{"id":1300,"date":"2020-05-28T12:30:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T16:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2020-06-25T23:16:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T03:16:06","slug":"in-praise-of-older-rifles-by-craig-boddington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/in-praise-of-older-rifles-by-craig-boddington\/","title":{"rendered":"In Praise Of Older Rifles By Craig Boddington"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Crown<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Modern factory rifles are amazing, complete, reliable, and more accurate than ever before. In today\u2019s dollars, basic bolt-actions, are more inexpensive than ever before. There are dozens of good models under $600, and some excellent new bolt-actions available for little more than half that. Almost invariably, most basic bolt-actions wear synthetic stocks, free-floated barrels, rust-resistant metal, and push-feed actions. No problem, they work and shoot well. And, of course, I shoot them, hunt with them, and write about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This<\/a>
This custom .270 Winchester by Joe Balickie, on a left-hand Carl Gustav action<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, my personal\ntastes run much more to good old walnut, mated and carefully fitted to blued\nsteel. These features are available in new rifles of all action types. But\nyou\u2019ll pay more for them. It comes down to manufacturing costs. Synthetic is\nless costly than wood\u2026and requires less hand-fitting and final finishing. Other\naction types, whether lever, semiauto, etc., are generally more expensive than\nbasic bolt-actions; and controlled-round-feed (Mauser-type) bolt-actions are\ncostlier than push-feed actions. Again, manufacturing costs: Number of parts,\nraw materials, and both machining and assembly time. Just the way it is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
A vintage .300 Savage on the California Central Coast. Rifle choices are somewhat regional; the Savage 99 was extremely popular on the West Coast and are seen on most used-gunracks. Used Marlins may be more common in the Upper Midwest.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The good news: There are\nplenty of good older rifles on the used gun market. It has been estimated that\nthere may be 300 million legal sporting firearms in the United States. With\nminimal care and normal use, a firearm should provide good service for decades,\nif not for generations. So long as you\u2019re not a collector and don\u2019t insist on\npristine condition, many good once-owned (or perhaps twice or thrice-owned)\nrifles are available at reasonable prices. Often, for much less than a new\nrifle with similar features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I<\/a>
I avoid right-hand bolt-actions, but I couldn\u2019t resist this Westley-Richards Mauser in .318. The ejector was worn out, easy; otherwise it was perfect and shot well. This wildebeest was probably the best shot I\u2019ve ever attempted with open sights, beyond 250 yards. I didn\u2019t intend to keep the rifle and didn\u2019t, but this is one of few \u201cgun deals\u201d I did well on!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s where I get into\ntrouble. I\u2019m left-handed, and I made a conscious shift to left-hand bolts and\nambidextrous actions nearly 40 years ago. The impetus was a bad burglary that\ncleaned me out. The continuing rationale is safety: Where escaping hot gases\nand shrapnel go in the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a ruptured case\nhead. Right-hand actions send bad stuff to the right, away from the\nright-handed shooter\u2019s face\u2026but toward the face and right eye of a lefty firing\na right-hand action. Such failures are rare, but worthy of consideration by\nsouthpaw shooters. Of course, I shoot<\/em> right-handed actions, and I write\nabout them. Business is business, but personal guns are left-handed or\nambidextrous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I worship classic\nbolt-actions: Mausers, Springfields, pre-\u201964 Model 70s. I\u2019d love to own a bunch\nof them but, sadly, they don\u2019t do me much good because none were left-handed.\nEven so, I\u2019ve owned quite a few. But that brings up another problem: Since the\nEighties I\u2019ve maintained a strict house rule: All firearms are securely locked\naway! Fortunately, I\u2019m not a collector. There is a limit on space, so when we\nrun out of room we \u201ccull the herd,\u201d adding to that rich used firearms market!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"My<\/a>
My Dad and I with his Montana mule deer, taken with his M70 Featherweight that he used for almost his hunting. This rifle, with an impossible stock for a lefty, is the only Model 70 I have. This one is not for sale!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As much as I admire them, the only pre-\u201964 Model 70 I have right now was my Dad\u2019s, a 1953-manufacture Featherweight 308 Winchester<\/a>. His rifle still produces marvelous groups, but Dad\u2019s rifle wears a rollover cheekpiece that is impossible for a lefty to shoot comfortably. I could find an original stock, but I\u2019d rather keep it the way Pop liked it. I won\u2019t sell it\u2026but I\u2019ll never shoot it much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The late John Batten\u2019s .30-.338 on a Mauser action still shoots well with his original 2.75X Redfield scope. Built in 1960, the rifle offers a choice of scope in detachable side mount, or aperture sight carried in a butt well. The aperture isn\u2019t an alternative; you must choose which sight you prefer!