Top five favorite rifles...

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sprice

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What are your top five favorite rifles and why? Well if you had to narrow them down. ;)

1. Ak-47, simple; a workhorse.
2. Remington 700 (vtr) light, accurate, dependable. A new twist on an old favorite.
3. FN FAL, semi-automatic long range knockdown power and ergonomic.
4. marlin 30-30 (336) fun and timeless.
5. Any .22 bolt action or my 30/40 krag. 22 for obvious reasons, and I just like my krag.
 
1. Winchester Model 1895, Got to be the most beautiful rifle ever made
2. Remington Model 700. Simple, rugged, reliable.
3. Ruger Number 1. Just plain pretty. Always wanted one. Something about just having one shot.
4. AR-15/M16 series. You can hate, but you cant deny they must have got something right for that platform to have served as the PRIMARY US Military rifle for more than 40 years.
5. I will save this one for a future date. Something like the Pulse rifle in Aliens might be the one. "Standard 10mm, explosive tipped caseless."
 
1892 Winchester -- unparalleled handling in a light carbine
Weatherby Mark V -- American-made, the Colt Python of rifles, but you can still order a brand-new one
Marlin 39 -- more fun than a barrel of monkeys, steeped in history
Winchester Model 70 -- once an "ain't what it used to be" rifle, the Rifleman's Rifle is back, Made in USA, priced to make Remingtons look stupid.
AR-15 -- it has to be on the list, because it's not just one rifle. If you don't like it, you can change everything about it with rudimentary tools

Honorable Mention
Marlin 60 -- cheap, fun, reliable and accurate out of the box, just shoot it. If you put price into the equation, it would probably top all of the above, just because it's so cheap.
CZ452 -- A truly world-class rimfire that still costs less than a Weatherby Mark V Deluxe:)
Marlin 1894 -- Just a neat carbine, with history, too. A more practical real-world design than JMB's overly-complex 1892, but a little less sleek in the hands.
Savage bolt centerfires -- love 'em or hate 'em, they're the reason that every other new centerfire has had to be a better rifle than it would otherwise have had to, just to survive in the marketplace
Anschutz rimfires -- The standard for rimfire production rifles, even if few of us actually own one.
 
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BTW I own an example of only half of the above. So, I still have plenty of reasons to keep depositing something into my "play money" account.:D
 
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well some might not agree

1. Ruger mini-14 580 series. reliable and compact.
2. Remington 700 .270 cal a true bench mark rifle.
3. Mossberg 12 gauge long lasting and priced right.
4. Marlin model 60 .22lr cheap, accurate and fun for the whole family.
5. M1 Garand timeless and just awsome.
Thats all i got
 
The best:
AK47- 50 million + users can't be all wrong.
AR15- I always did like Legos when I was a kid.
M1 Garand- The classic.
FAL- Armed the free world for decades.
Mauser- The rifle everyone copied for half a century.

My list of the worst rifles:
M14- After 20 years the best Army Ordnance could do way hang a mag on a Garand and FUBAR the gas system. W/O it we would have had the FAL, most probably in an intermediate 6.5mm class cartridge.
SA80- They guys that pushed that POS off on the Brits should be shot.
Chauchat- See above comment.

BSW
 
1. Winchester Model 94 .30-.30 I grew up hearing the stories of hunts my Uncle and Grandfather made with their .30-.30's. Its a versatile gun that has probably killed more deer in this country than anything else. You could substitute the Marlin here, as Winchester vs. Marlin is kind of like Ford vs. Chevy. It depends on what you grew up on.

2. Ruger M77 Mk. II. Its the rifle I grew up hunting with. Its what my dad has, my uncle has, and what I usually have. Reliable, rugged, accurate. Nothing against Remington 700's, I just didn't grow up using them.

3. CZ 452. Its accurate, its cheap to shoot, and the model I have fits my large frame. There are enough models to outfit the whole family. From the small to the large. It teaches kids good habits, not to just start pulling the trigger and spray the target (ala the 10/22).

4. Ruger 10/22. I don't think its a great gun to teach good habits, as, like I said above, it lends itself to spray and pray. But its enjoyable, its accurate, and its modular, allowing a whole generation of garage tinkerers to feel like gunsmiths by installing a new stock and barrel.

5. US Rifle, Caliber .30, M1. Besides being one of the most important guns of one of the most important conflicts in the last 100 years, its great fun to shoot. It may not be the best hunting rifle (its a bit heavy for that), the best plinker (a bit expensive to shoot for that), or the most accurate rifle, but owning one is like having a piece of history in your hands. And it can function as a hunting rifle (I'm a big guy, 9.5 lbs doesn't bother me), a plinker (I can reload for it economically enough), and its accurate enough for my tastes.

