Old guns

Does any of you notice how the old guns from 50-100 years ago seem to be out of style?

Today if its not a 6mm, 6.5 or a 350 legend etc. its not any good.

I have a Winchester model 94 in .32 Win.spl. that my son thinks is too old. Its killed more deer than his rifles.

Also if your not a stick and string guy, your not cool. Or a compound bow. Let alone a crossbow (gun bow), your not with it.

Why don't we just setup land mines for our game? How about a claymore to take any and all down? Crazy, yes?

I'm done.

I don’t worry what others are doing I just don’t have the desire to do that. The I don’t do that so it’s not ok for you to do it has plagued our outdoor activities forever we are our own enemies at times.

Outside of materials and methods for firearm construction the basic brass, powder, bullet combo is pretty much the same today as it was a century ago. The advances since then are nothing more than tweaks of shape and size of the case or projectile construction.

But the hardest thing is getting folks to learn and understand foundational concepts.

What kills me is the folks touting pipsqueak rounds like 300blk for deer but disdain old classics like 30/30 or 25/35 as not enough gun.

I am not seeing old guns selling cheap, that would be a sign they are going out of style or demand.

Have a pipsqueak 30-30, killed a very large pile of deer with it, only one I have, only one I need....never took to bow hunting, so I guess I'm not with it...

I don't understand the fascination with long-range shooting. The vast majority of hunters are not able to shoot at 500+ yards, and many cannot connect at half that range. Everybody wants a fast twist barrel to shoot long and heavy rounds, that will probably not expand reliably at close typical hunting distances. I am not a fan of heavy for caliber bullets. Have about a dozen deer rifles but none newer than 20+ years. Mostly Mod 70s and Mod 700s. Not interested in the latest fads.

I have made three 500+ yard shots on NC whitetails. I never knew that I hit or killed any of the deer after the shot. That is not fun to me. Unethical. Would be very easy to assume a miss. Once I thought I took two shots at the same deer. Was actually two deer. Killed them both. I found one and my dog found the other. Miracle shots, kills, and retrieval. Shots were from a wobbly tripod stand. would never take those shots now, thirty years later.

My Dad has a .32 rifle he is very fond of LOL

I have a .350 Legend and a old .35 Remington myself

I have a friend with no heirs. He told me I am in his will to get his Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. We are the same age. Maybe my son will get it. I'd gladly buy it from him now, so his lady friend will not give it to her sons.

I have several to choose from and hunt a lot with the new and the old. Always make at least one day to hunt with an oldie.

35 REM in a 141

I will say more new guns bought today will be used more for range shooting than hunting but I think this long range hunting thing is a bad thing for hunting as a whole. I like playing at longer range at the range but do the large majority of my hunting with a bow. The good old faithful cartridges you can find anywhere like the 243, 270, 7 rem mag and 300 win mag are my flavor. They are more than adequate for any hunting shot I'm capable of. I like learning about ballistics and most of the fast twist heavy for cartridge new rounds don't really show any advantage until at least 500+ yards.

I'm 29 so technically of the new school but I've always been a lever gun guy. Being from the North East tracking and still hunting whitetails in the mountains rather than sitting in a observation stand over looking a food plot is more my game. I love those trusty old rifles. I've killed quite a few deer with model 94 winchesters, pump shotguns, and I carried an Enfeild 303 British for a while. I love the nostalgic feeling of hunting deep woods with the same kind of rifles my grandfather's carried. I updated my hunting rifle a few years to a Henry longranger in 308. It still has that nostalgic feel with a little more range than my 30-30. How ever I did jump on the Ar15 bandwagon this year and built one in 300 blk. On a tripod I think it will be a good low recoil rifle to start my 8 year old deer hunting.

I don't take someone seriously when they deer hunt with a black rifle. Go ahead, spew the hate.

I'm as much a lover blued steel and oiled walnut as anyone and my deer getter of choice is an 1895 winchester in 30/06. But when it comes to putting meat or fur on the ground dead is dead and don't care if you dress up in a loincloth with a sharp stick or call in a fire mission to get it done, dead is dead.

I’m in the same boat as mainelogger, except instead of the AR route I went with the Ruger ranch in 300blk. My oldest is 7 and will be using it next year when he turns 8, virtually no kick and quiet with suppressed with 220gr subs.

I like old guns

I LOVE old school guns! My main shooters for hunting medium to large game are: Pre 64 Winchester in 6mm Rem and a hand made .560 flintlock smoothbore made by Ken Netting. I would love to go out and give my old 1950s Winchester 32 spl alot of shooting time as well, but unfortunately, you can buy 50 BMG rounds for cheaper these days!

