My favorite gun

[Rocky Raab]

Thought I'd start a thread where we can all chime in and wax nostalgic.

Please tell us a little bit about your favorite gun.

I don't mean your favorite cartridge, but gun. In other words, don't tell me "A .30-30." Rather, I'd like to read about "The old .30-30 lever gun my great uncle left me after he'd carried it for so many years in..." Get the idea?

I'll chime in later, after I read some of your own tales.

[Andy L]

Wow, what a tough question.

I guess I would have to say my Ruger M77 in 300 Win Mag. I have had it since I was 18 yrs old. Its the old style with a tang safety, you know, back when they used to actually build guns that would shoot out of the box. Its killed a pile of deer and an elk. Shoots great. Kicks like a mule, but things normally tip over very quickly and I like that. I think that would probably be the gun that I would have a hard time ever letting go of.

As far as fun to shoot, I have a new one thats quickly winning my heart. Its cheap, nothing special that way. Just a Marlin 717M2, in 17 Mach II. Its a lazer beam to shoot and accurate as anything I have ever owned. I love that little gun.

[Skyline]

That is an easy one for me. It is a .375 H&H based on an old Sako action, with 23" custom stainless barrel, custom express sights, McMillan glass stock, Pachmyer decelerator pad, topped with a 1.5-5 Leupold VX III in a set of quick detachable Warne mounts.

It can shoot 300 grain Partitions into an inch all day long and is a joy to shoot. I have had it for close to 25 years now and it has been many thousands of miles with me. I would never sell it.

[gspsonny03]

I would have to say that mine would be a Remington 700 BDL in 6MM. I bought it I believe back in 1975 or 76. I have shot a lot of deer and antelope both with that gun.

[MtnMike2]

My favorite is a Winchester Model 70 manufactured in the '40s. It's a hand-me-down from my father-on-law. His father was a Marine Colonel and this was his rifle. It is labeled 30-Gov't and of course has no recoil pad. It is fairly well worn as it didn't sit on a shelf - it has hunted everything from fox to bear. It's very accurate and even though it's a full size rifle (26" bbl I think), it carries well in the field. I replaced a RedField scope w/ a Leupold VARI-X III 3-9x a while back, but have left the rest of it alone. I'm considering refinishing the stock, even though that might devalue it somewhat to a collector.

Mike

[BILLY D.]

A sporterized '98 Mauser my wife got for me along with a lifetime membership in the NRA in 1965. The rifle was $39.95 deliverd to the door from Monkey Wards.

We were in high cotton that year cause I had just gotten back from 'nam and had gotten combat pay, overseas pay, and hazardous duty pay, and all tax free. Sides that I got a promotion. Wheeeee. What a deal.

The mauser was a 30:06 and I keep her in top running order at all times. Can't tell you how many deer and antelope have been harvested with that rifle, I don't keep score.

She's almost as pretty as my wife was. It is my absolute favorite.

Best wishes, Bill

[GoodOlBoy]

The same Harrington and Richardson 20 guage 3" modified choke single shot shotgun I opened that fated 6th Birthday. . . . .

A present from my grandfather and grandmother purchased at a GEMCO in Houston Texas. Me an that old 20 have been through alot together, it while it probably hasnt fired quite as many rounds as the US Marines it has surely come close. It is still as tight as the day it was new. Even though the case hardening has dulled where my finger rests behind the trigger guard. Even though there are barely visible cracks in the stock from the year the water heater broke. Even though the factory forgot to cut the rear sight notch in her the day she was born. And even though I had to add a hammer expander to her a year or so back so that my carpal tunneled an arthritic thumb could cock her without pain.

No gun I have ever owned has held a group, never misfired, or been a friend like that old 20. I turned 32 in December as many of you know. I pulled her out and gave her another coat of 3 in 1 household oil. We have been together 26 years. I have no doubt we will be together 26 more.

People today talk about the combat guns of the future, the deer hunting gun of the future, the bird/squirrel/turkey/dove/possum/coon/come-what-may guns of the future. Well I already have mine. And it is 26 years old.

God Bless.

GoodOlBoy

[Dan Morris]

Got two, both Smiths, a M19 and a M28. Both 4"...carried both.
Made in late 60's.
Dan

[bigkevmorgan]

well ROCKY you brought up something right awayi liked ! i was alot younger and my dad wanted a belgum sweet 16 !i never had the money at 16 for that gun , so i mowed yard ,picked up pop bottles,painted small projects for neighbors,anything i could do so my dad could have this gun ,well i couldn't find a used one so i bought what i could get it is a springfield automatic built in attica
new york.on the browning patient 16 ga,full choke,looks just like the br sweet 16,he killed amany phesants with it! well dad passed away 6yrs ago i have the gun today!any many of times i've reached for the over&unders then say no i'll take a little of dad with me today.......god bless and make some memories with your dad if you can...............

[fabsroman]

I have two favorite guns, both of which happen to be my father's. One is a Winchester 101 and the other is a Browning Auto 5.