Honorable mention: AR-15, Remington 700, Winchester slide action .22's.
 
1. Mauser 98, name a bolt gun that doesnt copy this one
2. M1, set a new standard for auto-loading rifles
3. AK-47, I don't think anyone will question its place on the list
4. Ruger 10-22, who on this forum has never shot one of these?
and my fifth choice was a tough one, but i went with...
5. M-16A2, why, you might ask, because it kept me alive many years ago
 
1. CZ 452 ZKM with tangent sights. A rimfire built like the best centerfires.
2. Mosin-Nagant M91-30. Much derided but I love the things for their balance and toughness.
3. Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903 sporter. Not that I'll ever be able to afford one, but I did get to shoot one. It's very close to perfection.
4. Savage 99. An almost flawless levergun.
5. Winchester 94. Frankly it's a Rube Goldberg device, but the balance is perfect and it's imminently shootable. It's also a testimonial to the designer's genius that a firearm which literally disassembles itself with every cycle can be so durable.
 
1. CZ VZ58 in 7.62x39

2. Savage model 99 in .300 Sav

3. Winchester 67A in .22lr

4. Ruger 10//22 in WMR

5. I haven't bought that one yet. Double Holland & Holland rifles
are just a tad beyond my now or future budget.


isher
 
1) Rem 700 . My personal 700 is a CDL in .270 Win with a 2.5lb trigger, but any 700 in most any of the more popular calibers are hard to beat. .270,7mm Rem Mag, .30-06--"The most accurate out of the box rifle available."

2) Ruger 10/22. Do I need to say more ?

3) Marlin 336...30-30 or .35 Rem...my pick is .35 Rem, but I don't think there is a spit of difference between the two worth mentioning. Does it all from deer to bear to HD.

4) Ruger Mini-14 580 Tactical. Rugged, reliable and accurate. Best truck gun I have ever owned. Deer, hog, HD and with a half dozen twenty round mags is a good SHTF tool.

5) SKS....no I don't own one, but I probably would if a cheap one showed up on the right day...."So easy a caveman can do it." they are the perfect KISS gun.
 
1) Remington 5R Milspec, .308
My long range shooter.

2) Marlin 1895 Cowboy, 45/70
Old sub moa reliable.

3) M1 Garand, 30'06
Love to shoot it, loads of fun, love the weight and feel.

4) M110, .308
On my Christmas list.

5) Shiloh Sharps, 45/120
Someday.
 
Wow, it's been a while since I've been around to post, but I'll dive in here!

1) Ruger 10/22 -Cheap, .22LR, tinker-toy, reliable, fun plinker, durable

2) Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum - Sure, some scoff at a "pistol" rifle, but this little gun is an adequate medium game taker to 100 yards and great fun to shoot with powder-puff reloads (200gr LRNFP and a little 231)

3) 20" AR-15 (A2 or A1 style) - I've spent a lot of time on Highpower ranges with my trusty National Match AR, and I can just shoot these rifles well because of the familiarity

4) M-1 Garand - big, reliable, hard-hitting and accurate. I have always been amazed at how easily I can hit targets with the old warhorse, and the balance is excellent IMO, in-spite of its size

5) Any smallbore position rifle. I used to play with a Walther KK-100 from time to time, fine-tuning my positions and the accuracy of a good .22 match rifle is absolutely scary.
 
It's hard to narrow it down to five favorites... "today" they would be in no particular order:

Marlin 39a Great feel and and tremendously fun; fits you like a full-size gun.

Model 70 Reliable, accurate, pretty... almost said 98 Mauser, but I think the 70 is more aesthetically pleasing and it's has a bigger place in Western American hunting folklore and heritage.

Remington Model 8 Bet I'm the only one to put this up here... Never had a problem with it; always has functioned reliably. It is more accurate than other traditional brush guns (I won't mention group sizes for mine -you probably wouldn't believe me) , points quickly and kills deer today as easily as it did in 1930 for my grandpa. I love lever guns, but you can't work a lever as fast as you can pull the trigger. How many of the people listing semi-autos here realize how far forward John Browning brought autoloading technology with this one?

Browning BAR Lightweight Nice comfortable gun to shoot. As accurate as a bolt, available in magnum calibers for those who choose (with significantly reduced recoil), fast handling and reasonably light to carry afield.

1885 Highwall Just a pretty gun from a simpler time. Lots of history with this one. Sometimes it's just a lot of fun lobbing big, heavy bullets a long way.
 
