Rifle Categories???

I've got several rifles that I've ended up with after years of hunting. But lately I've been thinking more about collecting and not just having the guns I need for whatever particular purpose. The problem was I couldn't decide what to collect. I like them all!!! Well today I finally figured out what I want to collect. I want the best of each of each type of rifle. Now by "the best" I don't mean the most expensive. I mean the rifle that set the standard for each type. For example, I think the plain old Winchester model 94 pretty much set the standard for lever actions. Of course this is very subjective and everyone will have a different opinion as to what "the best" is, but all this made me start wondering about categories?

These are the categories I've listed so far:

Battle Rifle
Bolt Action Battle Rifle
Battle Carbine
Carbine
Bolt Action Hunting Rifle
Semi-Auto Hunting Rifle
Lever Action
Pump
Single Shot

So what categories am I missing are does this about cover it? And this is just for center rifles.

 

I've added two more categories: Sniper Rifle and Best All Time

I'm on the fence with the double rifle? I know they were popular in Europe and Africa, but they just never seemed to have caught on here.

I'm also on the fence in deciding between historical significance and modern relevance. For single shot I automatically think Sharps, but the Ruger No.1 is still here. I don't think the Ruger #1 is anywhere near the gun a Sharps was, but after more than 100 years of single shots the Ruger #1 is the last production single shot from a major gun manufacturer (that I can think of). For me that makes the Ruger No1 pretty special as well. But then there is also the 1885 Winchester. Decisions, Decisions.


Mountainman13, this has been a lot of fun along with choosing the perfect caliber for each. And I was thinking M14 for best battle rifle, which will end up being an M1A for me (I've always wanted one anyway). The M14 is a refined M1 and in my humble opinion is the pinnacle of battle rifles, but some others are really close!

 

The overlap is why I picked the pre 64 model Winchester as the best period. I went with Enfield as the best bolt action battle rifle (for many reasons) and it was of course a close race with the Mauser. The Winchester model 70 was also on the short list for best bolt action hunting rifle. That Mauser action was near or at the top for both categories, and it is the action that pretty much all modern bolt actions are based on. I also think the pre 64 is about as good as the Mauser action will ever get. So it got best overall. Now if I can just find one in 7mm Mauser, which set the standard for almost all other case designs.

 

I'm keeping this as simple as I can, center fire only.

 

I've decided not add double rifle as a category to my list. They are certainly an individual rifle category, but I have no desire to own one and I have no idea how I could ever determine what the best one is. Each is essentially a custom rifle and almost all of the high end double rifles are quality rifles. I might add a double .303 at some point many years in the future if I just happened to stumble across one?

As for the single shot category, there are any number of actions that could qualify. I think this category is going to be more about the "spirit of the law" rather than the letter. The purpose of most single shots became accuracy, power, and distance. These rifles evolved from converted muskets into hand held artillery pieces used to precisely lob rounds first at buffalo and then at long distance targets. They were the .50 cal Barrett of their day. And I think the Winchester 1885 (Hi Wall) was about the best artillery piece out there? Not to mention it was John Browning's first design and launched his career. So I'm going to give the title of best single shot to the 1885, but I'll probably get a Ruger No1. I want guns to shoot and that's probably not going to happen with an original 1885. There are the Browning and Winchester reproductions, but there is just something about "Made in Japan" that bothers me on a rifle!

I'm not sure about the specialty category?

As for semi-auto battle rifle, I guess that was a Freudian slip? I think I just assumed the best semi-auto battle rifle would be the best battle rifle, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case. I think a Mauser is a better all around rifle than a Lee Enfield .303, but I think the Lee Enfield is still a better "battle rifle".

And yes I'm really bored right now, its 107 outside and I haven't finished insulating and adding air to my shed yet.

 

I think the Mauser is a better action. But the Enfield had a very slight edge in rate of fire due to the rear locking lugs and the British were smart enough to fully exploit that slight advantage with great training (the mad minute) and the 10 round box magazine. The bolt head on the Enfield also made field repairs much simpler. Adjusting the head space was literally as easy as changing a light bulb. The Enfield was also the longest serving battle rifle, and I believe it also has the distinction of being used in more conflicts than any other rifle?

I don't think the Lee Enfield could ever be considered a better rifle than a Mauser, but I think the British through ingenuity and will made it the best bolt action battle rifle?