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The used-rifle market is funny and fickle. \u201cCustom\u201d rifles, by definition, make a statement about the original owner\u2019s preferences. However, absent a famous maker or major embellishment, it\u2019s difficult to get original cost from a custom rifle\u2026which means there are bargains out there, waiting to be found. Provided you can live with the original owner\u2019s tastes! The only classic Mauser I have right now was built for John Batten, a great sheep hunter and mentor to me. A Batten\u2019s rifle is chambered to .30-.338. Regardless of all else, non-standard \u201cwildcat\u201d cartridges drop a rifle\u2019s value\u2026. which, in part, is why I now own it. The .30-.338 cartridge dates the rifle: After the 338 Winchester Magnum (1958)<\/a>; and before the 300 Winchester Magnum (1963)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an interesting rifle, and such rifles teach much about the shooting culture of their time. By 1960 scopes were in common use\u2026but not universally trusted. Like his close friend Jack O\u2019Connor, Batten started mountain hunting in the 1930s using aperture sights. Batten\u2019s rifle is fitted with a 2.75X Redfield in a Griffin & Howe detachable side mount. There is no open rear sight, but the rear receiver ring wears a base for a Williams aperture sight. The actual aperture is stored in a buttplate trap. When hunting, you could choose either scope or aperture\u2026but in order to install the aperture the scope must be removed (and vice versa). This rifle is also not for sale! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tony<\/a>
Tony Lombardo on his range with his newly-acquired Griffin & Howe Springfield .30-06. This is a gorgeous and valuable rifle\u2026but at a small fraction of what it would cost to duplicate it today. One great unknown with any used rifle: How does it shoot? This one turned out to be a real tack-driver!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

My friend Tony Lombardo stumbled upon an early Griffin & Howe Springfield in 30-06 Springfield<\/a>, great wood and some engraving. Because it\u2019s a G&H it wasn\u2019t inexpensive\u2026but nothing like what it would cost to replicate it today! Made in 1924, it has a Lyman 48 receiver-sight as the primary sight. A G&H side mount was added later, as was a Bear Cub 2.75X scope. Same deal as Batten\u2019s rifle: You could mount the scope or<\/em> the aperture, but not both at the same time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Springfield, a Mauser\nclone, was our service rifle from 1903 until replaced by the Garand during\nWWII. Original military Springfields are collectibles, but when I was a kid\nsurplus Springfields were available for a song. Jillions were \u201csporterized,\u201d\nboth fancy (like Tony\u2019s G&H); and plain, like the \u201903 Springfield I\nbutchered when I was young. My sporterizing including poor bluing and a drop-in\nBishop stock. I should have kept it; it was my first centerfire. Such rifles\nare still common and inexpensive, but mine shot well and probably still does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This<\/a>
This Colorado bull was taken with an R.F. Sedgley Springfield .30-06 converted to left-hand bolt. This rifle was amazingly accurate and left-hand conversion was perfect\u2026of the many guns I\u2019ve bought and sold, this is the one I most regret not keeping!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The only other\nSpringfield I have ever owned was beautifully converted to left-hand bolt by\nR.F. Sedgley, Philadelphia contemporary of New York\u2019s G&H, but more of a\nblue-collar gunsmith. It wore aperture sights only and shot very well. That\nrifle I really <\/em>should have kept and regret that I didn\u2019t. Remembering\nthe house rule, we were<\/em> low on space, but the main problem: I was having\ntrouble resolving iron sights. Angry at myself, I cleaned out several iron-sighted\nrifles, but that Sedgley Springfield is the one I regret most. Should have gone\nto a good eye doctor first; prescription glasses fixed the problem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vintage<\/a>
Vintage Winchester lever-actions have gotten pricey, but they\u2019re seductive. This is a 1906 M1894 Saddle Ring Carbine in .25-35, original except the saddle ring was missing (and has been replaced). I carry it on at least a couple of outings every deer season.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Since most vintage\nbolt-actions are right-handed, most of my buying, selling, and swapping of older\nrifles has been lever-actions which, depending on make, are at least almost<\/em>\nambidextrous. Note that if it ejects to the right it has the same slight safety\nissue for left-handed use as any other right-hand-ejection firearm. But\nlever-actions are at least ambidextrous in operation, they\u2019re fun, millions\nwere made, and there are lots of them on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"That\u2019s<\/a>
That\u2019s a Winchester M71 in .348 with an Idaho black bear. Like most Winchester lever-actions, M71\u2019s are quickly keeping up in price. But it\u2019s a slick rifle and awesome cartridge. I\u2019ve had one or another for more than 40 years\u2026but I think I\u2019ll keep this one!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