BUT, I do give bonus and style points to how you make it dead. LOL

Amen to Charles, Miketraps2, and Maine Logger. I've killed dear with a lot of different tools but a little JM Marlin in 35 Rem is my all time favorite. It doesn't knock em flat like the .270s and my per .257s but they always run out of fluid with in hearing distance and if not the LOL trail is thick enough for a 3 yr old to track. My ex father in law and I made my boy do it twice in a day and he had turned 3 only one month before.

They will never make another gun that swings like a shot gun on pheasant like that little .35R does.

I’m 55 and we had every day calibers. 30/06, 30/30, .308, .44mag. Don’t think any of them are old school. I do have a thing for calibers that can use any bullets should crap hit the fan. .308/7.62 .45 .9mm 5.56. I do own a couple .243 and an inoperable 7mm/08. I want calibers I can find bullets for off dead bodies if needed. Not trying to sound morbid, but better safe than sorry.

Savage 99’s are hard to beat!

I wasn't taking a shot at Mainelogger. I've owned an AR and it's a fun gun to shoot but the whole tactical craze has gone too far, at least in my thinking. Much better choices for a deer rifle out the to choose from.

I Love old Rifles

I only have 2 from my Dad and None from my Granpa s

If a firearm is reliable , functions and shoots with in reason, how is one any better than the other? It all seems like personal choice to me. I am not a lever action fan myself, but could care less if you like them. If you want to hunt with an AR how is it different than any other semi auto?

AR15’s are the ultimate kid gun. The buttstock can be adjusted to fit about any length of pull and they generally have no kick. We let the younger kids shoot the 5.56 and as they mature, swap out with an AR10 in 7.62 that looks the same but with a little more range and punch. They generally have no idea except for flipping deer over, lol.

Plastic.

I like guns that are accurate.

I like old guns ,the only issue being old guns have old sighting systems and that is one area that has improved greatly.

the other thing is old guns are harder and harder to get parts for and harder to clean

I have special place for M37 Ithica's , 1903A3 , 30-30s

the 870 is 72 years and 500 and 62 years old
those are my 2 go-to shotguns
mine are not that old but I had a 870 from 1954 and my current 870 is a 1985 police magnum
my 500 is one of my newest shotguns dating from 1990 if I am going hunting in the rain it is what you will find in my hand. it cleans easy and parts are all over the place.

ok back to sighting systems the Mauser type sights don't lend themselves to fast target acquisition like an LPVO or even a good peep.
if there is no way to mount better sights or optic , or it takes a lot to clean all the spots then it is for fair weather and fun range shooting.

I would rather enjoy an 03A3 with the original sights than start drilling into it to make it something it isn't

my 30-30 wears a globe front and a peep rear because it didn't modify the gun any.

for deer or any game at 25-125 yards the old cartridges do very well 35rem , 30-30win , 32win spl , 38-55 , 45-70 , and many others and they do a good job of making 2 holes

when you are looking for a hunting rifle and you can buy a new gun for 400 dollars and drop an optic on it and be ready to sight in and go hunting if anything is wrong with it send it back to the manufacuter for a warrantee , if you break anything parts are no problem or you can spend 400 and get an old sporterise Mauser with old rings and a scope that has foggy by comparison glass , then try and find a new scope that fits the old mounts and hope that it shoots and your not getting some one's mistake.

Muzzle loader sales tell us a lot more people are hunters than muzzle loaders or inlines with optics that shoot 209 and pelletized powder wouldn't be the most common thing. heck the fire stick really takes it to a muzzleloading cartridge gun.

Most old guns were built better and feel WAY better then the crap in the past 20 years...
Bring back Wood!

Amen!!!

I would say yes and no. Internally modern cnc tooling allows new to hold to tighter tolerances meaning more consistent barrels and parts fitting. Accuracy has improved.

Externally the old aesthetics are gone and the labor to hand fit wood to metal or rub on a proper coat of BLO would cost more than the cnc machine and don't even get me started on the environmental issues of hot bluing.

So modern stuff has the potential to shoot straighter and be as ugly as a mud fence.

a nice thing about some of the modern guns is you get home from a day of hunting in the rain

toss a towel on the table and in 90 seconds with no tools the gun is apart you let it dry while you take a hot shower and when done hose out a few spots with a dry lube , give it a wipe down and put it back together in less than 2 minutes.

i use a mosin nagant m38 for a close range bear gun. The date is 1942.

A friend of mine inherited his brothers gun collection,he asked me if I wanted a German mauser.When he was doling out the rifles to the grandchildren they wanted nothing to do with it.

just so you know, the faster twist does make a noticeable difference in bullet expansion. so the heavies expand pretty well.

