What Worked In 1920 Still Works Today.

[JeepHammer]

My 'Gun Buddies' were discussing an article I wrote about 1999 about the coming millennium and dragged out a dog-eared copy and started 'Reviewing' it...

Parts are more relevant now than they were in '99.

In 1919 Winchester released a pump action rifle in .22 rim fire and it still works as good today as it did in 1919.
The first versions were released in 1890 and revised to the most common version in 1919.

I have a few and they still shoot straight, function reliably and has that 'Cool' factor that comes when function & form work together.
Now that it's 100 years (or more) later this particular design is still in production simply because it works so well.
(Winchester stopped in the 1941 because of the WWII effort, but it's still made by other companies today like Rossi)

Another turn of the century (or before) .22 Rim Fire rifle is the lever action.
If you aren't familiar with a .22 LR lever action rifle, you have missed out on the most fun you can have with your cloths on!
From the Marlin 'Gold Trigger' to the current Henry levers, they are available and just as much fun as you remember!
From Browning to Marlin to Henry, these rifles last forever and still shoot straight.

Match that with a .22 LR revolver (up to 9 shots) and you have a pair that last a lifetime (or longer) and complement each other.

H&R, High Standard, Ruger and several others make 6 to 10 shot revolvers that simply don't fail,
And unlike the 'Plastic' handguns, the dog can't eat them!
I've owned several .22 WMR & .22 LR revolvers down through the years, from very reasonable price to insane expensive for a .22 Rim Fire, but my current favorite is a Ruger GP 100 (10 shot) and being so easy to clean (stainless) it's just plain fun to shoot.

When we were kids, we had grandpa's Colt 6 shooter in .22 LR, slow to load and the barrel was short, no adjustable rear sight so it wasn't that accurate, it wasn't until I got a longer barrel with adjustable rear sight that I really learned to appreciate the little .22 LR pistols.

Having owned the Ruger and other semi-autos, I will take a revolver over a 10 shot, way over complicated semi-auto every time.

 

[Hawkeye]

My 'Gun Buddies' were discussing an article I wrote about 1999 about the coming millennium and dragged out a dog-eared copy and started 'Reviewing' it...

Parts are more relevant now than they were in '99.

In 1919 Winchester released a pump action rifle in .22 rim fire and it still works as good today as it did in 1919.
The first versions were released in 1890 and revised to the most common version in 1919.

I have a few and they still shoot straight, function reliably and has that 'Cool' factor that comes when function & form work together.
Now that it's 100 years (or more) later this particular design is still in production simply because it works so well.
(Winchester stopped in the 1941 because of the WWII effort, but it's still made by other companies today like Rossi)

Another turn of the century (or before) .22 Rim Fire rifle is the lever action.
If you aren't familiar with a .22 LR lever action rifle, you have missed out on the most fun you can have with your cloths on!
From the Marlin 'Gold Trigger' to the current Henry levers, they are available and just as much fun as you remember!
From Browning to Marlin to Henry, these rifles last forever and still shoot straight.

Match that with a .22 LR revolver (up to 9 shots) and you have a pair that last a lifetime (or longer) and complement each other.

H&R, High Standard, Ruger and several others make 6 to 10 shot revolvers that simply don't fail,
And unlike the 'Plastic' handguns, the dog can't eat them!
I've owned several .22 WMR & .22 LR revolvers down through the years, from very reasonable price to insane expensive for a .22 Rim Fire, but my current favorite is a Ruger GP 100 (10 shot) and being so easy to clean (stainless) it's just plain fun to shoot.

When we were kids, we had grandpa's Colt 6 shooter in .22 LR, slow to load and the barrel was short, no adjustable rear sight so it wasn't that accurate, it wasn't until I got a longer barrel with adjustable rear sight that I really learned to appreciate the little .22 pistols.

Having owned the Ruger and other semi-autos, I will take a revolver over a 10 shot, way over complicated semi-auto every time.

Lot of truth in this post.

 

[Mark 1911]

I have a couple of .22 bolt actions that are not quite as old as 1920, but one dates back to the 1930s and the other dates back to the 1940s. The 1930s vintage is a Marlin Model 80. The 1940s vintage was made by Marlin for Sears and is called a Ranger. Both of them still work great. The Ranger was my dad's, I will never part with it. The Marlin is in better shape than the Ranger, I plan to give that one to my son-in-law next month to shoot with my young grandsons.

 

[JeepHammer]

In the days of 'Tacti-Cool' black firearms...
That are *Supposedly* for sporting & hunting, the older firearms have fallen out of favor.

What actual collectors have known over the 'Accumulators', these wood & blue steel firearms still work perfectly well for sporting & hunting, and the prices haven't gone up all that much making them actual collector firearms at reasonable prices.

Beautiful wood and near perfection in fit & finish make these firearms a joy to own.

A 'Hunter' isn't going to blast thousands of rounds a year making the somewhat odd calibers affordable, and they are still as effective as they were when brand new.

I recently picked up an original Weatherby mag with Weatherby optics as an 'Old Gun' in trade for gunsmith work, and although the stock needed refinished, it's a WONDERFUL rifle, nearly perfect.
These are turning up quite often, I've bought more the past few years than I even saw in all the previous years simply because they have fallen out of general favor by the masses.

I also picked up a 'Butter Handle' Mauser rifle that is just fantastic, I'm not a Mauser collector, and I intended to sell it, but I can't seem to let go of it since I admire the German silver, flawless action, and just plain beauty of the rifle.

