Indians For Guns

I am quite a fan of military type rifles especially would like to collect and shoot as many of them. Personally am a big fan of several of them, and would at some point like to own as many of them as possible.
My list of favourites:
The K98 platform: Absolute reliability and excellent accuracy as far as these types of rifles go. The 8mm cartridge is very potent, and has very consistent ballistics.
K-31: Dont have one, but this is probably one of the most accurate military rifles ever produced.
SMLE: Not a fan of it. I understand the appeal et al. Does nothing for me.
Garand M1A: Had an original Springfield Armoury example, on my dad's license. Immaculate, and was great fun to shoot. It is about the only rifle I would want in .30-06.
M1 Carbine: Easy to shoot, and fun.
AK-47 and variants: Would some day love a Veper, in the meantime I am happy with the Vz-58. At some point will get a 47. I only like them in 7.62x39. Have no interest in owning one in any other caliber.
Mosin: If I come across one with the tiger stripe wood, might buy it. I know Simo Haya did create absolute chaos with one, but I still am not sold.
MP-40: Would seriously consider an original and jump through the hoops to get one, if possible. Anyone who read commando comics would want one. However a semi-conversion is not possible on it. There is a company that does make a semi clone. But at 3K Euro's is a bit stiff.
Stg-44: Look it up. And see above. This is the rifle that has been the inspiration for both the Ak and the STGW 57. Ultra cool. Too bad it is auto only.
M-14: No interest. Much rather have a Garand.
Galil: Like but not enough to own one.
Uzi: Great fun to shoot. Accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, but it is fun. On my list.
STGW-57: Probably the most over-engineered and accurate assault rifle ever built. I was at one point the most expensive military rifle in use. Should have mine in a couple of months.
FAL: Have used the SLR, never again. Didnt like it twenty years ago, dont like it today
M-16: What's there to like?
Styer Aug: Have used one... coool looking. Not much beyond that.
FAMAS: You're joking right?
DSR-1: I need to win the lottery first.
Dragunov/Tigr and clones: Bad ergonomics. Not comfortable for me.
PSG-2: Would love one. Not legal to own.
INSAS: Not a bad paper wieght. Actually bad even as that.
MP-5: The real thing... point me in the direction of the SD-5. Which is the integrally suppressed version. Am saving my pennies for one. Next year if I get a bonus.
Thompson: Shoot one and you will know why I dont want one.
Hakim: Joking right?


What about you?

mine is
105
105
105
105
88
88
66
66
.50
308 AI
remi 3006

in that order.

I will add G3 to M1 Carbine, SMLE

best

MoA: I like your thread! Just to add a little of my own 2¢:

The K98 platform:

Good military rifle and great sporting rifle. Mine is a Radom wz 29. I like it a lot for the White Eagle crest. For a 98 action, it is one of the best, with perfect heat treatment. What I'm not so keen about is that, as a milsurp, it kicks like a mule. The stock is, like all the 98s I've had much to do with, very short. Also, the "V" sight and inverted "V" front sight are not too easy on my eyes. So when time for a trip to the range comes, it seems to stay in the safe.

K-31: Dont have one

Me either, and about the time they came on the market here in numbers, I lost my job. The earlier ones have wonderful looking walnut stocks, but I'm told that if one gets it to compete with, get the ugly blonde beech stocked version, which is heavier and more accurate. No doubt about the workmanship. It's like a Swiss watch.

SMLE

When it comes to ugly, the SMLE is, but after one gets to liking it, it's ugly like a moose: when the aesthetics are judged from a functional point of view, it's beautiful. I still think it was the best bolt action battle rifle. Sporting writers went on about how anything that locked at the back of the action had to be bad, but the rifle wasn't designed for their teacup tastes. It was designed to be a superb killing machine on the battlefield and I think it was the best of the bunch. I'm not completely impervious to the allure of aesthetics, however, and the Asoka stamped on mine made the decision: I HAD to have it!

AK-47 and variants

Mine's the NHM91, an attempt to make a civilian look-alike of the RPK. Really, it's just a Chinese semi-auto version of an AK with a 20" barrel and a totally useless bipod. It's OK -- I like mine. I don't bother with AK vs M16 comparisons because I've never been in battle and therefore can't offer even a semi-educated opinion of either for that purpose. I like mine, I had to have one, now I do, and it's OK, but not tremendous.

Mosin

Of course, I'm a fan. I think that the Arctic Birch stock on my M39 is quite attractive. The Finn-modified trigger is pretty smooth. It's quite accurate. It also has a properly sized stock for someone my size, which is most appreciated. I love to shoot it. I also have 4 M91 barreled actions that I want to do various projects with -- some day. Anyway, the actions are very simple and easy to take down, and the ones that were finished well are quite smooth to operate. I'm not crazy about the short bolt handle, but other than that, I'll sign up for Mosins any day of the week!

