Who else prefers the old classics?

boxcoach said:
Where would you draw the line between classic, and antique? When I was a child, my dad had a .577 Snyder that he actually shot a deer with. When he took it out for an occasional test fire (ammo was scarce), I used to hide under my bed, and cover my ears.
If you're talking about American classics, from the last century, I'm with you, for sure. I own a 4" model 29, a 2" model 10, a 2" colt cobra, and an original delta elite. I hate rubber grips. I like a 30-06, with a wood stock.
The odd thing is, like some others, I prefer SS and synthetic stocks, for every day use. If I had to pick a handgun for bush carry, I'd probably take my glock 20, just because I don't want to scratch my "classic" model 29.
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For me, it would my 4" 29.

MrsSmith44MagSW.jpg


Anything else would be 2nd consideration at best:).
 
I love the wood and blue combo, but maybe more than I should. So.... in order to help keep my favorite old friends in fine condition, I have composite and stainless to carry on days when I'm expecting the worst of weather or field conditions. Works for me.
 
JasonS said:
I'm kinda like you. But then again I wasn't raised on video games with all the first person shooter games available. I still prefer the look of wood to plastic. I do have wood lamimated stocks and love the look of them. And I own a few synthetic stocked shooters too. They have their place.

But breaching chokes and all that stuff is a waste of my time.
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Young gun nut here, born and raised on vidya' games :D I MUCH prefer wood to plastic. Any day of the week, in fact!

Then again I've always had a huge appreciation for history.
 
while i like the looks of my remington 700 sps, it just feels right when im holding my blued and wood stocked SXS 12 gauge. once im done blowing money on these maybe ill get myself a classic style rifle
 
I've got an eclectic mix of firearms, from a 94/22, Merkel 140 AE in 470 NE and Husky M98 in 9.3x62 to a Black Special and a Fabarm SAT-8. Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but beuaty is as beauty does. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a stainless synthetic bolt gun nor would I shy away from a double 12 gauge with fine walnut. I'd not likely be in line to pick up a stainless Ruger o/u nor would I be in a rush to get a scope for my Marlin 1895, but my idea of "right" is pretty broad.
 
Johnn Peterson- My 29 has the full sized wood grips. Are the smaller grips hard to hold on to? And now that I've thought it over, I guess I would pack the 29, if I had real wildlife concerns. I've had one jam with my glock, which is one more than I've ever had with the big block.
 
Ive been told many times on this website that so and so would never own an 870 Wingmaster (despite it being a vastly superior shotgun to any 870 Express) because they wouldnt take it out of the closet, its not a "hunting gun". It was just ine for hunting in the 70s, why not now?

Excuse me, learn to clean your gun, and you wont have any problems. My Wingmaster follows me everywhere (or perhaps leads would be a better term).
 
boxcoach said:
Johnn Peterson- My 29 has the full sized wood grips. Are the smaller grips hard to hold on to? And now that I've thought it over, I guess I would pack the 29, if I had real wildlife concerns. I've had one jam with my glock, which is one more than I've ever had with the big block.
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Not at all. I much prefer them to the target grips. The beauty of the grips pictured on my 29 is that they are S&W factory ivory, probably worth more than the handgun.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Not at all. I much prefer them to the target grips. The beauty of the grips pictured on my 29 is that they are S&W factory ivory, probably worth more than the handgun.
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I've found this to be true as well. I never got why when the magnum revolvers came out the "magnumized" the grips. The smaller grips let you actually wrap your finger completely around for a stronger grip. And the angle is perfect so it lets the revolver rock back smoothly under recoil. Maybe it was the esthetics of a gigantic frame with little grips looking unbalanced to someone? But they work just fine.

BTW those ivory grips on that big-29 are the perfect match. Pure class all the way.:cool:
 
JasonS said:
I like the synthetic shotguns for hunting. They make perfect sense in that configuration. But everytime I see a pic of the Benelli Vinci I puke a little in my mouth. Fugly!
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true it does look unpleasant. but it will put birds in the freezer. it shoulders, and swings like a dream. i never thought i would pay that much for my "in the mud flats" bird gun. but it is WELL worth the money spent.
 
