redneckmedic
Grandmaster
by Field and Stream anyhow...
The 50 Best Guns of All Time
Article by David E. Petzal. Uploaded on January 31, 2005
People love lists. We have lists of the best and worst dressed, the scariest movies, the most beautiful celebrities, the most talented athletes, the dumbest politicians, and just about every other category a magazine editor can dream up. I love lists and am occasionally asked to rattle off my list of what I think are the best guns ever made. However, I've never done so in public. Until now. This is a subjective ranking in order, but all the firearms here have several things in common: All are superlative designs; all were chosen without regard to price; all were commercial successes to a greater or lesser degree; and almost all were influential on the design of other guns. You'll notice that there are no military or target arms here (with a few exceptions, for reasons explained). We decided to limit the list to hunting firearms, which is what F&S is about. In making my selection, I've limited myself to the past 100 years or so, going back to the introduction of smokeless powder, so these are guns of the modern era. In many ways, firearms have changed very little over the past century. That doesn't mean they haven't progressed; it means they were pretty good to begin with—and these are the best.
[1] Winchester Model 70 (pre-1964)
It was not even an original design. The Model 70 was an improvement of Winchester's Model 54, which in turn was based on the Mauser Model 98. But upon its birth in 1936, it kindled a love affair that has never died. Winchester advertised it as "the rifleman's rifle," and the slogan stuck. This was the big-game rifle by which all others were measured, and it is still, in my opinion, the best factory bolt action ever made. The gun borrowed the best features from both the Mauser 98 and the Model 54. It retained the Mauser's massive extractor and controlled-feed system but utilized a cone-shaped breech like the Model 54's, which guided cartridges into the chamber even if they weren't perfectly aligned. In place of the Mauser's slow, jarring firing-pin fall, the Model 70's was very fast and smooth. The trigger was the best ever designed for a hunting rifle, period—a three-piece miracle of simplicity that gave an excellent pull, would never fail, and once adjusted was adjusted forever. But the Model 70 has had a rocky road. Pre-World War II examples were fine, but after the war quality steadily declined, and the ones turned out before the old model's demise in 1963 were shoddy indeed. Winchester's then-president decreed that it must die because it was too costly to produce. In 1964, Winchester announced a new Model 70 that was cheaper and basically a good gun, but it was big-time, serious Ugly. Shooters beheld it and were outraged. Their fury did not abate until 1994, when Winchester reintroduced the traditional design under the name Model 70 Classic. Many of the original Model 70s are now collector's pieces, particularly in the scarcer calibers, and some people will pay very fancy prices for them. Its luster remains undimmed. Never before and probably never again will we see such a combination of accuracy, reliability, grace, and mystique.
[2] Mauser Model 98
Imagine someone building an automobile two years before the end of the 19th century, five years before the Wright brothers flew. Now imagine that this same automobile is still very much in use, still regarded by many as the best car around, and still in production. That is exactly what Peter Paul Mauser did when he designed his Model 98 rifle in Germany.
One of two military arms on this list, the 98 is here because it also comes in sporting versions, and because its action has been the basis for almost every bolt action made since 1900.
The Model 98 was the culmination of five preceding models and is, to quote The Encyclopedia of Small Arms, "the most successful bolt-action design ever produced." Made in the millions, it was used by most of the world's armies throughout the 20th century. If there is such a thing as an unstoppable machine, the Model 98 comes as close as anything.
New Mauser-actioned rifles are being crafted in Europe, and the military actions that date back 60 years or more remain sought after by gunsmiths and lovers of custom rifles. In some circles, if you mention that you have a short-action (G3¾0) Mauser for sale, people will begin weeping and licking your shoes.
There is a reason for this: Come hell, high water, sand, ice, snow, mud, dirty ammo, rusty chambers, burst cases, or anything else, the Mauser 98 will function.
[3] Winchester Model 12
It is well known among the snobbier of shotgun enthusiasts that no repeating shotgun can handle as well as an over/under or a side-by-side. But there is one repeater that points like the Finger of Doom itself—the Model 12 pump.
