Legendary guns and guns that have a "cult" following

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lowerunit411

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Like most of you i spend a lot of time involved with guns...buying..selling...reading about them..shopping for things i cant afford, shooting them, hunting with them, reloading for them, etc...i read often about guns that are "legendary" and i see many descriptions of guns that have a "cult " following...hmmm Im not sure i know what a "cult" following is but i do know some legends and i think i know a few that fit both descriptions.
The Winchester Model 70...certainly legendary and also i think in the pre-war pre 64 config..a cultish gun
The Remington 788..surely a cult gun...i own 4 of them and love them but to me..not a legendary gun
Smith Model 41...Legend..cult gun
Winchester Model 21...Legend...cult..not so much i think
Winchester Model 97....both i think
Browning A-5...Legend..at least to me...cult? dunno
Colt SAA....Legend..cult? dunno
the list goes on
what is a cult gun vs a legendary gun? (and who decides?)
 
the military varients seem to be in a class by themselves...you right....certainly the mauser 98 is both a legend and a cult type weapon
 
Colt's Detective Special.

It's a cult gun in that it showed up in a lot of detective stories and police novels, and has been in a number of movies. There is a bit of a collectors' cultism around the better or older examples, as well.

In the real world it has a generally good reputation, which may not amount to legendary status. It was widely used (or carried) by law enforcement folks. I suppose it's a semi-legend simply as one of the better guns of its era.
 
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Glock anything.

1911 anything but especially Colt.

S&W non locked revolvers.

Browning hipowers.

and lest not forget the mighty LWS'.
 
The Winchester Model 70...certainly legendary and also i think in the pre-war pre 64 config..a cultish gun
The Remington 788..surely a cult gun...i own 4 of them and love them but to me..not a legendary gun
Smith Model 41...Legend..cult gun
Winchester Model 21...Legend...cult..not so much i think
Winchester Model 97....both i think
Browning A-5...Legend..at least to me...cult? dunno
Colt SAA....Legend..cult? dunno
Click to expand...

I call these Classics, NO MIM or zinc and plastic only where it should be ( grips, butplates)
Colt Woodsman would be my addition to the list.
 
HK P7s (and I'll admit I'm also a big fan).

The police trade in guns are now going for more than new Glocks and that's the basic 8 round heel mag release model. The P7 M13 is over $2000 easily (over 100% increase over MSRP, though I'm sure inflation played a small part as well over nearly 20 years) and those are ALL pre 1994! I know of very few guns that experience this kind of price appreciation.
 
I'm surprised it took 6 posts for 1911s to make the list.

When I read the words "guns" and "cult" in the same sentence, I immediately thought 1911.
 
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I don't have any special qualification regarding this issue;
BUT, my opinion follows:
Colt SAA Legend
1873 Winchester Legend
Colt 1911 Legend
Those are my top three.

AR/M16 Has become cultish
Glocks Glocks Glocks cultish

Don't assume that I have anything against what I called cultish, I own them
and like them.
Interesting thread, everyone has their own list.
 
I think there is a big distinction between guns that are "legendary" and one that have a "cult" following. A Holland and Holland .375 seems to me to be a legend but I can't really see a "cult" following. Cost doesn't seem to be a boundary. As I mentioned the Remington 788 and the Number one for that matter enjoy "cult" status, yet neither are particularly pricey. A Colt Python, in todays market is , from my perspective a legend and a cult gun and its off the hool expensive. The Winchester Model 52 is a legend and despite all the clones, not a "cult" gun, yet the originals and the copies are all expensive. The Marlin model 60 has about as large a cult following as any gun yet they are available everywhere for less than 200 bucks...
 
Mauser Broomhandle
Luger
Peacemaker
Tommy gun, especially the "mob" configuration (drum magazine and forward handle)
Garand
MP40
PPSh
The original M16
Derringer
 
Very surprised to see the SKS hasn't been mentioned yet. Poor man's hunting rifle, lots of aftermarket stuff available.
Or the Ruger 10/22, most people who get into them have 3 or more lol, each with a different setup.
 
I don't see the Glock as a cult gun. Its affordable and popular for sure but "cult" status..hmm...I'd say the CZ75 is closer to cult status than a glock and the SKS..cheap..fun...popular..cult..nope..legend? I don't think its in th same "legend" catagory as say a Spencer...even a "kentucky .50"
 
To me, a legendary gun is one who has been their and done that.
And is instantly recognizable to even non-gun people, due to exposure on the news media, entertainment media, and in the history books.
It has also been sold or used in great enough numbers to be known anywhere.

Examples of Legendary:
Brown Bess Musket
Kentucky rifle
Colt SAA
Luger
Winchester Lever-Actions
P-38
Pre-64 Model 70
SMLE Enfield
Walther PPK
S&W DA revolvers
Colt Dick Special
1911
03 Springfield
Trapdoor Springfield
Colt Woodsman
Sharps single-shot
Remington 870
Browning Superposed
M1 Garand & M1 Carbine
Winchester Model 97 & Model 12
Browning A5 / Remington Model 11.
Ithaca 37
Ak-47
M-16
FN-FAL
98 Mauser


Cult?
Those who's owners can't be reasoned with, no matter how good or bad their cult gun is.

Examples:
Glock
HK P7
Glock
Springfield XD
Glock
1911
Glock
Ruger Double Actions, Single Actions, and Automatics
Glock
Dan Wesson
Glock
Charter Arms
Glock

Oh! Did I mention Glock?

rc
 
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Focusing on things like the M1A, the Colt SAA, Glock, or the 1911 is like obsessing over movie stars. They do not reflect reality for most.

What Guns are legend?

How about the H&R Pardner - a gun that anyone can afford, and a gun that will function in ANY situation. Even the AK-47 envies the reliability of a break open single shot. You can stomp on it, run it over, and shoot it with an obstructed bore, and it will still safely go bang. Italian autoloaders are wonderful show ponies, but the H&R is the mule that does the real work for countless shooters who don't bother to gloat on the internet.

To me, those are the guns that are 'Legends', because those are the ones that really make the world go round.
 
I wouldn't call them "legendary" but the first thing to leap to mind when I saw "cult" was "Glock." The fanboiz are almost zombielike in their following of St. Gaston of Polymer, many to the exclusion of other makes.

More annoying than zombies, too. :evil:

Don't know if I would call 1911 & revolver types "cults." It is a Universal Law of the Universe that two things everybody should own are a 1911 in .45ACP and a .357 wheelgun. ;)
 
I'm a member of the Cult of Rohrbaugh.

I was once an aspiring member of the Cult of Seecamp, but I couldn't afford the entrance fee back then.
 
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