JasonS said:
I've found this to be true as well. I never got why when the magnum revolvers came out the "magnumized" the grips. The smaller grips let you actually wrap your finger completely around for a stronger grip. And the angle is perfect so it lets the revolver rock back smoothly under recoil. Maybe it was the esthetics of a gigantic frame with little grips looking unbalanced to someone? But they work just fine.

BTW those ivory grips on that big-29 are the perfect match. Pure class all the way.:cool:
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Where I did find the big target grips to be a little more beneficial was on the N-frame and K-frame Smiths when using reduced target loads for bullseye style paper punching. That full handfull just felt a little more comfortable in that type of slow, deliberate target shooting.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
In rifles, a few of my favorite 'older' guns and calibers.

WinchesterHighWall219DW-1.jpg


An old Winchester High Wall in 219 Donaldson Wasp, matching vintage scope
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That's one fine-looking High Wall. There's just something aesthetically satisfying about falling block actions I can't quite put my finger on. A falling block varmint rifle chambered for a rimmed cartridge is even niftier, still.

I blame the J.M. Pyne stories by Lucian Cary for sparking my interest in single shots:
http://www.lautard.com/pyne.htm
 
tjhaile said:
That's one fine-looking High Wall. There's just something aesthetically satisfying about falling block actions I can't quite put my finger on. A falling block varmint rifle chambered for a rimmed cartridge is even niftier, still.

I blame the J.M. Pyne stories by Lucian Cary for sparking my interest in single shots:
http://www.lautard.com/pyne.htm
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For the High Wall in 219 DW, it takes a little 'fiddling' around forming brass from 30-30, but the results are worth it. It seems to like Hornady 50gr V-MAX.

219DWprevioustests.jpg


219DWrecenttests.jpg


I had a Ruger #1-V in 22-250 but I gave that to my son in the B.C. interior for use on Varmints & preds when I picked up the High Wall. With the High Wall, the package is 'vintage', old custom High Wall, 219 DW caliber, 10X J.UNERTL scope and a book from the same era, 'Twenty Two Caliber Varmint Rifles by Charles S. Landis.
 
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Generation X here and I love the new calibre's but prefer the look of wood and blued steel. Just picked up a 80's Remington BDL and even that gun's blueing looks deeper and richer than my Abolt and M70 from the 2000's.
 
Sign me on with the has been crowd too. Think the forst time I saw Grampa's old Enfield was just over 30 years ago (yikes!) and I've never been the same.
Never owned any s/s rifles but have had a few late model rifles by Winchester and Ruger. Then I had an idea, being very fortunate to still having a homestead owned by the family I started digging and found a lot of old info about the guns they used there.

Sold near all I had and started replacing them with the missing heirloom guns. Been quite a roller coaster ride but the little hoard here is much more fun than I could have ever dreamed. Even found a couple receivers and a ear from a hammer gun up there.

.22's, pumps, falling blocks and bolts
222
25 Rem pump and semi
250 HP bolt
30-40 Krag
32-20 Bolt
303 Br, Lever, Enfield and Metford
41 Swiss

Still to get:
303 Savage in a 99 Carbine
32 Special in 1893 Marlin
38-55

Exceptions to the rule are my:
7x57 Brno
30-06 HVA 1100 Super Grade
9,3 Pre War guild gun
These were my personal pics and have worked very well in past years. Still all are cartridges over a century old.
 
2kjb2kjb said:
Generation X here and I love the new calibre's but prefer the look of wood and blued steel. Just picked up a 80's Remington BDL and even that gun's blueing looks deeper and richer than my Abolt and M70 from the 2000's.
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That's the polish before blueing that makes it look better and that extra polish costs extra money.
 
Seems I am starting to accumulate a few oldies unintentionally myself. Got a Henry Martini made in 1874 (2 years before Custer died), a 1900 Winnie 1894 in
38-55 and just picked up a Savage 99 30-30 built in 1920. Have a couple of CZs but they are classics anyways. Half my guns are over 60 yrs old and shoot just fine thanks. Just something special about taking the old girls out to the range to play. Nothing like a handful of history.
 
History and nostalgia is for old farts! LOL. I love the new stainless and indestructible rifles.
 
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