor, and forward mounted scopes. It's just a neat little rifle to play with.

[Ciao998]

I'm a single shot shooter, my all around favorite is probably a remington rolling block. It is simple, strong, versatile, accurate, but most importantly it is easily one of the most pleasurable to use.

ATM my favorite is an old winchester 1885 Schuetzen rifle in 32-40 win.

John

[Niantician]

My Marlin 1894 44mag. It was one of the last made in Ct before both the Company and the state turned to crap.

[Unlicensed Dremel]

People in this thread may want to peruse this fairly recent thread with a lot of pics, if you haven't already - same / similar subject matter:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=547519