Last Rifle You Would be Willing to Give Up...

[Jeff Higgins]

I spent this morning playing with a few of my rifles, re-zeroing them after some sight, scope, and stock changes. I had one of my sentimental favorites with me, a rifle that I have travelled extensively with, and which I had recently re-stocked. I didn't like the new stock, so I re-mounted the old one, and re-zeroed it. I did so because my oldest son wants to borrow it this season so he can hunt elk with his fiancé's family.

Said rifle is an early '90's vintage Winchester Model 70. It has a matte finish, a factory fiberglass stock, a Leupold 1.5-4x scope, and is chambered in the grand old .375 H&H magnum. I can - and have - hunted virtually anything that walks on this planet with this rifle. It's my serious "go-to" rifle when I don't want to worry about my rifle. I have far fancier, far more "genteel" rifles meant for far more specific tasks, but this thing has killed the smallest antelope at the farthest ranges, and conversely killed some really big and nasty stuff right off the muzzle. It's been underwater in salt water, it's been frozen, and it's been baked at 120 degrees plus. I've lost track of the number of miles I've carried it in some really horrible conditions. I couldn't imagine a finer all-around hunter.

So, how about you - what would be the last one you would give up?

[pwd72s]

The first centerfire I had...given to me by my dad. Remington 721 in .257 Roberts. Factory plain jane looking walnut stock. I gave it a 4 power Leupold with duplex hairs. Had it glass bedded by a local smith a few decades ago...groups well under an inch at 100 with remington factory "core lock" ammo.

It's a sentimental thing. Not a clue what it's market value is, but probably pretty low. Doesn't matter...

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

....

So, how about you - what would be the last one you would give up?

The one in my cold dead hands .

I haven't hunted in years....don't need those types of calibers. It's not my favorite, but these days I think my Marlin .357 would be my "keeper"...

[ledhedsymbols]

I have a Sears and Roebuck bolt action .22. I think its a Sears special Marlin Model 80. It was a gift from my grandfather for my 10th birthday, and it was his father's "hog gun" on the farm in Ohio before him.

My dad and I removed the old beat-up finish and rubbed it with tung oil until it glowed in the light and beaded water like a duck's back. I learned firearms handling and safety, how to shoot and make a clean kill, and how to treat a firearm on that rifle. I'll teach my girls the same thing in the next couple of years. The rest (only a few) are just guns. My grandpa is going to pass away soon... no idea when... he's in his 80s and has health problems. I'll only have that rifle, the thunderbird and my memories some day soon. None of the rest really matter.

[Bill Douglas]

Sako Quad .17HMR with a nikon 6.5-20x44 scope. It's the 2nd from the right. The other Sakos are 7mm Rem Mag, .223 Rem, and a Quad .22.

[Arizona_928]

Those sako's are nice. I've been planning on picking one up when I get some time to.

[Arizona_928]

I would say this m16a2, but it's a royal pos and prolly crushed by now.

[Crowbob]

Which one is the .223?

[rfuerst911sc]

I have a circa 1898 Mauser 7.65 that I am fond of . I really like the patina after all these years and the simple bolt action . Also a Diana .177 air rifle my dad bought me when we visited Germany in 1968 . Also have a Mauser .22 from my grandfather . I guess I wouldn't be able to pick just one

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Which one is the .223?

The silver one. Thanks AZ_

THe .17HMR is just crazy accurate.

[red-beard]

AR10. It could do ANY task (hunting, defense, etc).

[HardDrive]

In 1944, my great uncle Sulo was fighting with Patton's third army on the way to Bastogne. They stopped in a village, and my uncle picked up a Mauser K98 off a dead German soldier. There were tight limitations on the size of packages they could send home. So he went to the motor pool mechanics, and used one of their hack saws to cut off the barrel and the stock, and sent it home to his brother, my grandfather.

My grandfather took it to a gunsmith, and had a nice stock and a .30-06 barrel put on.He hunted with the gun for the next 50 years. It was the only gun my father ever saw him hunt deer with. I recall firing it as a 14 year old boy in the sandy pine forests of Western Michigan (near Muskegon).

Molon labe.

[id10t]

FN-FAL kit build. Maybe afford a real contract rifle one day... I'm on my 3rd one - still looking for that last one, when I find it figuring out what to sell to get it may be tricky.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

In 1944, my great uncle Sulo was fighting with Patton's third army on the way to Bastogne. They stopped in a village, and my uncle picked up a Mauser K98 off a dead German soldier. There were tight limitations on the size of packages they could send home. So he went to the motor pool mechanics, and used one of their hack saws to cut off the barrel and the stock, and sent it home to his brother, my grandfather.

My grandfather took it to a gunsmith, and had a nice stock and a .30-06 barrel put on.He hunted with the gun for the next 50 years. It was the only gun my father ever saw him hunt deer with. I recall firing it as a 14 year old boy in the sandy pine forests of Western Michigan (near Muskegon).

Molon labe.

I have a Walther P38 "acquired" by my father in law in Italy from a German "acquaintance". It would be pretty hard to give up that pistol, too.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by id10t

FN-FAL kit build. Maybe afford a real contract rifle one day... I'm on my 3rd one - still looking for that last one, when I find it figuring out what to sell to get it may be tricky.

I would THINK my FN-FAL, but my AR10, even with the 18" barrel is more accurate.

[fanaudical]

I'd have a hard time picking one. All my rifles have been family heirlooms or otherwise passed down.

[JCF]

Originally Posted by ledhedsymbols

I have a Sears and Roebuck bolt action .22. I think its a Sears special Marlin Model 80. It was a gift from my grandfather for my 10th birthday, and it was his father's "hog gun" on the farm in Ohio before him.

My dad and I removed the old beat-up finish and rubbed it with tung oil until it glowed in the light and beaded water like a duck's back. I learned firearms handling and safety, how to shoot and make a clean kill, and how to treat a firearm on that rifle. I'll teach my girls the same thing in the next couple of years. The rest (only a few) are just guns. My grandpa is going to pass away soon... no idea when... he's in his 80s and has health problems. I'll only have that rifle, the thunderbird and my memories some day soon. None of the rest really matter.

Fantastic !

-And Paul, it's clear you know the value of that Remington

Great thread - needs more pics.

The rifle i will never give away - well I gave that away. Hva 1640 30-06
No regrets and i know it is in good hands.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I would THINK my FN-FAL, but my AR10, even with the 18" barrel is more accurate.

I agree. Hell, my ruger 10/22 with iron sights is more accurate than my current FAL.

BUT... should it be my last rifle, I probably *need* it. And the FAL has a know battle history of "it works... " wheras teh AR10 doesn't. Here's a frankenbuild kit gun that has had 16k + rounds down the tube without a cleaning... except a trip through a mud puddle. The Tale of Ol' Dirty. A Texas Legend. (Update: over 16,000 rnds fired w/o cleaning) - The FAL Files

TBH I'd probably be happy with an AK too, if I still owned one, but the cheap Century WASR-10 I had turned into a ncie 20ga O/U and a $100 bill the week after Obama was elected the first time.

[Don Ro]

My selection is just simply boring.
- Winchester .22 Mag
- One of my 3 SKS 7.62/39

[dmcummins]

Browning safari grade 30-06. I traded my dad a Browning Auto in 7mm mag for it around 40 years ago. I haven't been hunting in years, but it was always my go to deer rifle.