Introduced in 1914, the Model 12 lasted until 1976, when production costs drove it out of the Winchester lineup. It came in every shape and form—from field models to riot guns to heavy waterfowl models—and in all gauges, but it was as a competition gun that the Model 12 was perhaps most dominant.
For decade after decade, if you did not shoot trap and skeet with a Model 12, you were an odd fellow. The Model 12 seemed to lock on a target and stay there, and you could not wear it out. Serious shooters would put several hundred thousand rounds through their guns, have some minor rebuilding done, and repeat the process. I've handled one Model 12 trap gun that had had a million shells shucked through it, and it was in much better health than its owner.
And it shot fast. Well-broken-in Model 12s had a slickety-slack smoothness that let you shoot them as quickly as an auto. Winchester's great exhibition shooter Herb Parsons used to hold five clay targets in his left hand, throw them into the air, and break them all before they hit the ground, pumping his Model 12 faster than the eye could follow.
The Model 12 has faded now, overshadowed by more modern guns, but in its time it was the repeater—indeed, the shotgun—against which all others were measured.
[4] Remington Model 1100
Autoloading shotguns had been around for a long time by 1963, but the new Model 1100 was different. Previous self-loaders were heavy and handled like sledgehammers. If they were recoil operated, they kicked like mules. People tolerated them only because they offered three or more fast shots. The 1100, on the other hand, was sleek, moderate in weight, and handled splendidly. Most important, it had softened recoil.
Its gas-operated action spread the rearward thrust of the gun over a long period of time and took the sting out of shooting. Trap and skeet competitors bought 1100s by the carload. New shooters, and people who otherwise would not be shooters, took to the 1100 as the one gun that would not beat the daylights out of them.
The 1100 was not perfect. It would jam if you didn't keep its gas system clean, and it wouldn't digest every kind of shell you fed it. Once you really began to pour the rounds through, an 1100 would break, but it was easy to fix. Not a "fine" gun like the Model 12, no marvel of fit and finish, the 1100 made extensive use of stamped parts. But it was, and is, a revolutionary gun.
[5] Smith & Wesson Model 29
Some people date the birth of S&W's, Model 29 .44 Magnum to the 1970 movie Dirty Harry, but they are ignorant and deserve our scorn. The Model 29 debuted in 1955 and is one of those rare firearms that force us to redefine what a gun can do. The .44 Magnum enabled handgunners to not only hunt big game but to shoot it at rifle-caliber distances. The cartridge, developed by Remington, fired a 240-grain lead bullet at 1500 fps. It was twice as powerful as its nearest competitor, the .357 Magnum. It was a handful to shoot and still is. Next to it, the .45 Auto is a girl's caress. The Model 29 revolver, for which S&W chambered the new cartridge, was as fine a gun as Smith—or anyone else—knew how to make. Selling for the then astronomical sum of $240, Model 29s were beautifully fitted and finished, and each one came in its own handsome wooden case.
Both powerful and beautiful to look upon, the Model 29 was very accurate as well. If you didn't care to break your hand with .44 Magnums, you could shoot .44 Specials in your Model 29, making it as docile and accurate a revolver as you could want. Dirty Harry was a vulgar sideshow. The S&W Model 29 is a masterpiece that changed the sport of shooting.
[6] Winchester Model 94
It is useful only at comparatively short range; it does not take to scope mounting; it is not accurate by today's standards. Every attempt to torture it into something else has failed. But if you say "deer rifle," you mean the Model 94 lever action. Short and light, it kicks hardly at all, gets on target fast, is ultrareliable, and carries comfortably in the hand.
Although the 94 has been chambered for half a dozen cartridges over the years, the overwhelming favorite is the .30/30. In fact, "thutty-thutty" and "deer rifle" are more or less synonymous. It's hard to imagine now, but the .30/30 was considered a red-hot high-velocity round when it first appeared in 1895. It was the first small-bore big-game load to utilize smokeless powder, and it fired 170-grain bullets at the then sensational velocity of 1970 fps.
