1) Cylinder & Slide Commemorative 1911 "Exactly the way John Browning made them" -- These may be some of the most amazing custom guns ever made. Bill Laughridge. a meticulous researcher as well as THE master 1911 gunsmith, decided to build a 1911 that would be EXACTLY like the first 500 1911s that rolled off the Colt lines in January 1912. This month he began delivering the guns, and they are the utimate heirloom 1911s. Bill estimates that he might eventually build as many as 130 of these masterpieces, but there will be a cut-off date. At least I got to shoot #1.
2) Holland & Holland "Royal" Grade double rifle in something tasteful, like .500 Nitro Express. And a time machine to take me back to the mid-1800s so I could join Richard Sir Francis Burton in his quest to find the source of the Nile. At least I got to handle the rifle.
3) The perfect 1928 Thompson, complete with correctly numbered drums, that Independent Studio Services sourced for a certain very famous Hollywood movie star. I'd like it even better if Said Movie Star would drop it by the Secret Hidden Bunker himself. I'd make cookies. At least I got to look at this one before it was delivered...
4) An original Ithaca Auto & Burglar 20 gauge double-barrel pistol. Hell, I've seen pictures!
5) My Father's .357 Flat-Top Ruger Blackhawk, now long gone. It was the first centerfire revolver I ever fired, and my favorite. I spent a lot of money creating its duplicate, and that gun, and old Wyoming cowboy gun rebuilt by Dave Clements and refinished by Doug Turnbull, remains the single most accurate revolver I've ever fired...but it's not the same.
Excellent choices, all.
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ReplyDeleteWhat no Ma Deuce?
ReplyDeletegood choices
ReplyDeleteone of my choices would be one of yours.
1)an early Thompson with 50 and 100 drum magazines ( and a pair of wooly chaps to wear, while shooting it, like the cowboy in the old magazine ad)
2) an original functioning Walker colt
3) a RCMP Winchester 1876 in the ubiquitous, 45-75
4) an original cavalry or artillary SAA from the late 1800's with provenance
5)a Singer, 1911A1
Interesting that all of the guns are nineteenth century designs at the root. No modern guns listed. No production modern guns. It's kind of sad really. Are there no good guns being made today? I think there are but are they American? If I was to pick modern guns they would probably be European. Otherwise, my pick would be a original prime cond.Colt Peacemaker, Winchester 1886, Parker dbl shotgun (20 ga) A real Hawkin, Browning Citori early model in primo cond.
ReplyDeleteKS wrote: Interesting that all of the guns are nineteenth century designs at the root. No modern guns listed.
ReplyDeleteI think it's because most of those guns can't be found anymore rather than an indictment of modern designs.
If I'm going to dream for an older gun, I'd like a twin BOFORS 40mm or a BAR with a couple of extra barrels. :)
The modern stuff I have keeps me busy enough.
Moosejaw pretty much nailed my list, although I would replace the SAA with a BAR, and the Walker (maybe) with the Kel-tec RFB. And the 1911 with a Barrett of some flavor.
ReplyDeleteOK, so I replaced most of his list - I kept the RCMP 1876 and the Thompson!!
Pick any 5 from JMB. 'nuff said.
ReplyDeleteNot an indictment of modern arms, but maybe an acceptance that for those of us of a certain age, the ultimate allure of firearms will be in blue steel and fine walnut. We see in these guns the history of the world, the story of America, the dreams we had as children.
ReplyDeleteGun Culture Ver. 2.0 will bring their own dreams, their own mythologies, to our world, and they will be different ones.
In truth, if I had to run out of the house with one long gun in my hand, it wouldn't be my perfect semiauto Thompson, or the closest I'm likely to come to an African rifle, my Ruger #1 in .450/400 Nitro, or my vintage Winchester '94 in 30/30...rather, it would be an AR-15. If through some cataclysm or horrific change in natural law I was reduced to a single handgun that would have to serve me the rest of my life, my choice would be plastic and in 9mm.
But when I compete, it's with guns patented prior to 1900, and my favorite days at the range are always with John Browning's greatest masterpiece.
mb
Very well stated MB!
DeleteReally enjoy your blog and shows!
Wouldn't the 470 Nitro be a more classic cailbre?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was the most popular of the Nitro Express rounds?
Actually, I should probably be fantasizing about one of the .450 black powder express cartridges, but I was afraid Sir Francis might run across a nest of meat-eating dinos, and the .500 might give me a little edge...
ReplyDeletemb
I am so much impressed after seeing your blog.it gives us knowledge so I just wanna say its knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteseo
Don't forget that Karamojo Bell did alot of his work with a 7x57 !
ReplyDeleteWhilst this page is in German, from an ammo manufacturer there, you will enjoy the picture of the harvested big old hogs with a suppressed 7x57mm.
http://lutz-moeller-gmbh.de/7-mm/7x57-mjg-jagdpatrone.html
For that H&H, you really need a time machine to go back with Reginald Rivers after tyrannosaur.
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