Category: Gratuitous Gun Pics

My Five

Gratuitous Gun Pics, The Gun Thing

The headline was interesting:  Five Rifles You Should Shoot Before You Die, but as it’s behind a paywall, I couldn’t get to read it.

However, seeing as opinions are ubiquitous (like paywalls, it seems nowadays), here are Kim’s 5 Rifles You Should Shoot Before You Die.  I’ve stuck to centerfire cartridge rifles for the purposes of brevity.

1.) 1885 Browning / Winchester High Wall (preferably in a “buffalo” cartridge chambering e.g. .50-70, .45-110 or .45-70 Govt)

Some might argue that the Sharps would be a better choice, but there is no feeling in gundom quite like closing John Browning’s “bank vault” action.  Unless it’s working the bolt of the

2.) Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) in .303 Enfield

Once again, many could argue that the Krag-Jorgensen (.30-40 Krag) is an equal thrill — and I won’t refute that, because it’s fine too — but the SMLE’s action is wondrous.

3.) Schmidt-Rubin K.11 / K.31 (7.5x55mm Swiss)

It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that the venerable Schmidt-Rubin rifles are better made than 90% of any rifles ever made;  it’s a marriage of Swiss watchmaking precision with a straight-pull bolt action, and it’s a feeling like few other.

4.) Winchester 1894 (.30-30 / .30 WCF)

The Marlin’s action is similar, but the Winchester is the preferred choice.  In the hands of a practiced shooter, the lever action can be worked with such speed as to make it sound like a semi-auto.  And speaking of semi-auto rifles, here’s my last choice:

5.) M1 Garand (.30-06 Springfield)

The Garand tames the recoil of the powerful .30-06 like no other rifle, and not only is it a pleasure to shoot, but it gives you a lovely little sonic ting!  to tell you that your ammo is all gone.

Honorable mentions:

Ljungman AG-42 (6.5x55mm)

The Scandi equivalent of the Garand, and it’s amazing.  Like the Schmidt-Rubin, its quality of workmanship is astounding, and the gentler-recoiling (but no less effective) 6.5x55mm Swede cartridge makes the Ljungman very close to the Garand in the pleasure of its shooting.

Mauser 1898 (G.98, K98, K98k) in 8x57mm

Of course, one could argue for the inclusion of many of the 98’s clones (e.g. the Springfield ’06) on this list, but the fact that Mauser still makes the 98 action today, unchanged, says it all.  Like the 1885 High Wall above, the closing of the Mauser’s action is a bank vault sound, and it makes you confident that no matter what, that bullet is going to leave the rifle when you squeeze the trigger.  (For those who are leery of the recoil of the 8x57mm, you can substitute the smaller 7x57mm Mauser — in, say, a Venezuelan mil-surp Mauser — and still get the same feeling.)

Now some may say, “But Kim, what about modern rifles?  Aren’t they as good, or even better than the old ones you’ve listed?”

Here’s my response.

One of the joys of shooting old rifles is not just the act of shooting, but the fact that when one does so, there is a feeling that one is touching a piece of history.  In one swoop, one is experiencing our shooting heritage and firing a beautiful rifle,  It is a feeling like no other.

Of course, I like shooting new rifles just fine.  The CZ 550, (pre-’64) Winchester Model 70, Sako 85, Remington 700… I’ve shot them all, enjoyed them all, and would take any of them into the bush with me with complete confidence.

But everyone should shoot one of my Top 5 rifles before they die.  If you haven’t already done so, it’s a bucket list to be pursued, I promise you.

And I have no idea how this list compares to the linked paywall list (perhaps someone could tell me, in Comments), but I’ll stand by my choices, regardless.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: CZ 452 (.22 LR)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

Also at Steve Barnett:

Over the years, CZ has upgraded their .22 bolties (I think they’re now up to Mod 457), but I have to say that other than some technical (and cosmetic) stuff, I’m not sure that oldies like this one aren’t just as good as the newer ones, certainly in terms of accuracy.

And even with the Barnett Price Premium, it’s still very good value.

