Nugilum
Member
I'll take one please!!! 
Heck, just give me a shell for display!
Heck, just give me a shell for display!
What is the best gun ever?
- Thread starter sprice
- Start date
- Status
blue_ridge
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 222
Open ended question obviously because it all depends on what you need to use the gun for. Hunting, personal defense, home defense, ccw, competition, punching holes in paper etc.
That said, I'll give a list of my favorite modern (smokeless powder) guns for overall quality, reliability, inventiveness, longevity, popularity. In no particular order:
* Colt 1911 45 automatic by John Browning - military sidearm for 50+ years. as effective and more popular than ever today, almost 100 years after its invention
* Winchester 70 (pre-64) in 30-06 (or 270 for you Jim Carmichael fans) - the riflemans rifle can do just about anything you'd ever need it to
* Savage 99 in 300 savage - possibly the strongest action in a lever action ever. Pointed bullets could be used, hotter cartridges accomodated, slick action, magazine fed rather than tube fed. I'll take one of these over a Winchester 1894 any day.
Ruger 10/22 - Bill Ruger designed the best 22 ever, IMO. the magazine alone is an engineering marvel.
Remington 870 shotgun - still going and still hangs with shotguns 10 times its price. Can be used for everything from sporting clays to home defense.
AK-47 - I know this forum is full of AR-15 fans and it is amazing. But the Ak-47 has been around longer, has been more reliable (and still is), is significantly cheaper and is used by many more people worldwide. If you are looking for the fastest, cheapest way to put effective military firepower in as many hands as possible, the AK-47 is unsurpassed.
Right now, if I could only have one gun. I would choose my Sig P226 Elite. Accurate and reliable as they come. better than any Glock, 1911, XD or Para I have owned and fired. Best feeling gun. Best DA/SA handgun trigger.
If I had to have one rifle, I would pass up the urge for the very practical AR-15 platform and get a Remington LTR in 308. Long range precision accuracy coupled with short range maneuverability.
That said, I'll give a list of my favorite modern (smokeless powder) guns for overall quality, reliability, inventiveness, longevity, popularity. In no particular order:
* Colt 1911 45 automatic by John Browning - military sidearm for 50+ years. as effective and more popular than ever today, almost 100 years after its invention
* Winchester 70 (pre-64) in 30-06 (or 270 for you Jim Carmichael fans) - the riflemans rifle can do just about anything you'd ever need it to
* Savage 99 in 300 savage - possibly the strongest action in a lever action ever. Pointed bullets could be used, hotter cartridges accomodated, slick action, magazine fed rather than tube fed. I'll take one of these over a Winchester 1894 any day.
Ruger 10/22 - Bill Ruger designed the best 22 ever, IMO. the magazine alone is an engineering marvel.
Remington 870 shotgun - still going and still hangs with shotguns 10 times its price. Can be used for everything from sporting clays to home defense.
AK-47 - I know this forum is full of AR-15 fans and it is amazing. But the Ak-47 has been around longer, has been more reliable (and still is), is significantly cheaper and is used by many more people worldwide. If you are looking for the fastest, cheapest way to put effective military firepower in as many hands as possible, the AK-47 is unsurpassed.
Right now, if I could only have one gun. I would choose my Sig P226 Elite. Accurate and reliable as they come. better than any Glock, 1911, XD or Para I have owned and fired. Best feeling gun. Best DA/SA handgun trigger.
If I had to have one rifle, I would pass up the urge for the very practical AR-15 platform and get a Remington LTR in 308. Long range precision accuracy coupled with short range maneuverability.
nwilliams
Member
Best rifle of all time, M1 Garand
Best handgun of all time M1911A1
JMHO
Best handgun of all time M1911A1
JMHO
P97
Member
There is a different best gun for each purpose. Hunting, Competition, Self-defense, and etc. I have a favorite in each group. There is no such thing as a all-around best gun.
oldman1946
Member
Dangit, I am smart
I now know that I am smarter than people thought. All those here thinking a .22 is the best shows how smart I am. I got a sack full of different .22 firearms. How was I to know I was getting the best guns at a price a lot less than what I paid for the other guns in my collection.
Sure, the original question posed in the thread will be subject to personal interpretation and accomodation. But the reason behind most answers will be unsaid since it is simply the gun that the person offering the opinion owns. No substantiation needed other than owning the weapon.
My smart aleck answer would be as already stated. The one you have at the time you need it.
My heart felt answer and I have seen it proven many times:
A .357 mag revolver. Any brand that is dependable. Anything more will be unmanagable for many. Anything less will be inadequate power for many applications.
It has power. You can hunt with it. You can defend with it. You can plink with it and you can practice with it.
I have worked cases where a .38 spl did not give enough power for the task at hand. The .44mag has too much recoil for many shooters.
A .22 has about the same applications but far less power and shot placement is critical for most things.
