Thread: Our favourite ever firearms..

Originally Posted by gundoc

I have owned a large number of good firearms, many of which I have regretted selling (usually sold to overcome temporary impecunity, or to finance the purchase of another desirable gun) but the one that always comes to mind is my .30/06 BSA Majestic with a Hertel & Reuss 4x81 scope. I shot a lot of game with it and it was light, accurate, and well-made. I sold it when my kids started high school and needed uniforms.

I know the feeling - a guy in Gisborne once asked if I wanted to but a shotgun he needed $100 for a car battery had his Dads shotgun - what is it - Japanese he says - okay and I walk of with a luverly Miroku SBS - told new wife we would sell it before duck shooting for a decent profit as it worth a lot more - ( like hell thinks I my precious miroku ) bloody washing machine breaks down and yup ya can guess the rest bugger

Sometimes its hard to pick a favorite but based on length of ownership my .243 bought new in 1971 has been top of the list. It has a long heavy action made for up to 458 mag size rounds and is heavy compared to modern rifles.It's even heavier now with Shilen select barrel but not for sale.
A new old favorite is a 12 G Baikel which my father had as a cheap gun to leave at the bach to shoot magpies.Sold it as I had no use for it and then wondered why.Had the chance to buy it back as a .22 and grabbed it.Maybe not for sale this time.

Really miss my Browning BAR's. Still have a special place for the battered old Majestic 243, plus a Hunter rebarreled in 223. Also a .22 Walther.

There seem to be quite a bit of nostalgia coming through in this thread (and fair enough) but my favorite rifle is definitely my current one. A dirty old Tikka T3 308. I like to think I have kept "trading up" as time has gone on. I do have fond memories of my Miroku .308win because of shooting my first deer with it, and my left handed Ruger .270win, my first left hand bolt, but the T3 does everything better. Reliable, accurate, weatherproof (Gunkote stainless) and handles really well with it's 16"bbl and suppressor. What's not to like.

I haven't owned a lot of centrefires over the years (.243win x 2, 308win x 2, .270win, 223rem, 300wm and 7mmRM. All the garden variety chamberings) but I have found the 308win does all I need it to do and more without fuss. I took it to the range this morning to check zero after putting a Greystone rail on and the results speak for themselves.

Originally Posted by Tedz50

Sometimes its hard to pick a favorite but based on length of ownership my .243 bought new in 1971 has been top of the list. It has a long heavy action made for up to 458 mag size rounds and is heavy compared to modern rifles.It's even heavier now with Shilen select barrel but not for sale.
A new old favorite is a 12 G Baikel which my father had as a cheap gun to leave at the bach to shoot magpies.Sold it as I had no use for it and then wondered why.Had the chance to buy it back as a .22 and grabbed it.Maybe not for sale this time.

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Now that looks like a real shed. Heaps going on, not one of the ultra tidy ones that you wonder if they are ever used. There is even a nice old car of some description.
Regards GPM.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Now that looks like a real shed. Heaps going on, not one of the ultra tidy ones that you wonder if they are ever used. There is even a nice old car of some description.
Regards GPM.

That shed is a hoarders paradise and the Humber 80 belonged to mates mother and we went everywhere in it.I bought it off her 36 years ago as 2 owner car.Promised Daughter she can have it one day.

Remington 600 was more than a bushpig back then for me - very competent little unit. NZDA competition shooting was very active then, well attended, and my own and old man's 600s in 243 and 308 did well. Very accurate, and carbine size made it so easy to handle for kneeling, prone, standing, running pig etc.

And not at all surprised to BSA Majestics in the favourites list either. Dam nice rifle - certainly a cut above the Parker Hale which I started with in the late 60s. Parker Hale the cheap affordable rig of the time. Remington made some good stuff back then - the 600 and variants, 742 semi, 760 pump etc. Old man had a 760 pump in 308 and loved it.

Often with growing family you have to get rid of a firearm or two for kids fees, house renos etc.. Unfortunately we don't always make the right decision. We have some new rifle setup in the closet, and sacrifice that old but efficient hunter rifle. Later we often regret parting with that 'character' rifle, but may not blink an eye when the newer one eventually moves on. Wish I'd kept half a dozen.. 100% valid too though for new rifle setup to be a favourite - all good there.

I thought it was English from the boot hinges but didn't twig Humber. That must be about 70 yeas old, an early benchrest too. No sign of any hearing protection.
GPM.

I've only ever let one gun go that I regret
A Winchester 23 XTR 20 gauge Pigeon grade side by side shotgun
It really was a magic little shotgun and I shot it well in the day
But when I brought my farm and didn't have time for waterfowling I let it go
Can't recall why
Might have been to buy a left hand Sako

Since then I learned my lesson and haven't let anything go that was old and special
Have a left hand Anschutz 22 I brought 39 years ago that will always be a favorite
But I might have upset it recently by adding another three 22s to the collection

Originally Posted by grandpamac

I thought it was English from the boot hinges but didn't twig Humber. That must be about 70 yeas old, an early benchrest too. No sign of any hearing protection.
GPM.

Running away from original Thread but about 1970 at Kaituna NZDA range and no hearing protection in those days even at work.No wounder us oldies say EH! a lot.

Ive owned dozens but the one that stole my heart is a little Savage Lightweight in .223. Had it for maybe 20 years from new. Burned out the throat last year and replaced it with a 1:8 stainless from Truflite. It was good before and even better now. Light and easy to shoot. But its a bit like owning a Landrover - the re-barrel cost more than I paid for the original rifle, then there was the bedding job, and getting a fault fixed in the trigger....

The 80 grain bullets it digests shoot deer like a .243.

Sako A2 in 243 that someone had put a heavy barrel on, long sold , long missed.

A 1949 BRNO 22 Hornet that my father bought for me at a clearing sale when I was 15 in 1981. I (stupidly) sold it in late 1986 as I'd run out of money at the end of Uni. Starting about 10 years ago I kept my eye out intending to replace it with something similar, ended up buying the same rifle back!! Gifted it to my son for his 21st three years ago, he'll never sell it.

A 465 no doubt? It was all downhill from there.
I had a Fox -briefly-. Sloppiest action I've ever seen

Interesting - after 40+ posts there are few trends emerging regarding our favourite arms..

1. They can be any type of firearm - centrefire or rimfire or shottie. Old or new. No particular type.
2. Favourite firearms are rarely pricey models. More often it will be less expensive arms eg 303s, Baikal, Marlin semi, Ruger 10/22 etc.
3. People seldom choosing the big Name brands as favourites- most choices are low to medium price arms. Yes there are also some well setup Sakos etc and that's also good.
4. People's favourite arms are usually described as very good at their purpose. Favouritism based mostly on efficient performance. Functionality wins - regardless of name or price.
5. Also very clear that when confronted with possibly selling a favourite firearm, we should not just think twice about it - we should think half a dozen times about it, then put it back in closet and sell something else. Avoid the regrets. Favourite fireams hold more than just an economic value - they're a pleasure to own and use. That's called life.

Just trends - not rules... there are none with personal choices.

I'd add a couple more arms to my own honorable mention list. I intend one day to pick up a Lithgow model 12 22LR - learned to shoot with one and remember it as an accurate, efficient Aussie 5 shot bolt action. Good wee units and a few still around. Also may pick up one or two rifles I haven't yet owned - either a Remington 511 Scoremaster 22LR 5/10 shot mag bolt action, or its tube counterpart the model 512 Sportmaster. Fine 22s from 1930s thru 1960s - will have one of them in the closet sometime.