A relic the 94 may be, but as hundreds of thousands of whitetails would testify, it's a very effective one.
[7] Remington Model 700
In the years after World War II, Remington hired a pair of brilliant designers named Mike Walker and Wayne Leek. The two men realized that if the company was to survive, it could not make guns the way it had before 1941. The new generation of Remingtons would have to be far simpler and cheaper to make. And so they came out with a horrible-looking rifle called the Model 721. It was cheap to make and looked it, but it was more accurate than any other factory rifle at the time.
In 1962, after an intermediate generation, the 721 morphed into the Model 700, which, although still a cinch to make, was a good-looking gun that retained all of its accuracy. The first minute-of-angle group I ever saw from a sporting rifle came courtesy of a Model 700 7mm Remington Magnum.
Since its inception, the Model 700 has been the foundation for more superaccurate rifles than anything else. Its sheer simplicity of design and wonderful trigger make it the first choice of anyone who wants to shoot small groups.
[8] BENELLI AUTOLOADER
Newton's first law of motion—an object at rest tends to remain at rest—drives the ultradependable Benelli action, which redefined autoloading reliability in the 1990s.
The Benelli system consists of nothing more than a three-part bolt assembly—a bolt body, a rotary bolt head, and a short, stout spring between the two. As the rest of the gun moves backward under recoil, the unfixed free-floating bolt body remains in place, butting against the bolt head, solidly locking the action, and compressing the spring. When the rearward movement of the gun slows, the spring throws the bolt backward, ejecting the spent shell.
This inertia system functions with a wide range of loads, and by beefing up the action, Benelli was able to turn the original 3-inch Black Eagle into the 3 ½-inch Super Black Eagle with relative ease. The company's lineup today consists of well over 100 model variations, from lightweight bird guns to magnum turkey-getters, all built around the same simple action.
Since the system doesn't bleed off expanding gases to operate, the gases and fouling blast out the barrel with the rest of the payload, leaving the inside of the gun clean. Benellis, therefore, keep on shooting under conditions that strangle most gas guns. They make the very short list of models South American outfitters keep as "house guns" that will cycle more rounds in a season than most guns shoot in their owner's lifetime.
Hunters praise their Benellis for reliable performance, but slick handling qualities may be the guns' best feature. Because it has no springs or pistons around the magazine tube, a Benelli auto is lighter and slimmer up front than any gas gun.
Finally, Benellis are fast, spitting out empties and chambering fresh rounds more quickly than any other auto. For average hunters, however, speed isn't a critical issue; function is. And the Benelli keeps on plugging long after other guns fall by the wayside.
THE RELIABLE AUTO
The Benelli recoil system is simplicity itself, consisting of a bolt body (A), a bolt spring (B), and a rotary bolt head (C). As the gun recoils, the bolt body remains in place, compressing the spring and locking the bolt head. As recoil eases (D), the spring releases and ejects the empty shell (E). There's no gas system to worry about or clean, and Benellis will handle any kind of shell you feed them.
[9] Remington XP-100
The development of handguns has progressed in a series of seismic jolts. One came in 1963, when Remington announced the XP-100, which looked like a prop from a Buck Rogers movie. It was not so much a handgun as a one-handed rifle. To make the gun, Remington utilized the bolt action from its Model 600 carbine, a Zytel stock borrowed from the Model 66 .22 autoloader, and a barrel rib and sights from the Model 660 magnum carbine. Designers didn't stop there, though. They also cooked up a red-hot varmint cartridge called the .221 Fireball to chamber in the new gun. The result was historic: For the first time, varmint hunters could pound pasture poodles without a rifle, and handgunning had taken on a whole new dimension.
