What Rifle has "soul"?

[Jake in TX]

Swedish gevar m/96.

Jake in TX

 

[MJ]

Tough question but just after my 1930's Trophy 03

The G-43 has cool power.


MJ

 

[AndyC]

FN-FAL
M14

I think about the guy that had to carry it in boot camp, or the guy that used it in combat, or that guy that died holding it. I think about where the rifle has been, and what stories it could tell me.

Nicely put

 

[dogngun]

I have a Mauser Vz24, made in 1939 for Romania, fought on both sides of WWII (with Germany against the Soviets, and with the Soviets against the Germans) and shows every bit of it. Still a great rifle, smooth and accurate.
This rifle has the history of the 20th century all over it, and it's still very usable.

Any milsurp like it is more than just a gun, IMO, and, yeah, it must have a lot of stories to tell.

Mark

 

[vmfrantz]

enfield 1903

 

[Beetle Bailey]

M1 Garand (Parkerizing does count as soul)

I was just kidding about disqualifying the Garand. I've got two and they've got both heart and soul. The Garand is the one exception to the "must be blued" rule, because it's earned it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

enfield 1903

That would be a cross between a British Enfield and an American M1903 Springfield?

 

[EdLaver]

All rifles have "soul" and individuality as long as the owner gives it one.

 

[Dionysusigma]

My Yugo M48 Mauser.

No, it didn't fight in World War II, but it's got its own, very real, history.

I picked it up at Brigadoon Military Surplus one day, wondering why it was ~$60 cheaper than all the others. Apparently, some "dingbat" had carved up the stock a bunch and ruined its "value."

This was no ordinary carving.

More here.

"БОГ ЧУВ..." ...whatever it means. It's not a rifle I'm ever going to sell.

 

[mrmeval]

I'm sure many miltiary rifles do but bubba's have sole and it's gone and rotted something fierce.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Mosin Nagant

 

[rbernie]

Marlin 336.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

All of those rifles that you deem to have soul are in fact carried out by you. Collectors for whatever means. For me, it's mainly history. People who don't want to forget the history involved in reshaping this world of ours have collected in their minds beautiful firearms. Whenever I pick up my Remington O3A3 or one of my M1s or an M1911 I remind myself our veterans paid a horrible price at times to preserve our way of life. I cannot forget them, they paid the ultimate sacrifice. My owning those types of weapons from "that era" be it WWI or WWII, Korea or Veitnam is my way of remembering those that have served and those that have fallen.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Old 1950's era sporters

 

[.45Guy]

Any old Stevens single shot that has been carried by generations of kids, and most likely put meat on the table during the depression.

 

[esldude]

Well actually, as already pointed out, no firearm has a soul.

But while we're picking, about any English double that has been to Africa.

Might add in those Drilling's too. Built for a time and country when firearm ownership was limited. And ingenuity of the German craftsmen allowed them to build a two in one type firearm. And they work both ways quite well.

 

[crunker]

I didn't mean to make an allusion to the fact that the AK is a Russian gun, I'm just saying that that's what the AK represents: the freedom of the individual to fight for his motherland as that's what it's being used for today.

 

[Dienekes]

Trapdoor Springfield. M1 Garand. Lee Enfield Mk. III #1.

Each is VERY evocative of a particular time and helped make history.

 

[Dr. Dickie]

I've got '03s, I've got a M1917, but for soul, I gotta go with the M1 Garand.

 

[The_Antibubba]

Nearly all Mausers have soul. But a Swedish M96 has more soul than just about any rifle I've ever held or fired.

Lever actions have soul, too.

 

[MJ]

US PROPERTY Savage #4T

 

[Fosbery]

The Martini Henry stands for imperialism, for courage and bravery and for massed ranks of hard men with pointy bits on the end of said rifles.

The AK47 stands for freedom, for resistence, for the people and for the revolution.

Those are my two choices.

 

[rockstar.esq]

I think it's really interesting that for the most part the military rifles are viewed as having soul. When I started this thread I wondered if there'd be some super high grade african double rifles with the emphasis on the hand of the craftsman.
Or I figured that working rifles that humbly went about quietly serving their role with dignity and poise would get all the press. Failing either of these I'd figured that family heirlooms would consititute the majority. Timbokhans eloquent elaboration of the personal connection with antique military rifles certainly speaks volumes to explain why so many posters chose a military rifle. I'm also glad to see that so far there've only been a couple of folks who insisted on being pedantic about the subject.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I know the M1 Garand has soul -- I carried one on my first tour oin Viet Nam (after my issue M2 carbine got wrapped around a tree.)

I guess I'd have to say the carbine has a soul, too. Otherwise, it couldn't go to Hell.

 

[toivo]

As far as soul in a design goes, my vote goes for the Winchester 94.

Absolutely. It's a classic, an icon of American design.