Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dream Gun Meme

At Atomic Nerds, LabRat has posted her sensible choices for an Interweb "meme" that in my over- busyness I didn't even know was circulating: Five Dream Guns.

Once I would have gasped "only five?" Now I like the idea of having a few well- used, high- quality Good Guns. I should postulate also that I agree with and HAVE several of her choices-- my sensible lever rifle, a late 1940's Winchester 94 in .30- 30 for instance; a shotgun that fits; and my choice for the M16 "niche", a Czech Mauser in .223 with a detachable box mag that allows more capacity than most bolt actions but with CZ's accuracy and trigger. I have also reluctantly more or less abandoned a lifelong affair with various 1911's because PD and arthritis make it hard to rack a slide briskly.

The weird thing about this meme is that I have owned several that would go on my ideal dream list already and let them go, some for good reasons, a few for dumb ones, but most because I had to-- champagne tastes are difficult on a cheap beer budget, never mind one that fluctuates.

The "good reason" ones include safari rifles-- I have owned several and ended up selling them to friends who have been able to get better use out of them; failing a rich patron I doubt I will ever hunt Africa, and if I do I'm sure my friends will help...


I will list my choices, and only mention a couple I wish I could own again, but almost all might fit that category!

First, a new or at least unmarred English Best double shotgun-- a side by side, in 16 gauge. If new, a round- action gun from Scotland; probably a David McKay Brown with 29" barrels, like the one below engraved for the Tower of London with Raven feathers by Malcolm Appleby, though the last might be too much to ask!


If old, a classic Boss in the same gauge, with the rounded action now popular in good Spanish sidelocks. I once missed one sold by another writer, a friend who had nothing in it to speak of and would have been generous. Sigh.

A ".275 Rigby", AKA 7 mm Mauser, by Rigby-- Karamojo Bell and Jim Corbett's dainty killer of monster beasts.


A Broomhandle Mauser because they are terminally cool, the ultimate Steampunk gun (Libby calls them "transformers" because they come apart without any screws, though more complex than modern guns). That they were used in real life by Churchill in the Boer War, T E Lawrence, ornithologist Salim Ali, and the fictional protagonists in novels by Geoffrey Household and Michael Gruber doesn't hurt...

A really BIG bore, high- quality wildfowling gun by an English maker-- Greener, Scott, Holland-- an 8 or even 4- bore, preferably double. Of course I'd need a trip to Scotland to shoot geese with it. This one is "only" a ten, but Greener made bigger gauges on the same action.


My old Darne shot- and- slug "Jungle Gun" 12 bore.


UPDATE:

Good comment from Dr Hypercube and my addition:

"I covet a Shanxi Type 17 (or a pair). I'm sure Steve knows 'em, but for other folks, they were broomhandle Mauser copies in .45 ACP manufactured in Taiyuam by "the Model Governor" warlord Yen Hsi-shan."

Me: "if I am dreaming I suppose I could say a Shanxi model. They ARE in .45 ACP, which is nice. Trouble is, THAT got a whole bunch destroyed, especially in the Cultural revolution, for being in a bourgeois western CALIBER.

"This makes even clapped out ones go for $5000 plus while good shooters in the original (and still- made) Mauser caliber can be found for under $1000.

"I should also have said ALL MUST BE SHOOTERS (for instance I did have a 4- bore ML of dubious provenance once, neither shot nor mentioned). A lot of Broomhandles are dangerous from being shot with too- hot loads.

"And I should have said that the Broomhandle must have a holster- shoulder stock..."

More to come...

4 comments:

dr. hypercube said...

Ooh - may have to post my five. We'd almost duplicate 1: I covet a Shanxi Type 17 (or a pair). I'm sure Steve knows 'em, but for other folks, they were broomhandle Mauser copies in .45 ACP manufactured in Taiyuam by "the Model Governor" warlord Yen Hsi-shan.

danontherock said...

Hard to top that list Steve.

regards Dan

Steve Bodio said...

Well, Doc,, if I am dreaming I suppose I could say a Shanxi model. They ARE in .45 ACP, which is nice. Trouble is, THAT got a whole bunch destroyed, especially in the Cultural revolution, for being in a bourgeois western CALIBER.

This makes even clapped out ones go for $5000 plus while good shooters in the original (and still- made) Mauser caliber can be found for under $1000.

Which might make me add much of this as an update later. I should have said ALL MUST BE SHOOTERS (for instance I did have a 4- bore ML of dubious provenance once, neither shot nor mentioned). A lot of Broomhandles are dangerous from being shot with too- hot loads.

And I should have said that the Broomhandle must have a holster- shoulder stock...

Post yours--Dan too!

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

I have been remiss, will post
SBW