[10] Remington Model 870
Think of it as a Winchester Model 12 that is easy to manufacture. The Model 870 made its debut in 1950 as one of the first of Remington's "new generation" of guns that did away with the complex machining of the past. And it may be sacrilege to say so, but the plebian 870 is probably as good a gun as the aristocratic Model 12. It pumps just as fast, points as well, is just as reliable, and is unbelievably long-lived. The late shotgunning great Rudy Etchen put 4 million rounds through his 870 with just some minor parts replacement to keep it going. The 870 is still with us, made in every configuration known to man, and it will probably be around for many years more.
[11] BROWNING SUPERPOSED
[12] Ruger 10/22
[13] Browning Auto-5 Standard
[14] Springfield Model 1903
[15] Smith & Wesson Model 500
[16] Mossberg 500
[17] Remington Nylon 66
[18] New Ultra Light Arms Model 20
[19] Weatherby Mark V Deluxe
[20] Smith & Wesson Triple Lock
[21] Savage Model 110
[22] Ruger Mark I
[23] Parker
[24] Browning Gold
[25] Marlin Model 336
[26] Marlin Model 39A
[27] Ruger Single-Six
[28] H&R Topper
[29] Perazzi MX Series
[30] Ithaca Model 4E
[31] Thompson/Center Contender Pistol
[32] Winchester Model 52 Sporter
[33] Ruger Number One
[34] Tar-Hunt RSG-12
[35] Savage Model 99
[36] Dakota Model 76
[37] Knight MK-85
[38] Ruger Blackhawk
[39] Ithaca Model 37
[40] Remington Model 600 Magnum
[41] Winchester Model 71
[42] Remington Model 32
[43] A.H. Fox
[44] Freedom Arms Model 83
[45] Jarrett Signature Rifle
[46] Winchester Model 21
[47] Westley Richards Droplock Double Rifle
[48] Beretta SO6 EL Over/Under Shotgun
[49] Tikka T3 Hunter
[50] Merkel Model 2001 EL
For more info. on guns 11-50 go to Field and Stream LINK
How many of the F&S top 50 do you have?
I will go first...
Mauser 98
Rem 870
ruger 10/22
Savage 110
-Medic
The 50 Best Guns of All Time
Article by David E. Petzal. Uploaded on January 31, 2005
People love lists. We have lists of the best and worst dressed, the scariest movies, the most beautiful celebrities, the most talented athletes, the dumbest politicians, and just about every other category a magazine editor can dream up. I love lists and am occasionally asked to rattle off my list of what I think are the best guns ever made. However, I've never done so in public. Until now. This is a subjective ranking in order, but all the firearms here have several things in common: All are superlative designs; all were chosen without regard to price; all were commercial successes to a greater or lesser degree; and almost all were influential on the design of other guns. You'll notice that there are no military or target arms here (with a few exceptions, for reasons explained). We decided to limit the list to hunting firearms, which is what F&S is about. In making my selection, I've limited myself to the past 100 years or so, going back to the introduction of smokeless powder, so these are guns of the modern era. In many ways, firearms have changed very little over the past century. That doesn't mean they haven't progressed; it means they were pretty good to begin with—and these are the best.
[1] Winchester Model 70 (pre-1964)
It was not even an original design. The Model 70 was an improvement of Winchester's Model 54, which in turn was based on the Mauser Model 98. But upon its birth in 1936, it kindled a love affair that has never died. Winchester advertised it as "the rifleman's rifle," and the slogan stuck. This was the big-game rifle by which all others were measured, and it is still, in my opinion, the best factory bolt action ever made. The gun borrowed the best features from both the Mauser 98 and the Model 54. It retained the Mauser's massive extractor and controlled-feed system but utilized a cone-shaped breech like the Model 54's, which guided cartridges into the chamber even if they weren't perfectly aligned. In place of the Mauser's slow, jarring firing-pin fall, the Model 70's was very fast and smooth. The trigger was the best ever designed for a hunting rifle, period—a three-piece miracle of simplicity that gave an excellent pull, would never fail, and once adjusted was adjusted forever. But the Model 70 has had a rocky road. Pre-World War II examples were fine, but after the war quality steadily declined, and the ones turned out before the old model's demise in 1963 were shoddy indeed. Winchester's then-president decreed that it must die because it was too costly to produce. In 1964, Winchester announced a new Model 70 that was cheaper and basically a good gun, but it was big-time, serious Ugly. Shooters beheld it and were outraged. Their fury did not abate until 1994, when Winchester reintroduced the traditional design under the name Model 70 Classic. Many of the original Model 70s are now collector's pieces, particularly in the scarcer calibers, and some people will pay very fancy prices for them. Its luster remains undimmed. Never before and probably never again will we see such a combination of accuracy, reliability, grace, and mystique.
