Best-looking guns?

Sorry for quibbling GT, but that gun would be a "vierling". Vier is four and drei is three. The idea is that German hunters could walk through the woods and take whatever mother nature would show them. I have a drilling made for the American market by Sauer and Sohn and imported by Charles Daley. The current barreling is two 12ga.s over a 257 Roberts barrel. I believe that the action was originally made about 1900 and was chambered for 12ga. over 30/30. Around 1957 it was sent back to Charles Daley and they sent it to Austria to have it rebarreled. The firearm shown above with all the gold inlay and engraving shows that it is the very top of the line. Mine is one step down but sold for about $600 in the very early 20th century. That was about the yearly wage for a working man back then. It's funny, but the Germans really took to the old 22 Hornet. A lot of their schutzen rifles were chambered in that caliber.

 

Thank you, Harolds, I can only count in English, Southern English which requires fingers, and French! I have gotten to handle a war trophy drilling in 12 ga and 8X57R. I was curious about the 257 Roberts, not exactly common in the US but a sweet shooter. Popular in my youth. I was surprised to see 22 Hornets in German guns at gun shows and had, I believe, a Winchester 43 in the extended family. I converted that gun to no avail. $600 was indeed big money back then.'

 

I think these are handsome, if expected to go for a slightly eye-watering price.
Get the impression the box is the value multiplier.



https://www.rockislandauction.com/d...-thuer-third-model-derringers-with-shared-box

 

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..says the boxes are rare--sounds logical .....
..these seem more valuable than a lot of WW2 weapons because of the price

 

The Russian Degtarjev. It is mentioned you could hide it in the sand and take it up, no need to clean it, just start shooting again.

 

I give it full credit for being rugged, but best looking? Kind of gives me a 'steampunk' vibe like the Lewis gun.

 

You like the looks of it when it works all the time when many guns with sand inside etc do not. My father in the Finnish Army used it and told the "sand story". It seems that when sand enters in many guns inside the firing system they do not work but the Degtarjev has so much room in that section that small particles won´t stop it from being used. Of course you must check the barrel is open from sand.

"Of typical Russian design philosophy, the DP-27 was a sturdy and simple gun that was easy and cheap to manufacture, and could be relied upon to perform even in the most adverse conditions; it was capable of withstanding being buried in dirt, mud, or sand and still operating consistently. However it had a low rate of fire when compared to its main wartime rival, the German MG 34/MG 42 series, firing at a rate of 550rpm as compared to the 800-1200rpm of the German light machine guns."

Degtyaryov machine gun - Wikipedia

I think I saw a document that armies today test the MG´s by hiding them in sand for example and test if they work after getting them out of the sand. If no firing that is the end of testing.

 

The best looking handguns often have "Colt" stamped on the side

 

For military rifles, I have to say; it was love at first sight for me with the M1 Carbine.

I was a little kid watching "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" on a Saturday afternoon. At the very end of the movie, Mickey Rooney's helicopter is shot down and he has to bail out and fight. That's when I got my first glimpse of the little M1 and I was hooked! The bottom one I bought not long after turning 18, and it's still my favorite military rifle to shoot.

 

I don’t use them as much anymore, but they all have provided me with fond memories, especially the Browning.........

 

Oh, you just hit one of my addictions... That's my favorite shotgun, I have 3 Auto 5's and I'm shopping for a Sweet 16. The Auto 5 is the gun Browning was most proud of, and for good reason. When you consider the challenges he had to overcome to make an automatic shotgun at a time when a shotgun shells had very little standards at all.




1962 Browning Light 12

1938 Grade 3 Remington 20ga 28”

1929 Grade 1 Remington 20ga 26”

 

I always read about General Patton´s guns. Here we go. Maybe somebody has better pics.

 

FG-42 w/scope for a WW II service rifle.
For accuracy, the Finnish Mosin-Nagant, especially if it was fitted with a Soviet PEM scope.
For sheer fun, the M-1 Carbine.

 

They are beautiful! My light twelve was made in 1971. Belgium of course. I am not real good at percentages on guns, but I would say about 90% on the condition.

 

I don't recall which book I ready it in, but the reason Patton was mostly a revolver man... He accidentally shot himself with an M1911, of course blamed the incident on the pistol, and stuck with revolvers after that. I will say...He had fantastic taste in revolvers though!!

 

I had a Rem made version in 20 gauge. Someone did me a huge favor and wanted it so I gave it to him. They are well made. BTW, the trigger group was also used in the Rem 8 or 81, and along with the safety, were incorporated into the AK-47.

 

I sorta 'love' the gun men who draw it from their left side with their right hand. I am not sure but I think it is the Faster way to shoot?

 

I spent many years competing with handguns, both bullseye and IPSC (combat competition), and cross draw was pretty much forbidden. Not only is it not faster, it's FAR less safe.

With hip draw, the firearm is always in-line with the target. The pistol clears leather, and the second you rotate the barrel up, you're already beginning to align with the target. It's also much safer, because if you have an accidental discharge, the gun is about 90% likely to be pointed in a safe direction.

With cross draw, you have to swing the gun across the target, and it's likely during that draw your muzzle will at some point be pointed at something you don't want to shoot; so it's a safety concern. And the fact you're swinging laterally instead of vertically, there's way more opportunity to miss.

Cross draw does make sense for military carry at time. There's no fast drawing in the military, in fact, handguns RARELY come out at all. Cross draw is FAR more comfortable and convenient when working in vehicles or tight spaces. Back in the 19th century it was favored because the barrels were so long and hip carry was just rather inconvenient.

 

Then again, for Colt SAAs with long barrels, I often saw cowboys and just regular shooters carry their SAs on their right hip (strong side) with the butt forward. They say it's easier to draw a long-barreled gun that way.