Last season I used my great uncle’s 1907 Winchester 351 self loader to kill my deer. I am glad it was close because I couldn’t focus on both the front at rear sights. I just wanted to kill a deer with old uncle Jimmy’s gun. Also unfortunately this gun would have been on the chopping block form past nut cases firearms bans. I gun designed 120 years ago.

How about the "new" gun you bought that is now the "old" gun, ie, the 7mmSTW Sendero.

I say that’s a keeper, sadly I had a Sendero once and can’t even remember the caliber

I'll buy that 32 off you if you want to upgrade! I love those old 32s.

I started in the long range hunting before anybody had ever heard of PRC matches or it became a craze on the internet. I had my 7mm STW built over fifteen years ago now, and I love that gun when I need to reach out there, it has killed a lot of stuff. But if I'm hunting the timber my first choice is either my Remington 760 270 or Marlin 1895 45/70

I agree! I have one (.300 Caliber) that was made in 1937 and belonged to my grandfather. I got two deer with it this year.

This year I hunted with a Remington 700 243 I bought used 40 years, had killed deer with open sights but put a scope on this year. Unfortunately I had zero targets through the rifle or muzzleloader season

Oh the Fudds.....

I prefer hunting with bolt guns. But I don't take someone seriously who cares about how and what other people shoot.

I discriminate on who I hunt with, always have. I've weeded out a lot of lightweights.

A flat top AR10 would make an ok deer rifle, don’t care what color you paint it. What really is the difference than a BAR in 308?

There is no difference. One just looks scarier.

I kill a lot of hogs with AR10s.

I like old shotguns. This one is about 115 years old. Still works great. No telling how much game this on has killed. It belonged to my great grandpa.




I hunt with a black rifle too- I like them all.

do you just leave the safety off or did you figure out a fast way to get it off

the Mauser and 1903 it is a quick thumb flip , the Mosin not as easy

You go ahead and drool over your plastic, BC. Maybe someday you'll learn to appreciate craftsmanship.

Ninety-nine years old and shoots a two inch group at twenty yards all day long.

+20 style points

-10 sportsmanship points

Maybe you'll elaborate.

Unsportsmanlike conduct to put it politely.

Taunting to go further.

Snobbery if you must.

I stand guilty as accused but I also don't mistake MD 20/20 as a fine wine.

Nor do I, but it'll get the job done, lol. And while I no longer partake of that vintage I won't begrudge those that do.

I've probably introduced as many young hunters/outdoorsmen to the sport as anyone here. I've never expected much in the way of skill or tastes in firearms from up and comers, I looked to desire. Some of them had it, some didn't. Over the years I've converted exactly no one to my way of thinking when it comes to fine guns, doubles in particular. And some of you will be pleased to know this isn't the first time I've been accused of being a snob.

I like them too Posco. Start a post on it.

I never use the safety on a mosin nagant. its to much of a pain to use.

I think guns are going to change quite a bit in the next few years. With more and more 3D printing - I soon expect many more home made and small shop firearms being produced. I very much like the enthusiasm of todays youth who are printing off their own guns. I pray it continues and the technology allows all to be able to make guns at home. I am serious.

How should I title it?

I too love the old walnut and rust blue, heck browned damascus is the epitome of gun steel. But just as the craftsmen who knew the finer points of forging three iron damascus mostly passed in the time of the war to end all wars so too has the generation hand inletted and checkered and rust blue.

Yes, there are still among us a small cadre of practitioners of these ancient arts just as there are still hand crafted fiddles in the style of Stradivarious being made.

The simple truth is the time of the buggy whip maker is in the past and the best we can hope for is create beauty with the materials and methods at hand.

yah, cept huntin squirrels with a shotgun, not cool.

I agree as they clamp down harder on regulation or attempt to , 80% and 0% keep getting more popular

I hope it continues also I am sure an underhammer was a new fandangled thing at some point also

that they learn how to build their own and make them their own is the important

Leaves still on the trees, lol.

I have a Savage Model 99 lever .308 made in 1955. My go to big game gun. I also have a Savage Model 110 in 7mm rem mag made in '84. Not old but a great rifle. Then I have an AR in 6.5 grendel for a predator rifle.

" the way guns should be".

When you disassemble old guns for cleaning (pre 1960 or so) you dont find any plastic. You dont find stamped parts. You will find good metal to wood fit. Good trigger pull. If cared for they last a good while. Even the cheap ones.

My dad had one of these. that picture brought back many memorys. Constantly shot 2" to the right at 100 yd. So what most of the deer were shot at less than 35 yd. My dad had told our neighbor that it was worn out from the boys shooting it so much. the neighbor and I went woodchuck hunting with it. A chuck popped up at 100 yd, I bet the neighbor that I could shoot it in the ear. (won bet) Dad never lived it down.