Would this be a bad time to bring back Kim’s BANG (Buy A New Gun) Fund from the old blog?  Probably.  Dammit.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: S&W Mod 41 (.22 LR)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

From Steve Barnett:

I remember shooting one of these, many years ago, at a range where its owner was having serious feeding issues with the ammo he’d brought (I forget the brand).

Intrigued, I offered him the use of some of my CCI Mini-Mag… and the gun performed flawlessly.  (He bought a brick from me right there on the spot.)

When he let me shoot his Mod 41, I was rather chagrined by the fact that it shot more accurately than my Beretta Jaguar.

…which, given the price disparity at the time — the equivalent of about $250 — and the barrel differences between the two guns, was perhaps not too surprising.

I still think mine was the prettier gun, though — and the accuracy difference wasn’t that great.  Take from that what you will.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: S&W 627-5 Performance Center (.357 Mag)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

This one caught my eye at Collectors:

I know, I know:  the constant gripe about Smith’s Performance Center (or “Profit Center”, as it’s sometimes called) is that they take a gun and turn it into what the gun should have been at the outset, for about a grand’s difference.

I don’t think that’s fair, because while a standard Smith 627 is not exactly a slouch in the Gun Beauty Division:

…there is no doubt that like any standard-issue gun, it can always be improved by a little judicious tinkering.  Which is what the Performance Center does.  And yes, like any bespoke changes, you gotta pay for the improvements.

In Colt terms, this is like the difference between the excellent Colt Trooper:

..and the magnificent Python.

I would be perfectly happy with a Trooper or S&W 627 (although 8 rounds in the 627, hubba hubba).  Both are excellent revolvers, no question about it.

And the Python and 627 PC?  Wonderful.  And you pay extra for the doubleplus part.  There’s no problem with that.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Springfield Echelon (9mm P)

Gratuitous Gun Pics, Gun/Ammo Tests, The Gun Thing

This is the latest offering from Croatia’s HS guns — marketed Over Here, of course, by Springfield — the “Echelon”.  (Are gun manufacturers getting their naming criteria from Japanese car companies, I ask myself?)  Here’s the bare-bones version:

…and in its tricked-out regalia:

To be clear, the last “new” gun I shot was a SIG P365 when it was first released, which should tell you how out of touch I am in these matters, so of course I am not well-versed on this Echelon thing’s operation.

But the Honest Outlaw is, having fired it lots (and lots) and subjected it to abuse that I would barely consider inflicting on a Clinton, let alone to a gun.  He ends up loving it (not the mag, though), so from that perspective it looks like an excellent deal, as so many of Springfield’s guns are.

At the end of the day, though, you’re still going to end up with a gun that shoots a Europellet.

By the way:  I’d like to get in touch with Chris on a non-related gun matter, so if anyone knows the Outlaw’s email addy, please send it to me.

Gratuitous Gun Pic: Browning Buck Mark (.22 LR)

Gratuitous Gun Pics

As I get older, I have to face the fact that my eyesight — never good, now terrible — is at this stage of my life, totally shit.  What that means is if I want to continue to enjoy shooting, I shall have to change how I shoot, to whit:  no more iron sights (sob) and instead, resort to one of these so-called “red dot” things, such as seen on this little cutie at Collectors:

Here’s the thing.  I have always thought that Browning prices their products just a leetle too high, asking a premium that is not really justified… except for their Buckmark .22 pistols, which are not only astoundingly accurate, but have, easily, the best trigger of any .22 pistol — and perhaps the best trigger of any handgun, period.  Is that worth a premium price?  You’d better believe it.

So at well over $800 for the above — that’s the gun, the Vortex red dot and Collector’s premium, this would take a big gulp and a re-ordering of a few of life’s other offerings (e.g. food) to get this one into Ye Olde Musket Cabinette.

Other than the red dot thing — which looks like a carbuncle on a pretty girl’s face, but which I have most reluctantly accepted as a necessity — everything about this gun is beautiful:  the rosewood grips, the heavy brushed-stainless steel barrel, just the look of the thing, all cry out:  “Kim, I need a new home!”

And if I had the cash, it would be mine.  I’ve owned several Buck Marks in my time — all either given away or sold because poverty — and I miss them badly.  As it is, I’m going to have to sell one of the other guns in my safe to get this one.

I mean it.