[ReadyontheRight]

What do you consider to be the "must have" rifle(s) for any gun collection.

I'll start -- a .22 and a .308/.270/30-06 bolt-action rifle with a scope.

[Joe Demko]

A Savage Model 99.

[hillbilly]

A lever action, probably in 30-30..........Hey.....I don't OWN a lever action yet....hmmmmmmm...............

And some sort of semiautomatic in one of those dreaded "assault rifle" calibers. Either .223 (5.56mm) or 7.62X39.

hillbilly

[Rupestris]

you said .22 but specifically:
Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60, or a Remington Nylon 66.

[cslinger]

Rifle, caliber .30 M1 Garand. No self respecting gun nut should be without one of these and a version of the 1911.

Don't get me wrong, neither are MY first choice for modern practical defense but as far as gun nut required learning these two are just about at the top of the list.

Chris "PING"

[Skunkabilly]

http://www.hkpro.com/g36cwht.jpg

I don't know why, other than it's just so darned cute.

[TrapperReady]

.22 - Make mine a CZ-452 Lux

30-06 - M1 Garand

30-30 - Winchester 94 (or similar -- other calibers are fine here as well)

---------------------------

Those would form a nice base for a collection. You would be able to plink and hunt many, many critters in North America, and even have a classic military firearm.

If you want to branch out into other milsurps, great. If you want to get into EBRs, fine. If you want to thwack groundhogs at 400 yards, then get something with a big honking scope and super-flat trajectory.

I think that the above would certainly be a good start.

[MicroBalrog]

M-16A3 Marksman version.

[JBP]

I don't have a lever action as yet which I hope to remedy very soon. If I wasn't on a recoil restriction I'd go with a Marlin or Winchester 30-30 but since I am I'll settle for a 1894 in 44 Mag/44 spl.

[makarov]

CZ-452 any flavor.

[meathammer]

A good centerfire bolt action rifle in a caliber from 6mm to .30 cal. I personally like .30-06 and 7mm Mag.

Edited to add: I don't mean a rifle in EACH of those calibers. :D That would be insane and expensive. 2 or 3 is probably adequate.

[Kurt]

If you like rifles, how about a Winchester Model 70 Classic.

For pistols, a Colt .45 auto is an all-time favorite.

[ojibweindian]

A mauser of some sort. Yugo, Swede, etc.

A Winchester or Marlin .30-30.

A .45-70.

A smoke pole in .50 (took care of that earlier this week:D ).

[Brian Williams]

Not mentioned yet, I think but should be included
Remington rolling block
Win Hi Wall
Henry yellowboy
Pennsylvania rifle
Brown bess
1898 Mauser commercial in 275 mauser Ithink it's 275
Pre 64 mod 70
Trapdoor springfield
AR180
FAL
Plain jane M16
AK

[BigG]

Steyr Scout? :D

[Spieler]

Must have a center-fire, magazine-fed, military-style rifle - preferably one made in Liege, Belgium! :D

[ambidextrous1]

Good choices, all!

But don't forget a rimfire pistol! Make it a Buckmark or a Ruger MK II, unless you are a connoisseur; then it should be a S&W Mod. 41 or a Browning Medalist.

Makarov - did anyone mention Makarov?

Shotgun! Gotta have a shotgun!

Wheelgun! How about a Colt Python?

Etc, etc, etc. :D

[Baba Louie]

In .22's I prefer the Marlin 39A (first rifle I ever got to shoot... it's still in Dad's closet)

For an American Rifleman, the one and only true blooded American "must have" rifle has got to be a Springfield 03 (or 03-A3) in 30-06... or am I showing my age here? It was also the first "real" rifle I ever shot.

Failing that, a 30-30 by either Marlin or Winchester (USRAC) would do in a pinch ;) for most shooting chores.

Adios

[bluecowdawg]

BAR :D

[SteelyDan]

Probably only three "must-have" rifles:

1. .22

2. Bolt action .30-06 or similar with scope

3. An AR, AK, or other quasi-military .308-type semi-auto.

[Black Snowman]

Something big, something small, something auto.

For me it's .340 Weatherby Magnum, my now departed 10/22 (sold it to my Brother, still shopping for a replacement), and my C1A1 "FAL" wannaby.

[762x51]

My list is similar to SteelyDan.

1. .22 of some sort, be it bolt action or 10/22 type autoloader

2. Bolt action in .30-06 or .308

3. M1 Garand

4. AR or AK in caliber of your choice

[Will Fennell]

1. Qaulity .22 rimfire- THe rifle that taught us all to shoot!

2. WW2 Main Battle Rifle- A rifle from the war that kept us free.

3. Pre- 64 M70 Winchester- The Rifleman's Rifle:cool:

[4v50 Gary]

03 Springfield - any varient.

[AR-15Nutt]

a gun collection to me is a bunch of unfired NIBs.......

other wise it is simply a collection of guns :D :D

[Okiecruffler]

All of 'em.

[dangerousdude]

http://www.eders.com/specials/images/DaisyRedRider1938.gif

Preferably one made in Plymouth Michigan, corrupt them at an early age.:cool:

[Dr.Rob]

Yep you need a BB gun to teach the little ones. And a daisy red rider is just the ticket.

Of course you'll need a grown up bb gun just for grins. "Hey bubba watch me shoot that rat with my bb gun" POP "Gosh Rob, your bb guns sounds like a 22." "My bb gun IS a 22." Thats why we have RWS, Sheridan, etc.