I remember when gunshops had a rack or two devoted to just Winchester 94s and old Marlin lever actions. You could pick one up for $200-300. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago. You can't find a Model 94 in halfway decent condition for under a $1,000 nowadays.

I visit Gun shops pretty regular. I find it troubling that many sell nothing but “black guns”, which without fail, the proprietor pushes pretty hard. Often to include nothing but “black” shotguns. I don’t spend much time in that kind of shop. Nothing wrong with “black” guns, own a few, just not my cup of tea. I’ve been in shops that are 90% handgun also, again, not my preference, and there was a period of about five years I hardly touched any of my long guns, hunted everything with handguns. I’ve also been in shops that had sections devoted to the “finer” works ( art really) that started at $5k. Even a few “black” guns in there.
My point being, that shops tend to cater to their markets, and promote to the same market. They are more than happy to “order” anything you like or can afford. The “ambiance” in each is different.
The salesman doesn’t know if your hunting style or know your preference/ needs in your platform. The person hunting Whitetails in tight cover doesn’t require a 400 Nitro , but not likely the sales clerk that got sent to the gun counter from housewares at Wal Mart knows any difference! Nor will Great Grandpas .35 REM be the best choice for Antelope in NC Montana. There really is no perfect cartridge or platform. Do your homework before you hunt somewhere outside your local haunts.

How many of ya ever heard of an American Sidesnap shotgun ?
I have a 12 that I'm afraid to shoot. Pretty sure it has a twist barrel.

Great post Rally! What fun would it be if there was the perfect caliber and platform? the more the merrier!

30-06 isn't a one perfect but is sure is versatile and way it is still popular 117 years later , 0-350 fairly easily it isn't a one perfect but it covers a huge range and can easily do bear and moose as well.

toss in it was available in millions of surplus guns that could be had a very budget price.
ammo and powder were plentiful as surplus

Heck, I don't think I'm that old, and it doesn't seem that long ago you could pick up 94s for around $100, maybe not mint but good shooters. And there would be barrels full of Mosin-Nagants for less than that. Biggest problem with the Mosin-Nagants was finding good hunting ammo, the guns were a cheap reliable gun.

I've got a Savage 99 in 308 also. Good gun, all my mom has used her whole life. But I'm left handed and that safety on the right side of the lever is a pain to operate for left handers.

I agree 100 % I hunt and trap to please myself When I am trying to do something I want to do I am totally content with my success For example some years ago I caught my first mink It was in a trail set for coon It was a large male and of course I was happy to have it Over the next 5 to 10 years I caught a few more in sets I had made for other animals It was only because I got the mink trapping bug that I set out to learn how be trap mink When I got the first one in a set I made with the idea that it was a mink set .That was a step forward As I gained success I learned how to make better mink sets by duplicating similar set location and other small details .As time went on I was catching mink every season While I never had a large number per season I was catching them every year I do not remember exactly but I had been able to catch at least one for about 20 consecutive years However I never had more than 5 in one season Five in a season happen 5 times It is oblivious that means I was not a high numbers mink trapper But all most all the mink I caught in the 20 plus yeas where caught in what I called a mink set .I t is only a big deal to me I doubt anyone else cares the slights little bit I am not making it into the mink trapping hall of fame But am pleased that I could do it .

when marlin closed people got interested in JM marlins

when Rem closed people got interested in any Marlin

94s as a affordable lever gun went right with them new ones commanding 900 dollars so the old ones are 650-700 for what would have been a 200 dollar gun 10-15 years ago

covid also didn't help man everything got bought , you couldn't even find 30-30 ammo on the shelf for like 2 years

no imports from russia in several years now even Mosins are harder to come by my sons friend just sold his not as good mosin for 300

about the only sort of inexpensive thing to buy is old 12ga pumps like Jc higgins and stevens and such and I think the major reason those don't go for more is you can still buy a Maverick 88 for under 200

the Maverick is holding down the craziness of pump guns

Here is a pic of one just like mine.
Shattuk . Mossberg started out working there.
Anybody familiar with these ?
Pretty cool action, but a twist barrel far as I can tell.
Thanks

Side-levers. Not the norm but not uncommon.

That's a pretty SS there !
Thanks,

I have a little bit of everything in my collection. I am hard pressed to pick one as my favorite. It changes often.
I have 3 black guns. I have a pre-ban colt in 7.62X39 which I could readily take deer with, but I don’t. I have old style rifles which I prefer for deer hunting. 30.06, .243, 44 magnum carbine.
My black rifles are reserved for use against those trying the take all of my guns…

dang them are some cool guns

I've got a few of those, a 870, S&W .22 Revolver, and a Kimber .22 rifle.
Plus I have a Winchester model 63 .22 my Dad bought new in '47.

Don't have many "new" guns.