Exactly the same thing is true with revolvers, classic revolvers are showing up at very reasonable prices.
If you like wood & blue steel revolvers from an era when they were hand fitted from the factory, they are showing up.
One pistol I wanted was a 1917 service pistol, made by both Colt & S&W, and I picked up one of each brand in the past year.
It's a stupid well made revolver, even being a military production pistol, and they both are dead accurate.
Built like tanks, but still fairly well balanced, I'm sure they will be around 100 years from now with any care at all...

Match these with ANY action rifle in the same caliber and you have a serious companion pair that would be hard to beat with the current crop of 'Black' or 'Tacti-Cool' firearms today...
In 100 years, the 'Plastic' will be dust, keep that in mind.

 

[JeepHammer]

*IF* you want a side arm & sub gun caliber carbine,
Then why not pick something that uses the same magazines?
Interchangable magazines makes life SO MUCH more simple!

In the 'Old Days', it was a Marlin Camp Carbine, and that was about it, 9mm or .45 ACP.

In 9mm, you had to pair it with a S&W model 59 for mags to interchange & function without issues,
While the .45 ACP used 1911 mags.

With the new 'Plastic' carbines, you can get one in most popular pistol mag well versions, but it's still a plastic firearm that's not going to appreciate over time, and it's not exactly something your kids will treasure...

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With a revolver/lever/pump action carbine, having attached tubular mags, those issues are not a problem.
Like the 'Cowboys' of old, a rifle & pistol combo that share ammo make for the most effective pair you need this side of all out combat.
It worked before 1900, it still works right into 2019 and beyond...

 

[Skullglide]

I thoroughly enjoy my Winchester 60 & 60A. The 60 is my primary chipmunk eliminator. The mossberg 144LSB is fun also. I also like my Ruger GP100, SP101 and LCR all in .357 with my 77/357 rifle. I have plastic guns, but love the older stuff.

I recently got s pre woodsman colt .22 running again. That was a lot of fun, the owner was very happy.

 

[JeepHammer]

I have a couple of .22 bolt actions that are not quite as old as 1920, but one dates back to the 1930s and the other dates back to the 1940s. The 1930s vintage is a Marlin Model 80. The 1940s vintage was made by Marlin for Sears and is called a Ranger. Both of them still work great. The Ranger was my dad's, I will never part with it. The Marlin is in better shape than the Ranger, I plan to give that one to my son-in-law next month to shoot with my young grandsons.

I've always liked the older .22 LR rifles, I have several versions of the Marlin lever action, it's just a stupid fun firearm to shoot.
I have several Winchester pump rifles also, and a few of the knockoffs like Rossi.
My wife is NUTS about her nickel plated Rossi pump with blond wood, don't even try to touch it unless you want bit & scratched!
It was her very first firearm, previously being afraid of firearms it brought her out of her shell.

I'm also fond of the Stevens single shots, they look like little buffalo guns and just trip my trigger (pun intended) probably because a Favorite was the very first rifle I owned.
I stumbled onto a couple presentation grade rifles a few years back, and my wife had a coffee table with glass top & lights to display them, along with end tables for brass framed black powder pistols the wife likes.
(Yes, I'm a lucky man!)

When collectors show up, they are always attracted to the wood & blue steel rather than the black alloy & plastic.
When the nieces & nephews show up (if they aren't 'gamers') they are attracted to the wood & blue steel, particularly the older 'Cowboy' firearms.

In my OPINION,
Nothing will ever beat fine wood & blue steel for an heirloom firearm, or for a collector firearm that will hold it's value.
Nothing will beat form & function fused into art work.
While people are now paying insane prices for old AR rifles that barely functioned when new, I'm going to spend money on wood & blue steel, and I'm spending considerably less now than I should be, getting fine firearms I normally wouldn't be able to afford (I'm not made of money).
It's simply because demand has reduced holding prices down, and I'm able to afford real collector firearms.

I consider it my retirement fund, since I don't know how to do stocks/bonds, etc., But I do know firearms & race cars, those are what I invest in.
So far I haven't made many mistakes, but it's not exactly double digit growth either...
AND, I get to appreciate the fine workmanship of these firearms until I need the money for something, like a good nursing home.

 

[Hoosierdood]

but it's still a plastic firearm that's not going to appreciate over time, and it's not exactly something your kids will treasure...

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IDK, I have a plastic carbine thats worth anywhere from 8-10x more than when it was new. Its a 1963 Remington Nylon 66 and the kids love it. Cant wait to pass it on to one of them. That was back before Remington put serial numbers on .22 rifles.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

My most treasured gun is my Winchester Model 62 pump .22 "Shooting Gallery Rifle". It's been in my family since it was bought new in 1936 by my dad's uncle Benny, who gave it to my dad, who gave it to me.

My grandson is only six-months old, but I'm looking forward to showing him how to plink some cans with .22 shorts.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

IDK, I have a plastic carbine thats worth anywhere from 8-10x more than when it was new. Its a 1963 Remington Nylon 66 and the kids love it. Cant wait to pass it on to one of them. That was back before Remington put serial numbers on .22 rifles.

Yep, I have a bunch of transferable plastic stock black rifles I bought in the late 70's and 80's that have done pretty well with the help of President Reagan, Im betting my son would rather inherit those than the Stevens Maynard single shot from the familys farm, his grandfathers Stevens tube fed 22 and my Cooper rimfire.
Matter of fact i'm very sure of it.