Five Most Iconic/Influential Firearms of All Time?
- Thread starter Kynoch
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Ian... that is the most steam punk looking thing.
Quite interesting.
Quite interesting.
Most Iconic Firearms:
This list is more influenced by pop culture, cinema and personal slant rather than historical significance.
1873 Colt Single Action Army. Before "Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Pale Rider" seeing a revolver OTHER than a Colt in a Western was a head scratcher. Imagine a "western" with top break Weblys and Riech revolvers? No, you can't. Thank Clint for reviving interest the Schoefield, the Remington Outlaw and other cartridge conversion sidearms. The Colt six shooter remains the standard.
Short Magazine Lee Enfield: The rifle of Empire. The 10 shot box magazine and snouty front end give this battle proven slugger a disticnct profile instantly recognizable. For almost a century (and longer in former Imperial holdings) this rifle was as ubiquitous as the Union Jack, khaki and tea. Not as popular as a sporter as the Mauser, outclassed by semiautomatic rifles in WW2 and Korea, but still effective in the early days of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Still found in large numbers in India/Pakistan (who made their own versions) canada, Austrailia... wel you get the picture.
Luger: people that don't even know a pistol from an electric shaver know what a Luger looks like. Iconic, overenginerred, finicky. Precise like a Swiss watch. At home in a war movie or a spy thriller one thing we all know.. the Luger will be carried by the bad guy. Unless you're Philip Marlowe, who carried one frequently though that's mostly pre-WW2. Georg borrowed heavily from the Borchardt but created a (mostly) reliable and powerful sidearm with a distict look and feel that many others have tried and failed to copy.
AK 74/AKM/AKS etc. The rifle of revolution. The long arm of bad men. The brainchild of a Russian tanker who only recently admitted.. well maybe we had seen an STG 44 once. Still, shoot someone a glance of an STG they might say "AK". That curved magazine and distinctive front sight housing are instantly reccognziable. Stone simple to make perate and maintain. If you have acess to ammo and a something resembling lubricant, it will probably fire. It's a rifle featured on national flags, currency and thenickname for 'young man' in a few third world countries. Heck, as a trade item it's more valuable/stable than MOST 3rd world currency.
1911. Nothing screams "I am a yanqui imperialist over paid over sexed and over here to save YOUR bacon, AGAIN" like a 2 pound John Moses Browning all steel 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol. 100+ years of service.. and really no other ONE pistol design can say that. Ok there was a brief flirtation with the M9 but the M1911A1 soldiered on in the Marine Corps and spec ops community until ta-dah! The Marine just ordered a bunch of shiny (make that flat dark earth) new Colt pistols. From San Miguel to The Somme to Saipan and Saigon and Somalia and rough dangerous places like Spokane and Sissionville, the 1911 was a serious fighting gun, not just a 'badge of office' carried by gentrified officers in pressed uniforms with sparkly medals. From the mean streets of America where it saw use on both sides of the law by the likes of `Frank Hamer, Bonnie and Clyde, Texas Rangers and John Dillenger's gang all favored the 45 Colt auto and its legendary power. Glock, HK Beretta and Sig combined just don't have that kind of history. Note that Colt, Sig, Ruger, Springfield, Rock Island, Kimber, Taurus, and adozens of other small specialty manufacturers are ALL making 1911's to fill the demand for the iconic handgun. Virtually non existant outside the sphere of US influence (Norway, Argentina, the Phillipenes) the 1911 still remains a symbol not just of American prowess in fighting skill, but as the hallmark of the greatest gun designer the world has ever known. laying on a little thick? Maybe. Highly slantled bias? Of course. But I'm still right.
This list is more influenced by pop culture, cinema and personal slant rather than historical significance.
1873 Colt Single Action Army. Before "Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Pale Rider" seeing a revolver OTHER than a Colt in a Western was a head scratcher. Imagine a "western" with top break Weblys and Riech revolvers? No, you can't. Thank Clint for reviving interest the Schoefield, the Remington Outlaw and other cartridge conversion sidearms. The Colt six shooter remains the standard.
Short Magazine Lee Enfield: The rifle of Empire. The 10 shot box magazine and snouty front end give this battle proven slugger a disticnct profile instantly recognizable. For almost a century (and longer in former Imperial holdings) this rifle was as ubiquitous as the Union Jack, khaki and tea. Not as popular as a sporter as the Mauser, outclassed by semiautomatic rifles in WW2 and Korea, but still effective in the early days of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Still found in large numbers in India/Pakistan (who made their own versions) canada, Austrailia... wel you get the picture.