OK the kid is growing up we need a 22 rifle. Something with a youth stock and in single shot. Mossberg, Marlin papoose.

The kid has out-growed (as opposed to out grown) that single shooter. Time to get a semi auto 22. Ruger 10-22, Marlin etc.

You take up bird hunting. Buy Remington 870 wingmaster.

You take up deer/elk hunting. Buy Remington 30-06

The kid wants to go Hunting. Buy Marlin 336 30-30. Buy Remington Express 12 ga 870.

The kid has grown tired of the 30-30, you tell him to buy his own damn rifle.

Buy nice old service rifle 1903a3, as backup rifle in camp. Keep hunting. Note Kid buys nicer rifle than you.

Buy 45-70 guide gun.

Kid buys deer barrel for shotgun, takes it bear hunting. Buy shotgun barrel.

Find a good deal on Garand/Carbine buy it.

Decide zombie werewolves on motorcyles and or alien vampires may attack this side of the tracks. Buy 223 that holds many bullets.

Note kid, now an adult has come to same conclusion.

Buy another, nicer 45-70.

Kid buys .54 hawken, asks you about black powder hunting.

Borrow kid's rifle. Break it, spend more than its worth to fix it. Swear never to shoot a Hawken again.

Kid asks you offhand if .375 H&H is overkill for moose.

Buy 22-250 varminter, tell kid you are too old to chase moose. Insist 220gr 30-06 is enough gun anyway. And when are we going?

The kid is now having kids, buys a red ryder bb gun...









(that one was for my dad)

[Johnny Guest]

- - -Very nicely written.

May the cycle be repeated for many generations to come.

Best,
Johnny

[MessedUpMike]

On good rifle from any country that's ever produced good rifles.

[thumbtack]

If it is going to truely be a Gun Collection then you MUST have at least one of everything.

[Tamara]

An M1 Garand (while you still can for less than a grand!); a Mauser of some shape, type, or variety; a good .22; and a Flat Black People-Popper of one kind or another.

[riverdog]

The Army used to do a good job at selecting rifles and they demonstrated this with the Springfield '03 and the M-1 Garand. The M-14 (M-1A for us) is also a good choice, the last battle rifle. I think they blew it with their M-16 entry, and as close-in combat becomes more and more the reality, the M-16 is being replaced by AK-47's in the field; how's that for reality.

I also really like good bolt actions preferring the Remington 700 but I also have an affection for Pre-64 Winchesters. There are a lot of good bolt action rifes out there.

Lever guns like the Marlin 1894 or 336 have their place depending on your needs.

.22's: Bolt actions and semi's. Lots of good bolt actions, and you gotta have a Ruger 10-22.

Yeah, I got a few "Must Have" rifles :)

[TODD3465]

How's this?

Rem Sendero .300 mag

Springfield Armoury M1-A, .308

Hvy bbl target rifle on BRNO '98 action, .308

Colt M-4 carbine, .223

Uzi Model A carbine, 9mm

CZ 452 Varminter, .22lr

Marlin Bolt Action 17HMR

Ruger Mini-14, .223

Venezualen model '98 (made by FN), 7x57

Swedish Mauser, 6.5x55

Persian Mauser (made by BRNO), 8x57

No4 Lee Enfield .303

FR-8 Spainish Mauser , .308

M-N M-44 carbine (Hungarian mfg) 7.62x54R

M-N 91/30 (Soviet mfg) 7.62x54R

SAR-1, 7.62x39

SAR-2 5.45x39

[Futo Inu]

Why a Savage 99, Golgo? And what is a Savage 99 - is that a falling block single shot? Interesting thread.

Baba Louie, I don't think there's enough 03s around for everyone to be able to have one, unfortunately. :(

GOT to get a Garand, and how. Note to self: attend next CMP shoot at gun club.

[Abominable No-Man]

I'm going to side with Jeff Cooper on this one.

The "must haves" are a .30-06 and a .22.

ANM

[Joe Demko]

Why a Savage 99? Only because it was the greatest rifle ever made! It was a hammerless lever-action. Through most of its history, it used a way cool rotary magazine. The .300 Savage is a nifty cartridge, too. It did anything a .308 will do, decades before there was a .308.

Here's a little site about the gun and the cartridges. (http://www.savage99.com/index.htm)

[Futo Inu]

Damn you Golgo - onto the list it goes (the Savage).

[Jack19]

Hmm, for me, the must haves are:

a .22 rifle,
a light, handy semi-auto carbine in a non handgun caliber,
a semi-auto MBR,
a bolt action rifle in the same caliber as the MBR.

Pretty much it for me.

Now the want to haves is a much longer list. :D

[Detritus]

these are MY must haves (I.E. the rifles that WILL be in my safe in as quick and orderly manner as i can get them)

10/22 (there already)
Marlin 39M (there already)
.308 "tactical/varmint/target type" bolt action, most likely Savage 10FP
.223 version of above..
Sharps Repro in 45-70 (have decided that i may just suck it up adn skip teh italian import and pay the extra $6-700 for a Shiloh)
1903A3
M-1 Garand
M-1A
multiple AR-15s (at minimum a "CMP" style A2, a regular A2, and an A1 look-alike, but maybe more)

that's teh "solid" list the rest changes as time goes by so are not really "must haves"