[2] Mauser Model 98
Imagine someone building an automobile two years before the end of the 19th century, five years before the Wright brothers flew. Now imagine that this same automobile is still very much in use, still regarded by many as the best car around, and still in production. That is exactly what Peter Paul Mauser did when he designed his Model 98 rifle in Germany.
One of two military arms on this list, the 98 is here because it also comes in sporting versions, and because its action has been the basis for almost every bolt action made since 1900.
The Model 98 was the culmination of five preceding models and is, to quote The Encyclopedia of Small Arms, "the most successful bolt-action design ever produced." Made in the millions, it was used by most of the world's armies throughout the 20th century. If there is such a thing as an unstoppable machine, the Model 98 comes as close as anything.
New Mauser-actioned rifles are being crafted in Europe, and the military actions that date back 60 years or more remain sought after by gunsmiths and lovers of custom rifles. In some circles, if you mention that you have a short-action (G3¾0) Mauser for sale, people will begin weeping and licking your shoes.
There is a reason for this: Come hell, high water, sand, ice, snow, mud, dirty ammo, rusty chambers, burst cases, or anything else, the Mauser 98 will function.
[3] Winchester Model 12
It is well known among the snobbier of shotgun enthusiasts that no repeating shotgun can handle as well as an over/under or a side-by-side. But there is one repeater that points like the Finger of Doom itself—the Model 12 pump.
Introduced in 1914, the Model 12 lasted until 1976, when production costs drove it out of the Winchester lineup. It came in every shape and form—from field models to riot guns to heavy waterfowl models—and in all gauges, but it was as a competition gun that the Model 12 was perhaps most dominant.
For decade after decade, if you did not shoot trap and skeet with a Model 12, you were an odd fellow. The Model 12 seemed to lock on a target and stay there, and you could not wear it out. Serious shooters would put several hundred thousand rounds through their guns, have some minor rebuilding done, and repeat the process. I've handled one Model 12 trap gun that had had a million shells shucked through it, and it was in much better health than its owner.
And it shot fast. Well-broken-in Model 12s had a slickety-slack smoothness that let you shoot them as quickly as an auto. Winchester's great exhibition shooter Herb Parsons used to hold five clay targets in his left hand, throw them into the air, and break them all before they hit the ground, pumping his Model 12 faster than the eye could follow.
The Model 12 has faded now, overshadowed by more modern guns, but in its time it was the repeater—indeed, the shotgun—against which all others were measured.
[4] Remington Model 1100
Autoloading shotguns had been around for a long time by 1963, but the new Model 1100 was different. Previous self-loaders were heavy and handled like sledgehammers. If they were recoil operated, they kicked like mules. People tolerated them only because they offered three or more fast shots. The 1100, on the other hand, was sleek, moderate in weight, and handled splendidly. Most important, it had softened recoil.
Its gas-operated action spread the rearward thrust of the gun over a long period of time and took the sting out of shooting. Trap and skeet competitors bought 1100s by the carload. New shooters, and people who otherwise would not be shooters, took to the 1100 as the one gun that would not beat the daylights out of them.
The 1100 was not perfect. It would jam if you didn't keep its gas system clean, and it wouldn't digest every kind of shell you fed it. Once you really began to pour the rounds through, an 1100 would break, but it was easy to fix. Not a "fine" gun like the Model 12, no marvel of fit and finish, the 1100 made extensive use of stamped parts. But it was, and is, a revolutionary gun.