Luger: people that don't even know a pistol from an electric shaver know what a Luger looks like. Iconic, overenginerred, finicky. Precise like a Swiss watch. At home in a war movie or a spy thriller one thing we all know.. the Luger will be carried by the bad guy. Unless you're Philip Marlowe, who carried one frequently though that's mostly pre-WW2. Georg borrowed heavily from the Borchardt but created a (mostly) reliable and powerful sidearm with a distict look and feel that many others have tried and failed to copy.
AK 74/AKM/AKS etc. The rifle of revolution. The long arm of bad men. The brainchild of a Russian tanker who only recently admitted.. well maybe we had seen an STG 44 once. Still, shoot someone a glance of an STG they might say "AK". That curved magazine and distinctive front sight housing are instantly reccognziable. Stone simple to make perate and maintain. If you have acess to ammo and a something resembling lubricant, it will probably fire. It's a rifle featured on national flags, currency and thenickname for 'young man' in a few third world countries. Heck, as a trade item it's more valuable/stable than MOST 3rd world currency.
1911. Nothing screams "I am a yanqui imperialist over paid over sexed and over here to save YOUR bacon, AGAIN" like a 2 pound John Moses Browning all steel 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol. 100+ years of service.. and really no other ONE pistol design can say that. Ok there was a brief flirtation with the M9 but the M1911A1 soldiered on in the Marine Corps and spec ops community until ta-dah! The Marine just ordered a bunch of shiny (make that flat dark earth) new Colt pistols. From San Miguel to The Somme to Saipan and Saigon and Somalia and rough dangerous places like Spokane and Sissionville, the 1911 was a serious fighting gun, not just a 'badge of office' carried by gentrified officers in pressed uniforms with sparkly medals. From the mean streets of America where it saw use on both sides of the law by the likes of `Frank Hamer, Bonnie and Clyde, Texas Rangers and John Dillenger's gang all favored the 45 Colt auto and its legendary power. Glock, HK Beretta and Sig combined just don't have that kind of history. Note that Colt, Sig, Ruger, Springfield, Rock Island, Kimber, Taurus, and adozens of other small specialty manufacturers are ALL making 1911's to fill the demand for the iconic handgun. Virtually non existant outside the sphere of US influence (Norway, Argentina, the Phillipenes) the 1911 still remains a symbol not just of American prowess in fighting skill, but as the hallmark of the greatest gun designer the world has ever known. laying on a little thick? Maybe. Highly slantled bias? Of course. But I'm still right.
bushmaster1313
Member
Deltaboy1984
Member
I agree on all counts.
Southside830
Member
Handguns
1. Colt 1911
2. Beretta M9/92
3. Glock 19
4 Browning Hi Power
5. Ruger GP 100
Rifles
1. Lever action rifles
2. AK 47
3. M-16
4. Uzi (smg)
5. Good 30-06 Bolt action rifle.
1. Colt 1911
2. Beretta M9/92
3. Glock 19
4 Browning Hi Power
5. Ruger GP 100
Rifles
1. Lever action rifles
2. AK 47
3. M-16
4. Uzi (smg)
5. Good 30-06 Bolt action rifle.
JFtheGR8
Member
No love for the FN FAL? Isn't it considered the right arm of the free world?
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Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android
Sav .250
Member
You beat me to it.............
Pudge
Member
Didn't the Remington Model 17 beget the Ithica 37?
What about the Remington Model 8, the first commericially successful medium powered semi?
When you look at firearm design, there were some incredible minds, and then there was John Browning.
What about the Remington Model 8, the first commericially successful medium powered semi?
When you look at firearm design, there were some incredible minds, and then there was John Browning.
You need to go back in time:
1. First handcannons
2. Matchlocks to wheellocks to flintlocks to percussion caps
3. Rifled guns and Minie balls
Without those, the guns mentioned would not have gotten started and/or lacked crucial features
1. First handcannons
2. Matchlocks to wheellocks to flintlocks to percussion caps
3. Rifled guns and Minie balls
Without those, the guns mentioned would not have gotten started and/or lacked crucial features
Chevelle SS
Member
Handguns:
1911
Browning High Power
Colt 1873
Colt 1851
Glock 17
1911
Browning High Power
Colt 1873
Colt 1851
Glock 17
USAF_Vet
Member
The OPs list pretty much summed up my thought, and then some.
I would only add the Glock 7. Those German porcelain guns have gotten through so many air port metal detectors its not even funny.
I would only add the Glock 7. Those German porcelain guns have gotten through so many air port metal detectors its not even funny.
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