Pls help me identify classic American guns ready for duty

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bushmaster1313

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I would like to be educated about classic American guns that are as good to have and shoot today as when they were made 1956 or earlier. I am especially interested in identifying ones I do not know about yet. For example, I just started to read up on the Savage 99 and the Winchester 94.

Here are the ones I know about:

Small Revolver: S&W J frame snubby; Colt Detective Special

Large Revolver: S&W Pre-27 .357 Magnum; Colt Python

Semi-Auto Pistol: Colt 1911

Bolt Hunting Rifle: Winchester Model 70

Lever Hunting Rifle: Winchester 94; Savage 99; Marlin ?Model?

12 Gauge Pump: Winchester 12 and 97; Ithaca 37; Remington 31

SxS Shotgun: Winchester Model 21; Parker ?Model?

Over Under: Remington 32

Battle Rifle: M1 Garand

22 Rifle: Marlin 36A; Winchester 62

What else belongs on this list (categories and models)?
 
Winchester Model 88
Ruger MkI .22 pistol
Colt Woodsman .22 pistol
S&W Model 29
S&W Model 19
Savage Model 110 30-06

There are way too many to list. Other than relatively minor improvements such as polymer parts and more stainless steel firearms really haven't changed all that much. Guns that were good then are still good guns today if they haven't been abused.
 
Winchester Model 88
Ruger MkI .22 pistol
Colt Woodsman .22 pistol
S&W Model 29
S&W Model 19
Savage Model 110 30-06
Click to expand...

I overlooked the .22 pistols.


Also, the Savage 110 looks like the perfect gun to shoot with a boulder as your rest, get covered with blood and be drooled all over with dog slobber.:)
 
Medium frame revolver - S&W Military and Police .38 Special - Especially those made after WWII with the improved hammer drop safety

Semi-Auto - Colt 1911A1

Really, most guns made in the 1950's would be perfectly serviceable today. The standards of metallurgancy and the the standard safety features (drop safe) were pretty well established by then. So, any of the S&W or Colt offerings from that time period would be "classics" today.
 
My Savage 110L was a left handed model and was good enough to bag 11 moose, 20+ caribou, a Dahl sheep and a fairly decent brown bear in the 34 years I lived in Alaska. It wasn't fancy, had a 4 power Weaver and peep sights on it but never failed to do what it was supposed to do. That thing shot well in winter temps down to -40F or a bit more. I did degrease it and lube it with graphite to use it in winter hunting otherwise you'd need a hammer to open and close the bolt.
 
I have to agree, short of cheap junk made at the time there's no reason that a 1956 design/firearm wouldn't be perfectly serviceable today.

Obvious gaps in the list -
Browning Hi Power
FAL
 
savage 24, winchester 69, stevens SxS, remington 700series, remington 870, browning auto 5 and superposed. various springfield 1903's colt police positive, etc.
 
M 1 Carbines.
They served well into the vietnam years. In 68 mine was dated 1943 and did what was made for several time.
 
Have to agree with Squarles, just picked up another model 8 in .30 Rem. Just as effective today as when it left Ilion, NY in 1910.
 
M14 (designed 1954, produced 1959-1964). Some of these rifles are STILL in service, albeit in radically altered form.

Springfield 1903 (later ones, not low-serial-number).
 
You've been a member since 2008 with more than 1,800 posts and you
don't know anything about early firearms? What have you been posting
about all this time?

What you ask, quite frankly, would require many dozens of pages.
 
You've been a member since 2008 with more than 1,800 posts and you
don't know anything about early firearms? What have you been posting
about all this time?

What you ask, quite frankly, would require many dozens of pages.
Click to expand...

Be nice

Lots I still do not know.

Just found out about the Winchester 94 and the Savage 99
 
AK 47

I'm sure most of you don't want to think of such a gun in this thread but TOO BAD! ;)
 
That is a very cool gun, but I would be a bit concerned about the safety and reliability of an autoloader after all these years
Click to expand...

Safety no. Reliability, perhaps. Of course my 8's and 81's aren't going to be pulled out for the next carbine course. However I have put more than their fair share of rounds downrange, but yes reliability may be an issue with such use.
 
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