History and nostalgia is for old farts? Count me in for the old fart crowd. Nothing quite like hunting for upland with a 16ga SxS Sauer und Sohn shotgun, or going for big game with my O/U in 16ga x 9.3 x 74R, or any one of my 7x57's, 7x57R's, 8x57IS, 9.3x57, 9.3x62, 9.3x64 etc. The older guns are works of art, a pleasure to handle and to use. The new plastic guns seem to me to be too utilitarian, they have no soul, no character. Maybe it's just the old fart in me.
Who else prefers the old classics?
- Thread starter Longwalker
- Start date
- Location
- Calgary, AB
Hey Johnn, you got me wanting a Schultz & Larsen now 
Nice looking rifles.
Nice looking rifles.
As long as it doesn't get too cold that is.
I'll take a nice old P14 or M17 or Lee Enfield any day. History in your hands, a proven design, an easy to find calibre, as effective as the whoop-de-do magnum whatever for most purposes, and just as accurate as the stainless and plastic stuff.
Somethings haven't really been improved on yet.
Scopes are a different matter of course, though the old ones still look better on an older rifle.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Hey Johnn, you got me wanting a Schultz & Larsen now
Nice looking rifles.
Thanks
. The Schultz is my favorite bolt action rifle and my plan was to go for three, 7x61 S&H, 308 NM and the 358 NM. The first two I have and I was holding out for the 358 NM. I was offered a very nice Husqvarna and after I saw the pictures, I weakened
. Besides, it's a good mate for the 30-06 Husqvarna Feather Weight I inherited from my Dad.
In anticipation of eventually getting a 358 NM I've acquired seven boxes of Norma factory ammo and a set of, actually two sets of dies.
With the preliminary test results with the factory ammo, I was well pleased
. On the recent Barnes bullet buy through Mark at Omineca Sports I picked up some 225gr TSX to work with and that's next on the agenda. If I get a Moose draw in area 5 this year, the 358 NM has the invite as the primary.
- Location
- AB foothills
Have you looked in a mirror lately, your no spring chicken
. Actually, you fit nicely into the "old fart" class 
Johnny_Bigshot
Regular
- Location
- Southern ON
I thought bluing and wood guns were just for those who couldn't afford the better version.
I stand corrected.
I stand corrected.
For me it's about coolness. FOr instance, this pic below (a 30-30) makes me yawn
But THIS.....Makes me think KOOOOOLLLL....
Did somebody say somethng about history and nostaliga?
How about my ealy 1940s 30-30 and this idealic hunting scene?
This picture normally hangs on a wall in my den.
But THIS.....Makes me think KOOOOOLLLL....
Maybe the Model 94, 30-30, didn't go back far enough in history, to match the hunting scene on the picture.
How about an 1884 Springfield, 45-70?
FIne wood, shaped by a master craftsman, will make any- ANY- synthetic stock seem inexpensive.
Pity most wood we see on rifles in the last 20 years is not much better than most tupperware stocks!
- Location
- Sudbury, On
WTS - Old Remington rifle, walnut stock. Usual dings and scrapes. Asking $200 above new MSRP.
....Annnnnnd I rest my case why tupperware is better out in the field.
Actually, my favourite rifle is my Savage 93GL, in .22mag. Lefty rimfires from Savage only come with a laminate or wooden stock.
....Annnnnnd I rest my case why tupperware is better out in the field.
Actually, my favourite rifle is my Savage 93GL, in .22mag. Lefty rimfires from Savage only come with a laminate or wooden stock.
Corrected and then some. Triple fancy AAA circasian walnut blanks (block of wood) cost more than the most expensive stock McMillan ever made. Then you get a stock made out of it
Can you say $$$. And if you had a legend like Al Biesen do it you should take it to the range in a Brinks truck. When I was still avidly shooting trap there were guns on the rack that the wood was worth more than my entire set-up Citori with a Soft-touch stock. Wood and highly polished blueing will always cost more and hold it's value longer than SS+plastic. The actual blueing by dipping the steel parts into the liquified salts takes seconds. It's the hand filing, sanding and final polishing the steel into a mirror before the blueing that costs big big money. Because it still has to be done by skilled human hands. No machine will do the same job. And it's knowing that when you hold an older hand polished piece that a craftsman took the pride in their work needed so you could see your own big grin in that gun's finish like a deep dark blue mirror. Whoa! Those old guns bring out the writer in me
lejarretnoir
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- 162km from Connaught
The Golden Age of gunmaking is long over. To build a nice stock from a blank will cost $2500 or more. Still need a barreled action to go with it. A finely fitted piece of wood can take 2 weeks from blank to finish and doesn't require a bedding job. In the end will anyone hunt with that beauty? A safe queen for sure.
Today they can spit out wood stocks via CNC in minutes. Is it the same? Still need to bed them as one size will never fit all, but they are cheaper. I can afford them.
You just know it when you pickup an old master. It takes you to another place. A friend has his fathers Savage 99 made in 1942 whom he bought brand new. Schnabel forend, case hardened and round counter. He is now 78 yrs old and asked me to replace the front sight with a Firesight so he can still see to hunt. To think of how many deer this old .300 Savage has taken. You will not find newer 99's made as well as this one.
Today they can spit out wood stocks via CNC in minutes. Is it the same? Still need to bed them as one size will never fit all, but they are cheaper. I can afford them.
You just know it when you pickup an old master. It takes you to another place. A friend has his fathers Savage 99 made in 1942 whom he bought brand new. Schnabel forend, case hardened and round counter. He is now 78 yrs old and asked me to replace the front sight with a Firesight so he can still see to hunt. To think of how many deer this old .300 Savage has taken. You will not find newer 99's made as well as this one.
Farthood is a state of mind crazy. Sitting around wringing your hands and pining away for the good old days is for losers!Have you looked in a mirror lately, your no spring chicken
A gun is a tool and the more indestructable and reliable it is the better in my books.
I have 1 firearm that is composite stock, that is my 30.06 sako. the rest are the wood variety. I do love the look of the old classics and the feel of the weight on your hands. It reminds me of when they took away our FNC1 and gave us our C7. Felt like a damn toy. But it did grow on me. the same with synth guns.
My wife is a "black gun fan". She just bought a Tikka T3 Synth/ stainless .308. Now she wants to replace her Rem. 1100 with a synth Benelli. and a synth stock for the wood 10/22 that she uses.
My wife is a "black gun fan". She just bought a Tikka T3 Synth/ stainless .308. Now she wants to replace her Rem. 1100 with a synth Benelli. and a synth stock for the wood 10/22 that she uses.
Almost all of my guns are older woodstocked ones, but last spring i bought a ruger ultralight stainless 30-06. I had planned on putting a wood stock on it, but found i like the feel of the stock & will keep it as is. It is now my main rifle. Brian.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I agree with much of what you say and even with most of the plain jane wood stocks available today, I still prefer 'wood and blue' to composite and stainless. I've hunted for a fair number of years and even though the firearm is a tool, I've never found it to be too difficult to take a little care in handling them in the field. Yes, I have the odd 'ding' showing on them, showing use but not abuse. Even though it's not my choice, I can see the benefits of composite and stainless, but to my eye most of the composite and stainless
look like pry bars from the maintenance department in a pulp mill. If an individuals choice is to build or have made a 'safe queen', so be it but it's not a route I'd go. Anything I have I use. One can opt for the ultra exotic in a piece of wood on a firearm. For my taste, some nice figuring in the wood adds to the appearance, gives a touch of individuality and personal appreciation. A couple of examples from
'my gun safe'.
A bit of nice wood even helps improve the look of stainless
.