All older rifles in top condition with low serial numbers and\/or original special features and embellishment can fetch high prices. However, perhaps because we\u2019ve all watched too many Westerns, older Winchester lever-guns tend to command higher prices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marlin and Savage lever-actions, on the other hand, are deemed not as \u201cdesirable\u201d and are often reasonably priced. Depending on your purposes, Marlin and Savage lever guns are just as good as Winchester, and in some ways better. With side-ejection, all Marlins are suitable for scope mounting. Likewise, all Savage 99s, with the added advantage that the Savage rotary (or later box) magazine can utilize sharp-pointed, aerodynamic bullets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"There<\/a>
There are Savage collectors, of course, but the Savage 99, with nearly a million made, hasn\u2019t seen great inflation on the market, yet it\u2019s one of the best of all lever-actions. Top is an 1899 .250 Savage; bottom, a common Savage 99 in .300 Savage with vintage Redfield. Neither were expensive, and both are perfectly viable hunting rifles.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a>
A bad weekend for Texas hogs. I\u2019m flanked by John Stucker and Doug Mangham, with an eclectic arsenal. John used his Sabatti .450\/.400 double, I used a .257 Roberts, and Doug carried well-used Marlin 336 .30-30 that he bought for a song. The right-hand-eject Marlin is a marvelous rifle and, with millions made, very affordable on the used-gun market.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In indulging my fetish for older rifles, in recent years I\u2019ve picked up (and probably paid too much for!) a couple of older Winchesters. In the same period, I\u2019ve purchased several very serviceable Savage 99s and Marlins, usually at less than half the cost of Winchester lever-actions of similar vintage and condition! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although they\u2019re not my \u201cthing,\u201d friends have had equal fun buying and swapping older slide-actions and semiautos, which have also generally escaped the inflation of the serious collectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Jason<\/a>
Jason Marsh used a well-used Marlin 336 in .30-30 to take this Alaskan black bear. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"With<\/a>
With millions made, vintage Marlins are solid bargains and, unlike older top-eject Winchesters, side-eject Marlins are ideally suited for scope mounting <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s just one thing:\nRegardless of make, model, or action type, a used rifle is a bit like Forrest\nGump\u2019s box of chocolates: You never know exactly what you\u2019re getting. There are\nalways reasons why a person sells a perfectly serviceable rifle, and they\naren\u2019t always lack of funds or space. There may be hidden reasons why it seems such\na good deal! Inspection periods are useful, but not always practical. Reality:\nYou won\u2019t always know what you\u2019re dealing with until you get to the range. Most\nproblems can be fixed. A gorgeous old Westley-Richards .318 Mauser had a worn\nextractor, simple fix. Broken springs and even sights can be replaced, though\nnot always with originals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Using<\/a>
Using vintage rifles is fun! This big boar dropped to a single 100-grain Interlock from a century-old Savage 1899 .250-3000. At this time I didn\u2019t yet know the rifling twist was too slow to stabilize longer bullets!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Right now, I\u2019ve got a vexing problem I\u2019m not sure how to deal with. I bought a lovely Savage 1899 .250-3000<\/a> from a friend\u2019s widow. Shoots great with 100-grain lead-core bullets, but I wanted to use it on California hogs, where unleaded bullets are required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"When<\/a>
When you see a target like this with keyholing bullets you know you\u2019re in trouble! It can be a shot-out barrel, but in this case my 1899 .250 Savage had a slow 1:14 twist unable to stabilize the longer bullets in common use today.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They tumble out the muzzle, scattering sideways into the target. I feared the bore was shot out, and then I was reminded: Early .250 Savage<\/a> rifles had a slow 1:14 twist, intended for the initial 87-grain load. Copper bullets are longer. That twist won\u2019t stabilize them and they keyhole. Rebarreling with a faster twist is really the only option. Replacing a worn barrel is not expensive, and always an option with older rifles\u2026but you have to weigh the disadvantage of destroying the original condition. This rifle, with tang-mounted flip-up factory aperture and the barrel tightly bedded in a slim fore-end, is not a candidate for simple rebarreling. So, I opened the box of chocolates and this one wasn\u2019t the flavor I expected. But it\u2019s still a \u201ckeeper.\u201d I just won\u2019t be able to use the bullets I intended to use!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"For<\/a>
For folks (like me) who are fascinated by such things, older rifles commonly carry features not seen today. This is my Savage 1899 \u201c.250-3000 Rifle,\u201d, built in the late \u2018teens and offered only with this incredibly cool flip-up tang-mounted aperture sight.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Wholesale<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

GUN CALIBER DICTIONARY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n