America's Gun?

[CmdrSlander]

So there is a new book out called Glock: The Rise of America's Gun I'm going to go out on a limb and say that title is the work of the publisher, not the author. It may be popular in America, but I can confidently say it is not "America's Gun" so what is? What gun(s) embody or are very important to America?

Here's five:

-Winchester 1894/92 (Won the west)
-M1911 .45 ACP (Defined hand-gunnery for over a century)
-M1 Garand (Vanquished the greatest evil humanity has ever faced)
-Winchester Model 70 (definitive American hunting rifle)
-AR-15 (quickly becoming the sporting and defense rifle of the generation that is coming of age now, military variant defends our freedom etc.)

To you, what is "America's Gun"?

 

[Armchair Bronco]

Your list is a good one. Here are a few others that might be at the bottom of the list:

- M1 Carbine
- Thompson Submachine Gun
- Winchester Model 12 shotgun

 

[shootniron]

In my opinion, currently the 1911 would fill this bill. However, I think the AR will occupy this spot in the next 50yrs as I think that it has now reached enough segments of the gun culture to sustain it's popularity for years to come...thanks in large part to nearly a decade of war having introduced it to a generation of young shooters.

 

[exavid]

America's gun? The iconic Winchester lever action and Colt revolver. The guns that won the West. Everything else is follow on and not as significant in our history.

 

[CmdrSlander]

Everything else is follow on and not as significant in our history.

I personally believe that the second world war was the turning point in the history of mankind, and only another massive event like it could take that spot. So much of the technology we enjoy today (jet aircraft, computers, atomic energy, the list goes on...) was born out the necessity and horror of that war.

 

[19-3Ben]

-Winchester 1894/92 (Won the west)
-M1911 .45 ACP (Defined hand-gunnery for over a century)
-M1 Garand (Vanquished the greatest evil humanity has ever faced)
-Winchester Model 70 (definitive American hunting rifle)
-AR-15 (quickly becoming the sporting and defense rifle of the generation that is coming of age now, military variant defends our freedom etc.)

Great list. A few comments:

I'd replace the Winchester M70 with a .30-30 levergun such as Winchester 1894 and Marlin 336. Those are really (at least in my mind) the definitive hunting rifle of our country. You already have the M92/94 on the list, so I think the M70 becomes redundant.

As for the Garand, it served our military well, but to be called "America's gun" I'd think that I would want something that served the military AND was widely adopted by the civilians and commercial market.

If we use the criteria I just set, then I'm going to say the 1911 and AR15 edge out the others. The only addition I would make is a 12ga pump. One of the following would be likely candidates: Winchester 12, Ithaca 37, Remington 870.
Those guns have served military, police, and civilians for a good long while now.

 

[bushmaster1313]

M1911 .45 ACP (Defined hand-gunnery for over a century)

I respectfully disagree.
Lot's of people, those who know a fair amount about guns and those who don't, are not comfortable with a 1911 but plenty fine with a revolver:

M1 Garand (Vanquished the greatest evil humanity has ever faced)

Also disagree with the above. It was mainly the Russians who beat the Germans. I am in awe of the U.S. WWII soldiers (and all our other veterans), but it was the Russians who wore the Germans down.

 

[cthulhufan]

Ma Deuce.

 

[CmdrSlander]

I respectfully disagree.
Lot's of people, those who know a fair amount about guns and those who don't, are not comfortable with a 1911 but plenty fine with a revolver:



Also disagree with the above. It was mainly the Russians who beat the Germans. I am in awe of the U.S. WWII soldiers (and all our other veterans), but it was the Russians who wore the Germans down.

And you have every right to your opinion. Though, I believe the M1911 is better if you had to pick one handgun, because of the longevity of the model itself, and its basic design/ergonomics which can been seen in almost all modern autoloading pistols. I defined hand-gunnery in that it set the standards for what a combat pistol should be.

 

[Armchair Bronco]

If the question were "Which gun is the most iconically American gun?" then I think there are two candidates, especially if you were to ask non-Americans.

The Tommy Gun



The Winchester 1894

 

[Chedderbob]

When I think of America's gun, I like to think of a gun that is distinctively American... So it has to be BIG, loud, over-the-top, and most of all, proud!

The first gun that comes to mind is the 1911. Designed in America, made in the USA, has a barrel too long, and a bullet too fat (sound American?) Did i mention its rugged beauty, its practically a southern gentleman in firearm form. Anything that fits that criteria can be proudly accepted as America's gun.

 

[Justin]

We've already got an active thread about Paul Barrett's book.

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