[5] Smith & Wesson Model 29
Some people date the birth of S&W's, Model 29 .44 Magnum to the 1970 movie Dirty Harry, but they are ignorant and deserve our scorn. The Model 29 debuted in 1955 and is one of those rare firearms that force us to redefine what a gun can do. The .44 Magnum enabled handgunners to not only hunt big game but to shoot it at rifle-caliber distances. The cartridge, developed by Remington, fired a 240-grain lead bullet at 1500 fps. It was twice as powerful as its nearest competitor, the .357 Magnum. It was a handful to shoot and still is. Next to it, the .45 Auto is a girl's caress. The Model 29 revolver, for which S&W chambered the new cartridge, was as fine a gun as Smith—or anyone else—knew how to make. Selling for the then astronomical sum of $240, Model 29s were beautifully fitted and finished, and each one came in its own handsome wooden case.
Both powerful and beautiful to look upon, the Model 29 was very accurate as well. If you didn't care to break your hand with .44 Magnums, you could shoot .44 Specials in your Model 29, making it as docile and accurate a revolver as you could want. Dirty Harry was a vulgar sideshow. The S&W Model 29 is a masterpiece that changed the sport of shooting.
[6] Winchester Model 94
It is useful only at comparatively short range; it does not take to scope mounting; it is not accurate by today's standards. Every attempt to torture it into something else has failed. But if you say "deer rifle," you mean the Model 94 lever action. Short and light, it kicks hardly at all, gets on target fast, is ultrareliable, and carries comfortably in the hand.
Although the 94 has been chambered for half a dozen cartridges over the years, the overwhelming favorite is the .30/30. In fact, "thutty-thutty" and "deer rifle" are more or less synonymous. It's hard to imagine now, but the .30/30 was considered a red-hot high-velocity round when it first appeared in 1895. It was the first small-bore big-game load to utilize smokeless powder, and it fired 170-grain bullets at the then sensational velocity of 1970 fps.
A relic the 94 may be, but as hundreds of thousands of whitetails would testify, it's a very effective one.
[7] Remington Model 700
In the years after World War II, Remington hired a pair of brilliant designers named Mike Walker and Wayne Leek. The two men realized that if the company was to survive, it could not make guns the way it had before 1941. The new generation of Remingtons would have to be far simpler and cheaper to make. And so they came out with a horrible-looking rifle called the Model 721. It was cheap to make and looked it, but it was more accurate than any other factory rifle at the time.
In 1962, after an intermediate generation, the 721 morphed into the Model 700, which, although still a cinch to make, was a good-looking gun that retained all of its accuracy. The first minute-of-angle group I ever saw from a sporting rifle came courtesy of a Model 700 7mm Remington Magnum.
Since its inception, the Model 700 has been the foundation for more superaccurate rifles than anything else. Its sheer simplicity of design and wonderful trigger make it the first choice of anyone who wants to shoot small groups.
[8] BENELLI AUTOLOADER
Newton's first law of motion—an object at rest tends to remain at rest—drives the ultradependable Benelli action, which redefined autoloading reliability in the 1990s.
The Benelli system consists of nothing more than a three-part bolt assembly—a bolt body, a rotary bolt head, and a short, stout spring between the two. As the rest of the gun moves backward under recoil, the unfixed free-floating bolt body remains in place, butting against the bolt head, solidly locking the action, and compressing the spring. When the rearward movement of the gun slows, the spring throws the bolt backward, ejecting the spent shell.
This inertia system functions with a wide range of loads, and by beefing up the action, Benelli was able to turn the original 3-inch Black Eagle into the 3 ½-inch Super Black Eagle with relative ease. The company's lineup today consists of well over 100 model variations, from lightweight bird guns to magnum turkey-getters, all built around the same simple action.
