What is important to you? YES, YOU!!!

R

Roamin_Wade

Moderator
Ok, so we have a plethora of firearms to choose from these days. Even if it is just one model, you have to decide if you’d like it with plastic stock and matte bluing, standard wood stock with matte bluing or the high end rifle with gloss bluing and fine Walnut stocks dressed out with elaborate embellishments. What is your fancy. I know that the 870 Remington comes with all three of the choices but that drive me cuckoo with coco-puffs. I always want the high end gun. There is nothing intrinsic about handing down a plastic stocked gun. It won’t be worth any more because of it being a plastic stocked Guns. How do you like them?
 
My preference is for fine figured walnut stocks and deep gloss blueing or a really good parkerizing. For utility rifles synthetic stocks. Problem is my budget doesn't facilitate fine figured walnut...
 
High gloss mirrored finish blueing and exotic wood hand crafted stocks are nice to look at, they just aren't me. Likewise a Lamborghini looks nice, but there's nothing wrong with my Dodge Caliber.

A hole in the X ring doesn't care if it came from a $1k gun or a $10k gun. It's still a hole in the X ring. :p
 
I am a man of limited budget and thus limited options. My so-called gun-collection is in the single digit range and has never been in the double-digit territory. It's all functional and utilitarian, with no safe-queens; "Safe? What safe?" And yet, I will not tolerate a plastic stocked rifle. I can just tolerate laminated wood, but let's face it, it's plywood. Walnut is the standard. On a revolver, I prefer grips that have a high contrast to the metal; dark-if-not-black grips on stainless or nickel; ivory-if-not-white on blued steel.
Price matters to me, and here's how I approach that problem: "Let's see,....I can have five brand new, budget-class rifles that everybody and their dog is buying,....or, for the same money, I can have one, and just one, classic, Walnut stocked Winchester, in a caliber that does it all; heck, maybe even a pre-'64,....Duh, what shall I do? Well, my name's not Imelda; I'll take the classic Winchester.
 
I have no problem finding rifles that both look good, shoot good and handle well for the task at hand. My old Remington Model 7 is one. Kimber would be another. CZ 527. Winchester M70 and CZ550 mags for big bores.

I would rather have one good quality gun over a safe full of plastic. I dont have to sacrifice one for another. Now, synthetic & stainless may have some practical advantages. I do not need that, if I lived in a jungle type climate I might. If my gun gets wet, I dry and oil it.
 
I want mine to be accurate and reliable; aesthetics are secondary. (Although I do prefer walnut and blue steel)
 
I prefer my revolvers with blue steel and wood grips... for looks, anyway; my revolvers slip into their work clothes when I go shooting... the Pachy rubber grips go on. My semiautos are a grab bag... I have stainless, blue, and plastic, but they each serve a different function. I am not a fancy guy, though... I like simplicity, I consider embellishment on a firearm much like I do the 'chrome package' on a pickup truck... pretty much worthless and I don't want it. I'm not even a big fan of checkering on rifle stocks, particularly the pressed in crap we see these days. I don't want the beautiful smooth blue of my rifle receivers all carved up with skwerrly engraving. I like stainless because it has a function, I don't like nickel plating.
 
Although lately I have started to drift towards the rifles of the late 19th Century, I like mid-range cartridges (I prefer 7X57, but not exclusive of other cartridges), checkered walnut stocked rifles with blued steel. If all that comes in a Mauser 98 action, even better. Sure, plastic stocks and matte blued or coated steel are OK, I just have little use for them. ARs are the same, I own one, I use it occasionally, but have little use for it. If push comes to shove, I will have a Mauser 98 in 7X57 in my hands chasing after deer or elk.
 
We are lucky! There are precise synthetic stainless rifles built daily. Wood stocked rifles look great and often fit well enough to shoot well. So, pick what you want. My next one will be pretty!
 
When it's hanging on the wall I want walnut and bluing. When I'm in the field I want solid synthetic (preferable to really light plastic) and stainless.

Since being in the field is the overall purpose, I find myself putting my money where the practical things are. I'd love to get my hands on some NOS Ruger M77 All Weather with short action calibers or a .280Rem.
 
Last edited:
Years ago, I invested in the Winchester M21s to be handed down to certain special people in my life. They only come one way, and it ain't plastic.
 
"...a plethora of firearms..." Yep and commercial hunting rifles and shotguns are all pretty much the same thing. What they look like really makes no difference if they don't shoot well.
"...the 870 Remington comes with..." And it's still an 870. Only difference is the stock material and finish.
 
These new MOA rifles will out shoot my capabilities by a lot and are beyond what I need for field accuracy. I own one in .243 Winchester. Lot of logical arguments to be made for it.

If I was to be forced to replace every rifle I owned it would be a with a .257 Ruger No 1. It used to be I wanted it in .375 H+H but I am finding I am less tolerant of big (or medium, whatever) bore recoil.

My shotguns would be replaced by a Citori - maybe even in 28 gauge and a Mariner in 12 gauge for home defense

I would keep a Glock 19 for concealed carry and a night time gun. In the past it would have been a G29 but I am less enamored with the 10MM than in days gone by.

And then, with four guns, I would feel well protected and be able to hunt any non dangerous game I wanted to in North America. I have no desire to hunt moose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top