Some rifles that have impressed me and why - JMHO
- Thread starter AP
- Start date
mossyhorns
CGN Regular
- Location
- The city that rhymes with fun
All blued and walnut Ruger #1's. The stainless/laminated ones just don't do it for me.
I'm fortunate enough to own a Mannlicher Schoenauer with that silky rotary magazine and it's an amazing and classy rifle.
Almost all older Winchester lever actions. I have four pre 64 model 94's and each is unique in its own way. Two 38-55's with four digit ( yes four digit) serial numbers, a 30-30 from 1913 with a ladder rear site in metric that was proof stamped at the St. Ettienne armoury in France, and a 1952 30-30 that some old timer carved a deer and bear in to the butt stock. Some would say it devalues the rifle , I say it adds character and tells a story.
And finally. The classic double barrel rifles that I'll never be able to afford to own.
I'm fortunate enough to own a Mannlicher Schoenauer with that silky rotary magazine and it's an amazing and classy rifle.
Almost all older Winchester lever actions. I have four pre 64 model 94's and each is unique in its own way. Two 38-55's with four digit ( yes four digit) serial numbers, a 30-30 from 1913 with a ladder rear site in metric that was proof stamped at the St. Ettienne armoury in France, and a 1952 30-30 that some old timer carved a deer and bear in to the butt stock. Some would say it devalues the rifle , I say it adds character and tells a story.
And finally. The classic double barrel rifles that I'll never be able to afford to own.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Under appreciated actions in my eyes,
-Ruger No.1, you couldn't make the trigger guard at a custom maker for what you can find the rifles for used. Super strong, elegant, and really a rifle of their own class.
-Kimber 84M and L. Such a beautifully petite and light little action but perfectly executed, it's so slender it seems like it has to be a .223. It's not. Everything other action is almost twice as heavy, many with less features. My latest 84M weight 4lbs 13ozs and is all steel, controlled round feed, and with a 3 position Model 70 safety. Damn.
-Mauser Kurz (true short action M98), very rare, even rarer as a large ring, I'm fortunate to have #1 of two known. Looking at a true M98 that's .22-250 length is something to behold.
-Any Greener cross-bolt style double. Stronger than a bank vault. I'd likely love the rising bite Rigby but I can only afford one nice double.
-Ruger No.1, you couldn't make the trigger guard at a custom maker for what you can find the rifles for used. Super strong, elegant, and really a rifle of their own class.
-Kimber 84M and L. Such a beautifully petite and light little action but perfectly executed, it's so slender it seems like it has to be a .223. It's not. Everything other action is almost twice as heavy, many with less features. My latest 84M weight 4lbs 13ozs and is all steel, controlled round feed, and with a 3 position Model 70 safety. Damn.
-Mauser Kurz (true short action M98), very rare, even rarer as a large ring, I'm fortunate to have #1 of two known. Looking at a true M98 that's .22-250 length is something to behold.
-Any Greener cross-bolt style double. Stronger than a bank vault. I'd likely love the rising bite Rigby but I can only afford one nice double.
Embarrassed to admit it, but Clefty is right..... It's a 799 and a push feed..... Never questioned it, as when I did the research, I was researching the wrong rifle based on the listing......
That being said, I haven't paid much attention to the mechanics of it as it fed well and extracts brilliantly and was deadly accurate..... Good to know, apparently after a little research, it is knon as a "mini Mauser"......
Thanks Clefty...... I learned about a gun I already owned and that is cool..... Reinforces my desire to learn more about what I have and use and reccomend....
Brno ZG47 - So good I bought a second one. Solid, reliable, slick, accurate. Old time craftsmanship in solid steel, and a pure mauser 98 action.
CZ 452 - such a solid and accurate 22, after installing a rifle basix trigger I like the CZ even more.
Interarms Whitworth express rifle - I like it for the same reasons that I like my ZG47s, although my Whitworth is quite heavily customized
Not all of the rifles that impress me a Czech though....
Mauser M12 - a departure from the rifles I listed above, push feed, polymer magazine, but if handles like a lightning rod, has the best factory trigger I have ever used, great iron sights, incredibly smooth action, excellent accuracy, and I can mount a large objective scope for low light shooting on a weaver rail and it is low enough to still get a good cheek weld. As far as modern rifles go I like it a lot more than others I have had including rifles from Steyr and Heym, I personally like it more than the Sako 85 as well. I just need to get around to replacing the scope rings with some Leupold QRWs
I also like the Howa 1500, a no nonsense rifle that is just excellent, has stood the tests of time, and is a real steal for the price you pay.
CZ 452 - such a solid and accurate 22, after installing a rifle basix trigger I like the CZ even more.
Interarms Whitworth express rifle - I like it for the same reasons that I like my ZG47s, although my Whitworth is quite heavily customized
Not all of the rifles that impress me a Czech though....
