[meadville]

Without offending anyone,to each their own and all that. There are many firearms on the market these days made using a large array of exotic materials. I'm sure they were designed to function better and probably shoot better. Whatever happened to " function follows form". I was in a gun shop to-day searching the used gun sections and took a walk through the new gun section. So many synthetic stocks,multi colored,thumb holed. Pistols and revolvers multi toned made from materials used in the aerospace industries. I'm old school I guess. The look of a carbon steel Colt, Smith & Wesson from the pre 64 era,worn blue and all,soothes me.The heavy slab of steel, as the old 1911's have been called , a real turn on for me.(I think browning is introducing a 1911 in carbon steel this year and I will certainly be lookin at it.}The newest manufactured gun I own is a 760 Remington {58},even that has a plastic ejection port cover! Wish they would have left it metal.When I need to lift my gun shopping spirit I pull my mod.71 Winchester out and clean it once again. American made with american parts.Just needed to vent a little I guess. Feel free to be critical of my opinion,agree or disagree,would really like to know.Maybe its my age,67

[Sniper03]

Meadville,

I certainly understand your feeling for the older weapons. I know a lot of the new pistols and rifles are very good, shoot well and very reliable. I have several pistols and have carried a Beretta 92-F, 96-F and a Glock Model 22 40 Cal. on duty for a number of years. They were fine pistols. As well as the Glock Model 27 I carry now days for personal protection.
However, as great as some of them are they have never replaced my fondness for older and crafted quality weapons. It is almost like they have a past history that speaks to me when I inspect hold and shoot one. This very week I added another piece of nostalgia to my collection. It is a Pre 64 Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 Cal. Made in 1950. I mean the rifle is 61 years old and is in 98% condition and a prize. I like the old 98K Mauser's, Springfield 1903 A3s, M-1 Garands S&W Model 27-5, Walther P-38s, 1911 Colts and others as well as all of the older weapons. There is just something about them and their craftsmanship.

03

[Jesse17]

Welcome to the community!

You’ll find plenty of firearms knowledge on here, as well as meet plenty of fun loving, people with common sense.

[DrumJunkie]

Old school aint a bad way to be from where I'm standing. Welcome to the forum.

[30-30remchester]

MEADVILLE, welcome. It is nice to hear from a like minded soul. Potmetal castings, stamped tin, and plastic guns are all the rage now. I dont own a plastic gun or one that has mystery metal castings. I as well love the feel of finely milled steel and the soothing feel of walnut against my cheek.

[Wambli]

Originally Posted by meadville

Without offending anyone,to each their own and all that. There are many firearms on the market these days made using a large array of exotic materials. I'm sure they were designed to function better and probably shoot better. Whatever happened to " function follows form". I was in a gun shop to-day searching the used gun sections and took a walk through the new gun section. So many synthetic stocks,multi colored,thumb holed. Pistols and revolvers multi toned made from materials used in the aerospace industries. I'm old school I guess. The look of a carbon steel Colt, Smith & Wesson from the pre 64 era,worn blue and all,soothes me.The heavy slab of steel, as the old 1911's have been called , a real turn on for me.(I think browning is introducing a 1911 in carbon steel this year and I will certainly be lookin at it.}The newest manufactured gun I own is a 760 Remington {58},even that has a plastic ejection port cover! Wish they would have left it metal.When I need to lift my gun shopping spirit I pull my mod.71 Winchester out and clean it once again. American made with american parts.Just needed to vent a little I guess. Feel free to be critical of my opinion,agree or disagree,would really like to know.Maybe its my age,67

Plenty of shiny blue steel and Walnut in my collection and for the most part I love them dearly but the real pretty/old ones only go out in fair weather for short walks in the woods, because I don't see the point of taking out a beautiful custom stocked pre-64 Wincheter to dance in the rain or heavy snow when I have several modern, sub MOA shooters with high tech finishes in carbon fiber stocks that are totally unaffected by the weather to pick from.

I do like the feel I get from walking around the woods with an early 1900's Winchester 1894 or a Savage 99. My old sporterized '03 brings a smile to my face (though the sucker tips the scales at 9 lbs). But I save those guns for hunting days AFTER I fill my buck tag and I'm just looking for a meat doe kill of opportunity because if I saw the buck of a lifetime 250 yards away and all I had was my iron sighted sporterized Krag with me I'd have to shoot myself with the freakin' relic...

[Wambli]

Originally Posted by 30-30remchester

MEADVILLE, welcome. It is nice to hear from a like minded soul. Potmetal castings, stamped tin, and plastic guns are all the rage now. I dont own a plastic gun or one that has mystery metal castings. I as well love the feel of finely milled steel and the soothing feel of walnut against my cheek.

What you are describing is not nessesarily a firearm made out of modern materials but junk. And junk has never been all the rage with anyone. A Tikka T-3 Lite, a Steyr Pro Hunter or a Remington Custom shop AWR are finely engineered firearms crafted of modern material and will outshoot and last as long (or longer) as any old classic wood and steel gun. The AWR costs more than your average pre-64 model 70.

In the old days, there was plenty of junk put out in wood and steel (plenty of plastic and crappy metals too) and there is SOME junk put out in plastic today but there is MORE good stuff sent out of the gunmaker factories today than at any other point in the past.

[Hawg]

I bought a Glock once. GEEEEZ what was I thinkin? I promptly traded the plastic thing off for a good ol 1911. I don't like plastic, synthetic, hi tech, para military or whatever. I don't mind aluminum on a .22 and I have a custom target rifle built on a 1903A3 that wears a laminated stock but it's still wood.

[aandabooks]

I'm with you on the old school look. I bought a S&W M&P 15-22 recently and while it is fun to shoot, I would not call it beautiful. I wanted another Savage bolt .22 with a varmint barrel and went with the BV model because I really don't like the looks of the thumbhole stocks.

Give me a good looking old fashioned gun any day of the week.

[cpttango30]

Funny I have no stamped tin guns in my safe.

I do have a 700 with a potmetal bottom I really dislike it but it works and until it breaks it is staying there.

Sure there are some crap guns today just like there were crap guns 50 years ago.

Some are even OMG still MADE in the USA. Every single gun I own is MADE in the USA. Even my new fancy plastic Beretta Neos. In Fact my Berretta was made about 50 miles from my house across the Potomac River.

Things like synthetic stocks are here because they work and they work good. Ergonomics hare playing a huge roll in design today more than every before.

Not that I like glocks but they did study the ergonomics of the hand when designing them.

JMB didn't know what Ergonomics when he designed the 1911. He used what felt good to him. Which worked out great.

Just like stocks with a vertical grip stocks with thumbholes allow for a better more stable grasp on them. Stocks with better ergonomics reduce felt recoil. Materials like kevlar and fiberglass are very stable and very tough they do not suffer from the affects of weather like wood even laminate wood does.

The AR-15 is a very good looking rifle to me. I also love the classic lines of a pre 64 model 70 and a remington 700.

I feel that Marlin makes the best lever gun out there.