If you ran a major gun manufacturer...

Let it be known, if I ran a gunmaker, it'd be Remington. I've always liked how their rifles and shotguns always feel 'right', and how years ago, they weren't afraid to take a chance on somewhat unorthodox action systems. Look at the model 8 and 81 rifles, marketed as big game and dangerous game (albeit unwisely) rifles firing high performance proprietary cartridges using long recoil action. When Winchester, Marlin and Savage were making lever actions, big green said screw it and made the 14, 14 1/2, and 141 pump rifles designed by John Pedersen firing the same proprietary cartridges.

If I ran big green, I'd attempt to rekindle the days of Remington treading it's own path. The 7600 would be chambered in 30-30, 32 special, 30 Rem, 32 Rem, 35 Rem (again), 303 British, 8x57, 7-08 and the WSM family. I'd also offer a choice of 3 barrel lengths; 18.5", 20.5" and 24", and every single one would be equipped with fiber optic sights and a top picatinny rail.

For autoloaders, I'd throw away the 750 and start from scratch. Actually, I'd simply sell the HK 770 in all of the -06 and -08 family of calibers and be done with it. Again, picatinny rail and fiber optics sights are standard and 18.5" or 22" barrels are your choices.

I'd probably leave to bolt gun and shotgun departments alone, they seem to do well and I wouldn't have good inputs. I would however, bring back the 30 and 32 Rem cartridges, and load more selection for 303, 7x57 and 8x57 at higher pressures with higher BC bullets.

I know I'd lose money faster than a Liberal government, but it'd be a fun ride down the poverty slide!

30-30, 32 special, 30 to 35 Rem, .303 Brit, and even 8x57 in a pump rifle would be marginal sellers. A 7600 in WSM cartridges would be interesting though. For an autoloader, adapting the H&K roller system would be a very interesting venture. I'd skip the picatinny rail on all of them as it would interfere with mounting receiver peep sights.
 
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Here is the problem...

All my "gun" buddies (mostly fudd type hunters who are tolerant of other disciplines but wont fight for them) know I'm an avid gun enthusiast. Every year just before hunting season I get the same questions:

What do you think of this axis, 710, 783 etc etc package? I say I don't know. They say I thought I thought you were into guns. I say I am, that's why I don't know. They say I hear savages are real accurate right out of the box. I say yes I hear that as well (all of their shooting is minute of pie plate at 100 yards).

For a large part of the market a rifle is just a tool used for 2 weeks of the year to chase deer moose etc. The guys who ask already know what they want based on the latest cabelas hunting flyer.

I get the same questions with scopes. They say what's the best scope brand. I say Schmidt-Bender, USO, Nightforce, Zeiss, Swarovski, Steiner, premier, IOR Valdada, Leica, Trijicon, Leupold. They say, I hear leupolds are really good, never heard of the others and what about bushel 3200?(another "high end" scope). I say ya Leupolds and 3200s are really good.


So the guys who buy "high end" rifles usually end up with a ss savage model 10/110 etc topped with a bushnell 3200 or leupold rifleman or low end guys axis/783/etc package rifles and walk away wondering why they even asked me.

Some of the entry level stuff now is REALLY good and accurate. Savage created a niche and others followed. I know this is just pretend CEO fantasy but it would be suicide for any one manufacturer to leave the fudd hunter market share untouched.

I've had a few people ask me how I "rank" rifles. They're often shocked when I put rifles like the Winchester M70, Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T3, etc. in the "entry level/workhorse" category (below it is budget, above is mid range followed by high end).

Basically, they're affordable, rigged, functional and reasonably well finished. Most firearms by North American manufacturers fall in to this category. They are meant to be shot and hunted with, no looked at.
 
I would remake Volcanics , dam lever action repeating pistols !
ps if you ever get in charge of Remmy pls put the sights on at 12 oclock - 1 oclock dosnt work for me.
 
We'll stuff the picatinny rail in the box then and can use or nost use it at your discretion. I know 'marginal' calibers in pump rifles wouldn't sell, but it'd sure be nice to have ammo available to the guys that own old ones.

While on the topic of combo guns, why not get the custom shop to make a drilling? Rimfire, big game and shot gun calibers in one quick handling package.

Also, no more synthetic stocks that feel like they're made snotty kleenex, how about some beef in it
 
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