Mauser M12 - a departure from the rifles I listed above, push feed, polymer magazine, but if handles like a lightning rod, has the best factory trigger I have ever used, great iron sights, incredibly smooth action, excellent accuracy, and I can mount a large objective scope for low light shooting on a weaver rail and it is low enough to still get a good cheek weld. As far as modern rifles go I like it a lot more than others I have had including rifles from Steyr and Heym, I personally like it more than the Sako 85 as well. I just need to get around to replacing the scope rings with some Leupold QRWs
I also like the Howa 1500, a no nonsense rifle that is just excellent, has stood the tests of time, and is a real steal for the price you pay.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
One other rifle that you guys reminded me of that I absolutely loved and wished I hadn't sold was a Zastava "mini-Mauser" chambered in 22 Hornet... the guy that bought it got a real deal as I included close to 600 rounds of factory 22 Hornet ammo. 
The bottom bolt is the "mini Mauser" bolt, and the top bolt is a standard M98 bolt for comparison purposes (the middle bolt belongs to a Savage MKII .22LR)
Best $600 I ever spent...
The bottom bolt is the "mini Mauser" bolt, and the top bolt is a standard M98 bolt for comparison purposes (the middle bolt belongs to a Savage MKII .22LR)
Best $600 I ever spent...
Blasty Von Kablasm
CGN Regular
- Location
- Kennebecasis Valley
Yes! My Fox 2 is my go to walk around rifle.
BVK
BVK
There are lots of good suggestions so far, many of which I might suggest myself.
W/O repeating the above, I would like to suggest the lowly SKS for all the reasons everybody already knows. It's too bad the Allies didn't have that rifle in WWII.
W/O repeating the above, I would like to suggest the lowly SKS for all the reasons everybody already knows. It's too bad the Allies didn't have that rifle in WWII.
I made a trade for an unfired Savage model 14 in 243. To my surprise it is the most accurate rifle in my safe. It has a weird bolt release thing going on, but i guess you take the good with the bad. I stretched a shot out to 500 yards last summer with it.
Ruger No. 1: People already pointed out this rifle's unique attributes. Like the RSM this rifle was built by Bill Ruger out of love and not for profit and is an exceptional value.
CZ 452 and 455: Just head and shoulders above the big name American made .22 bolt actions, excepting the Ruger, but the Ruger is almost twice the price and has a much inferior set of irons. An $18 trigger kit from our board member yodave and you have the perfect rimfire.
I'll give an honorable mention to the SKS as anyone who wants to learn to tinker with a trigger should get one. Mostly because almost every SKS comes out of the box with negative sear engagement and compensates for the inherent danger of negative sear engagement with a whole pile of creep. Because the sear is so darn big you can really get a feel for the proper angle and amount of engagement that is appropriate and you really can't screw it up. If you file off too much you can fix it easily. Fun rifles to tinker with.
CZ 452 and 455: Just head and shoulders above the big name American made .22 bolt actions, excepting the Ruger, but the Ruger is almost twice the price and has a much inferior set of irons. An $18 trigger kit from our board member yodave and you have the perfect rimfire.
I'll give an honorable mention to the SKS as anyone who wants to learn to tinker with a trigger should get one. Mostly because almost every SKS comes out of the box with negative sear engagement and compensates for the inherent danger of negative sear engagement with a whole pile of creep. Because the sear is so darn big you can really get a feel for the proper angle and amount of engagement that is appropriate and you really can't screw it up. If you file off too much you can fix it easily. Fun rifles to tinker with.
I agree with the OP's regard for the Winchester 69A's.
Own two now and they are the go to for gophers and grouse.
Left behind are the T-Bolt, 452, Ruger "merican, and others.
My A-5's, each and every one.
Pa's old S$L seems to drop what I aim at.........bless'id shooter.
The BLR81 has done raised one eye brow.
Them Marlin levers never seem to let me down for groups.
Amazing the accuracy in these old levers.
Nothing newer than the mid eighties.
My short list..............
Own two now and they are the go to for gophers and grouse.
Left behind are the T-Bolt, 452, Ruger "merican, and others.
My A-5's, each and every one.
Pa's old S$L seems to drop what I aim at.........bless'id shooter.
The BLR81 has done raised one eye brow.
Them Marlin levers never seem to let me down for groups.
Amazing the accuracy in these old levers.
Nothing newer than the mid eighties.
My short list..............
Sako FinFire , CZ 452 in .22 or 22 magnum.
Browning A- bolts, Vangards S1 and S2 are good value and good shooters for the money..before the Canadian dollar got stupid.
As much as I like the Wingmasters I like the Auto 5 for some odd reason ...it just appeals to me.
Then again if it goes bang it gets my attention sometimes for a longtime or sometimes not.
Rob
Browning A- bolts, Vangards S1 and S2 are good value and good shooters for the money..before the Canadian dollar got stupid.
As much as I like the Wingmasters I like the Auto 5 for some odd reason ...it just appeals to me.
Then again if it goes bang it gets my attention sometimes for a longtime or sometimes not.
Rob
I am impressed by many rifles. But I have to give the 760s and 7600s honorable mention. Not sure if its there accuracy, the fit or simply the functioning. I got hooked on them years ago and still can't stray away from them. Just one of those addictions.