Since the system doesn't bleed off expanding gases to operate, the gases and fouling blast out the barrel with the rest of the payload, leaving the inside of the gun clean. Benellis, therefore, keep on shooting under conditions that strangle most gas guns. They make the very short list of models South American outfitters keep as "house guns" that will cycle more rounds in a season than most guns shoot in their owner's lifetime.
Hunters praise their Benellis for reliable performance, but slick handling qualities may be the guns' best feature. Because it has no springs or pistons around the magazine tube, a Benelli auto is lighter and slimmer up front than any gas gun.
Finally, Benellis are fast, spitting out empties and chambering fresh rounds more quickly than any other auto. For average hunters, however, speed isn't a critical issue; function is. And the Benelli keeps on plugging long after other guns fall by the wayside.
THE RELIABLE AUTO
The Benelli recoil system is simplicity itself, consisting of a bolt body (A), a bolt spring (B), and a rotary bolt head (C). As the gun recoils, the bolt body remains in place, compressing the spring and locking the bolt head. As recoil eases (D), the spring releases and ejects the empty shell (E). There's no gas system to worry about or clean, and Benellis will handle any kind of shell you feed them.
[9] Remington XP-100
The development of handguns has progressed in a series of seismic jolts. One came in 1963, when Remington announced the XP-100, which looked like a prop from a Buck Rogers movie. It was not so much a handgun as a one-handed rifle. To make the gun, Remington utilized the bolt action from its Model 600 carbine, a Zytel stock borrowed from the Model 66 .22 autoloader, and a barrel rib and sights from the Model 660 magnum carbine. Designers didn't stop there, though. They also cooked up a red-hot varmint cartridge called the .221 Fireball to chamber in the new gun. The result was historic: For the first time, varmint hunters could pound pasture poodles without a rifle, and handgunning had taken on a whole new dimension.
[10] Remington Model 870
Think of it as a Winchester Model 12 that is easy to manufacture. The Model 870 made its debut in 1950 as one of the first of Remington's "new generation" of guns that did away with the complex machining of the past. And it may be sacrilege to say so, but the plebian 870 is probably as good a gun as the aristocratic Model 12. It pumps just as fast, points as well, is just as reliable, and is unbelievably long-lived. The late shotgunning great Rudy Etchen put 4 million rounds through his 870 with just some minor parts replacement to keep it going. The 870 is still with us, made in every configuration known to man, and it will probably be around for many years more.
[11] BROWNING SUPERPOSED
[12] Ruger 10/22
[13] Browning Auto-5 Standard
[14] Springfield Model 1903
[15] Smith & Wesson Model 500
[16] Mossberg 500
[17] Remington Nylon 66
[18] New Ultra Light Arms Model 20
[19] Weatherby Mark V Deluxe
[20] Smith & Wesson Triple Lock
[21] Savage Model 110
[22] Ruger Mark I
[23] Parker
[24] Browning Gold
[25] Marlin Model 336
[26] Marlin Model 39A
[27] Ruger Single-Six
[28] H&R Topper
[29] Perazzi MX Series
[30] Ithaca Model 4E
[31] Thompson/Center Contender Pistol
[32] Winchester Model 52 Sporter
[33] Ruger Number One
[34] Tar-Hunt RSG-12
[35] Savage Model 99
[36] Dakota Model 76
[37] Knight MK-85
[38] Ruger Blackhawk
[39] Ithaca Model 37
[40] Remington Model 600 Magnum
[41] Winchester Model 71
[42] Remington Model 32
[43] A.H. Fox
[44] Freedom Arms Model 83
[45] Jarrett Signature Rifle
[46] Winchester Model 21
[47] Westley Richards Droplock Double Rifle
[48] Beretta SO6 EL Over/Under Shotgun
[49] Tikka T3 Hunter
[50] Merkel Model 2001 EL
For more info. on guns 11-50 go to Field and Stream LINK
How many of the F&S top 50 do you have?
I will go first...
Mauser 98
Rem 870
ruger 10/22
Savage 110
-Medic
Thompson Sub? Browning Auto Rifle?