1. Stevens 87D .22LR: Sentimental reasons.

2. Bushmaster M17S 5.56NATO: Built the way I wanted, works every time, fun and handy.

3. Browning 1885 Highwall .45-70Govt.: Got thump?...and it sure is purdy.

4. Desert Tactical Arms SRS .300WM: When you feel like hitting something far away...

5. Nat. Postal Meter/Union Switch & Signal M1 Carbine .30Car.: There is a small chunk out of the stock...whatcha' bet that isn't from falling out of a gun rack ;); there is a lot of history in that old carbine.

*Note: Top rifles are subject to change, according to day of the week...time of the year...new acquisitions...on a whim. :)
 
(1)Colombian Mauser sporter in .308Win.,(2) Gew 98 sporter in .257 Roberts,(3)Colombian Mauser Sporter in 30.06,(4) Turkish Mauser sporter in .280 Rem.,(5)Chinese Mauser "Chaing-Kai-Shek" sporter in 7x57mm.,(6)1912 Mexican Mauser sporter in 7x57mm,(7)Stevens Model 200 in .223 Rem,(8)Howa 1500 Lightning in 30.06,(9)Churchill Highlander in 7mmRem.mag.(10) Colombian Mauser sporter in 30.06,original barrel,(11) all original Erma 1937 RC k98 in 8x57mm. Not necessarilly in that order. All bolt guns and I excluded all semiautos and rimfires. I'll stop here but you get the idea.
 
Very tough question...I have dozens of rifles...here's my favorites judged on biased and emotional rationale versus any specific objective criteria.

10ykzki.jpg

1. M1 Garand -- because I'm a red-blooded American who grew up in the 60's watching WWII movies. And because it is a lot of fun to shoot as well. Not the ultimate battle rifle, but one that is full of history

2. FN-FAL -- this is the rifle I reach for the most from the safe because it is ergonomic, powerful, reliable and good looking. 90 countries can't be wrong.

3. 1874 Sharps -- drop dead gorgeous, extremely accurate and came at a pivotal time in our nation's development. Plus, Quigley can't be wrong, can he?

4. Finnish M39 -- I've been enjoying reading and thinking about the Winter War and the Continuation War recently. The M39 represents what a small, determined populace can do against impossible odds based on the independence of it's people...and marksmanship. Everything the Mosin-Nagant wanted to be...but wasn't sophisticated enough to think of.

5. AR15 -- I used to "hate" AR15s until I actually owned one. Now I have 7. They are infinitely customizable, sufficiently powerful, handy, ergonomic and a lot of fun. This one is set up just like I want it.

Honorable mention (because I was too chicken$#!% to choose just 5)

30l2gbd.jpg

1. M1A/M14 -- for the same reasons I like the Garand...with 20 rounds instead of 8. This one is extremely accurate.

2. Tikka T3 -- not the prettiest or most refined but I call this one my "hammer of Thor". Has never failed to anchor an animal on the spot. I would be lying if I said I didn't like it.

3. Winchester 1892 -- super handy, fast firing, powerful enough, accurate enough. The "assault rifle" of it's day...and still pretty formidable in the right hands. This one is a Rossi in .45 Colt. Wouldn't feel undergunned with one.

4. Swedish M96 -- elegant, from another time of craftsmanship. Crazy accurate with an wonderful old cartridge...I love the 6.5x55mm.

5. Steyr AUG -- surprised myself including this...especially over the M1903. But I really appreciate the forward thinking of the design and the incredible compactness of the machine. Bullpups have lots of flaws, but also some advantages that are unavoidable.
 
Let's see -- I reckon they ought to be sorted by function.

Battle Rifles:

1. M1 Garand -- I bummed one off the ARVN battalion I advised, after my M2 carbine got wrapped around a tree. The one currently in my rack was made by H&R after the Korean War.

2. M14. I had one of these on my second tour -- the sniper (pre-M21) version. It was one of two I bullied my battalion commander into getting me, and I only had one kid who had been to sniper school, so I kept and used the other.

3. M1903A3 -- as good (but not as pretty) as the M1903, with better sights. I have two, one Remington and one Smith-Corona.

Small game rifles:

1. Kimber M82. I've killed a boxcar load of squirrels with mine.

2. M1922 Springfield -- I've not shot as many squirrels as with the Kimber, but it's a fine rifle.

3. Stevens Favorite. Mine was made about 1895, and I'm trying to find a tang sight for it.

Varmit Rifle:

1. Kimber M82 in.22 Hornet -- ideal for the Ozarks.

2. Savage in .223 Remington.

Saddle rifle:

M94 Winchester in .30-30, hands down. Mine wears a Williams 5D peep sight, and I bought it so long ago that it actually cost $5.00.

General hunting rifle

Pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester in .30-06, hands down. mine was made in 1939.
 
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