The Browning was the first 12 gauge that I got to hunt with as a kid. It was the first gun I got to shoot that wasn't a single shot. It was the first gun I killed a pheasant with, and on that day when I killed my first pheasant I also killed my second. What a day. I have a picture with me and my brohters from that day. I am wearing a Redskins jersey and I am holding that gun. My brothers are holding the single shots that I used to use. One being a .410 that I killed my first dove with and my only dove with that gun, and the other being a 20 gauge that I killed absolutely nothing with.

The Winchester 101 was the second 12 gauge that I got to shoot and it is the first gun I used to kill my second dove and the first gun that I was able to kill a limit of doves with the first time I used it (i.e., the second dove and the limit of doves came on the same day). I love that gun and used to use it all the time for dove hunting until the rib came off. My dad didn't have the money to get the gun fixed because we had moved into a new house and he had 5 kids, 4 that were within 5 years of age, me being the oldest, and I was about to start college in 4 years. So, the gun sat in the gun case for quite a while.During college, my dad and I went 50/50 on a Browning o/u that let us down. After I got out of college, a hunting buddy of ours took the 101 to a man that tried to epoxy it on. That lasted for about 3 shots before the entire rib popped off. About 3 years ago, thanks to Skeet (i.e., another member on this board), I took the 101 to a reputable gun smith and it is back in service. Thing is, I will not use it for anything more than dove hunting (i.e., I don't want to scratch it), and it is choked too tight (i.e., full/modified) for dove hunting. So, it stays home a lot. My dad has already told me that he is going to leave leave all the guns, hunting equipment, and fishing equipment to me (I don't have the heart to tell him that most of it is mine anyway and I am just storing it at his house), and that once I get a house (i.e., not my townhouse), I can have all the guns in the safe except for one or two that he wants to keep should he need to defend his house or he wants to take his grandhildren hunting and I am not available (Again, I don't have the heart to tell him that most of the guns in his safe are mine).

That last statement made me think about the guns that are his, and another one came to mind. A Savage 110 built in the 60's that kicks like a mule and that I killed my first whitetail with. That would have to be third on the list.

Then there is the Browning BPS that my dad gave me for my 8th birthday. Killed my first duck and goose with that gun.

God, almost all my dad's and my guns bring back memories, but my dad's bring back the best ones. If I had to choose which guns I would keep out of everything in his house and mine, it would go in the following order:

Win 101
Browning BPS
Browning Auto 5
Savage 110
And Everything else is replaceable.

[skeet]

My first handgun I bought from an ol guy at the age of 11. It was really neat and still is in exc condition. It is a(1900) Colt SAA in 38WCF. Had to hide it from my parents for 7 yrs. They woulda killed me and took it away. Cost 15 bucks and I just turned down 3600.
2nd was my fathers Winchester M-12. first year 12 ga and boy has it been used. Just used the last notch in the take up ring last year.

Last is a pre war Winchester M-70 in 30 government. Has a Stith mount with a Kollmorgan scope. Not bad condition either. My father in law gave it to me just because. Gonna be my grandsons rifle one day

[buckhunter]

Have 3 but one favorite,

First was a single shot breakopen 410. Shot my first Pheasant with it. Gun belongs to a family friend who's Mother relied on that gun when settleing in Kansas in the early 1900's. No way would he part with it. I used it for 3 years, my brother used it for about the same then the neighbor kid used it. It has been a lot "first gun" for a lot of youngins.

2nd was a M-12 16ga. this belong to one of my fathers hunting buddies. It wasn't mine but became mine after it went thru the same bunch of kids that used the 410. Somehow it ended up in my hands. Still have it. Still use it about once a year.

3rd is a unknow Savage pump 12ga. This gun hasn't been manufactured since 1940. My dad bought me this gun for my 16th birthday. I had a choice between a M12-12ga and this. Not knowing I selected this one as the M12 didn't work right. Been with me since "62". Shot a lot of Pheasant, Ducks, Doves, Quail and Deer. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

[rainydays]

My favorite gun was my Savage-Stevens model 311A 20 Ga. SxS. Bought it used in 1970 and used the heck out of it on pheasants and sharptails for 32 years. This old gun fit like a glove and seldom failed to bring down a bird. For some reason I was overcome with the urge to upgrade to one of those fancy Beretta O/U's. What a beauty it is. Relinquished the old SxS to my youngest son with the promise it would stay in the family. After the first year of using the Beretta, had a bad case of buyers remorse. Found out how attached I was to the old Savage and how much better I shot with it. I got to shoot it again this fall.
My son loves it as I did. Told my wife I was thinking about trading him the Beretta even up. That seemed to bring a pretty negative response from her, something about spending all that money and such. Man I miss that gun--tr

[fabsroman]

Who cares if you spent all that money if you are not happy with the gun. I hate my Browning Citori and it sits in the safe most the time unless a family member or friend wants to use it.

I especially don't see anything wrong with trading the Beretta for the side by side, especially since the trade is being made with your son. At least everything is kept in the family. MY dad and I both own guns, and we wouldn't bat an eyelash if one or the other of us used the other's gun to hunt or shoot, but I might get a little upset with my dad if he didn't take proper care of my gun.

[rainydays]

Good Advice. TX--tr