JMHO
I now know that I am smarter than people thought. All those here thinking a .22 is the best shows how smart I am. I got a sack full of different .22 firearms. How was I to know I was getting the best guns at a price a lot less than what I paid for the other guns in my collection.
Sure, the original question posed in the thread will be subject to personal interpretation and accomodation. But the reason behind most answers will be unsaid since it is simply the gun that the person offering the opinion owns. No substantiation needed other than owning the weapon.
My smart aleck answer would be as already stated. The one you have at the time you need it.
My heart felt answer and I have seen it proven many times:
A .357 mag revolver. Any brand that is dependable. Anything more will be unmanagable for many. Anything less will be inadequate power for many applications.
It has power. You can hunt with it. You can defend with it. You can plink with it and you can practice with it.
I have worked cases where a .38 spl did not give enough power for the task at hand. The .44mag has too much recoil for many shooters.
A .22 has about the same applications but far less power and shot placement is critical for most things.
JMHO
Bugflipper
Member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2009
- Messages
- 26
I will have to vote on the mauser for a rifle. Virtually every bolt action in existence spawned from the mauser.
The Tomcat
Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2009
- Messages
- 69
Colt 1911A1 Govenment
The Bushmaster
Member
The first gun that was invented because it started it all.
By The Way Nugilum...There are no "shells" for 14 and 16 inch Naval guns. They are breech loaded black powder guns in that you have a projectile, powder bags and a detinator...Now a 2700 lb projectile in your front room might be impressive...
By The Way Nugilum...There are no "shells" for 14 and 16 inch Naval guns. They are breech loaded black powder guns in that you have a projectile, powder bags and a detinator...Now a 2700 lb projectile in your front room might be impressive...
Last edited:
orbitup
Member
I'll take one please!!!
Heck, just give me a shell for display!
Nice! How about Atomic Annie?
Jmacalpine
Member
I am thinking maybe a quality 12ga pump. If i could have but one.
Guiding101
Member
The Judge
I am a die hard rifle man, but if I could have only one gun in my arsenal, I would be looking at self defense, putting meat on the table, and disptching snakes, as well as an easily concealed weapon. I would have to go with the .45/.410 judge. It gives you the ability of an extremely close range shotgun round, coupled with the knockdown power of the tried and true .45 LC.
I am a die hard rifle man, but if I could have only one gun in my arsenal, I would be looking at self defense, putting meat on the table, and disptching snakes, as well as an easily concealed weapon. I would have to go with the .45/.410 judge. It gives you the ability of an extremely close range shotgun round, coupled with the knockdown power of the tried and true .45 LC.
oldman1946
Member
Another factor
Any long gun will be inconvenient to carry. They can also be used as leverage against you should someone grab the barrel.
As I see it, the best gun would have to be something that would suffice in the place of a rifle or shotgun, easily carried, fairly accurate and reasonably priced.
Any long gun will be inconvenient to carry. They can also be used as leverage against you should someone grab the barrel.
As I see it, the best gun would have to be something that would suffice in the place of a rifle or shotgun, easily carried, fairly accurate and reasonably priced.
searcher451
Member
An impossible-to-assess question. Still:
Handgun: Walther P5
Rifle: Ruger 10/22
Handgun: Walther P5
Rifle: Ruger 10/22
Khyron
Member
Since this is an absurd topic I will post an absurd pic as well. Zentraedi Main Gun bombardment utilizing Makral Yver 174 Reflex cannon with a full power yield of 12 megatons.Nice! How about Atomic Annie?
orbitup
Member
Are you suggesting Atomic Annie isn't real?
My real favorites would be the 1911 and the AK-47.
My real favorites would be the 1911 and the AK-47.
NMGonzo
Member
Since this is an absurd topic I will post an absurd pic as well. Zentraedi Main Gun bombardment utilizing Makral Yver 174 Reflex cannon with a full power yield of 12 megatons.
Danged Zentraedis!!!
MPCO
Member
Best Gun Ever???
Ahhhh!:banghead:
I don't know..... all this pressure..... So many I need....
AK-16, no. Glock model 1911, no. Springfiled 94 bolt, no..wait. What?
Um... Ummm..........
Love Em ALL
Ahhhh!:banghead:
I don't know..... all this pressure..... So many I need....
AK-16, no. Glock model 1911, no. Springfiled 94 bolt, no..wait. What?
Um... Ummm..........
Love Em ALL
12131
Member
Depends makes guns?
fireman 9731
Member
Ak-47 for a rifle
1911 for the pistol.
Both revolutionary designs, simple, and reliable.
A single shot shotgun is hard to beat for pure simplicity, reliability, and versatility though...
1911 for the pistol.
Both revolutionary designs, simple, and reliable.
A single shot shotgun is hard to beat for pure simplicity, reliability, and versatility though...
- Status