FAL

I would like one because I'm a disciple of John M Browning and believe in planar design.

M-16: What's there to like?

Eh -- I'm not sold on them, either.

Styer Aug: Have used one... coool looking. Not much beyond that.

If whoever buys one likes it, good. I can pass, as well.

Thompson: Shoot one and you will know why I dont want one.

I would like one because it's what my Dad carried in WW2. Other than that, I don't think that they were a particularly good design. I really don't believe in the theory of the Blish System and feel that they are nothing more than a blowback system with someone's name attached.

Also:

1903 Springfield: I don't think that the design was as good as the M98. Wags said that all of the things the Army copied were the things that worked and the things they modified to evade patent infringement didn't work (but of course, the US still had to pay Mauser royalties, anyway), and I'd pretty much agree. However, I still like the streamlined bolt stop that incorporated a magazine cutoff. The cutoff wasn't a very useful battlefield provision, but the way it's incorporated in the Springfield is quite elegant. A Springfield, especially a double heat treat version, is quite smooth. They bed better than a M98 and thus will keep accuracy better. I don't think that the cone breaching (copied for the M54 and M70 Winchester) is any kind of improvement over the M98 and take a dim view of it, although the action is more than strong enough as it is. The gas protection is poor compared to an M98, which I can personally attest to. But none the less, I still like the 1903 Springfield a lot.

SKS: I like mine! I like it a lot better than the NHM91. I guess it's the Browning disciple coming out in me. But the SKS is very pleasant to shoot, I think. It may not make the full auto buff happy, but I don't care about that at all. It's simply a great bunch of fun!

SVT 40: I want one! I know that they have a wandering zero problem -- then again, they didn't have the development advantage of the Garand, either. But I do like the tipping block planar action better than the rotary bolt of the Garand. That's enough reason for me.

Berthier: I came across one of those neat Mannlicher-style stocked Turkish Forestry Rifles at the same time I almost bought a K31, but didn't have the money. I'd have taken the Berthier over the K31, only because it was so slim and trim. I still want one!

Krag: I had one and got rid of it. I still kick myself. They are a wonderfully slick action, the only thing US made that I know of that can approach (I said, "Approach," not equal!) a M-S in slick smoothness. the .30-40 will do whatever kind of hunting I'd care to do. It's accurate. Yes, there were faults -- the heat treating, like the early Springfield, made for brittleness. However, it also makes for a very slick action and there's nothing wrong with a Krag, as far as I'm concerned.

Another one that comes to mind is the Jap Arisaka 7.7. Great rifle, unfortunately rare as hens teeth in Europe.

The bertiher or we know it the Lebel, was and is a pita to use, load for and just about everything else. Dont really care for the MAS 36/56. The Lebel is a very wierd cartridge design.

timmy and Moa

Pictures please...

timmy would like to see your Ishapore..BTW how do these rifles handle..

Best

I was at an airshow in the Twin Cities several years ago and there were some reenactors in Wehrmacht uniforms. One of them had a Sturmgewehr (StG 44) that he let me fondle. Bliss! While it was big and heavy, it was a joy just to hold such a venerable piece of equipment. No idea how it shoots. It was big and heavy though .

The Smelly? It brings back fond memories of my NCC days. Big and heavy (for a 13 year old kid then) but a joy to shoot. When I was in college in Wisconsin, I picked up a Savage made No. 4 Mk 1 for $50. I lovingly steamed the dents out of the wood and refinished the stock. One of the slickest and fastest operating bolt actions that I have ever used. Sadly it was stolen several years later.

AR types, not so much of a .223 fan, though I wouldn't mind a scaled down one in .22 LR. Lots of places to hang accessories and it looks good. Been seriously contemplating the S&W M&P15-22. Hard to justify though, as I already have a 10-22 that does everything I want to do with it.

Garand, would love one.
SKS, didn't mind shooting it but they're not noted for accuracy.
K31, really tempted if ammo were more readily available.

ngrewal wrote:timmy and Moa

Pictures please...

timmy would like to see your Ishapore..BTW how do these rifles handle..

Best

I wish I owned all these weapons to give you pics.

Mauser type: Here is a Vz 24 on the right. On the left is the SHR 970 which is also used by the Swiss as a sniper rifle.




Ak Type: Vz 58



Will dig around the web for more pics.

I hope to get to some long gun pictures soon. I've done the handguns, and will try to get some long gun pics taken and posted as per your request, navi

Tim

Thanks

MoA

This VZ58 is CZech made how different are its innards from AK 47? I think Indian armed forces has been purchasing AKs either from these folks or Romanians not sure . Czechs these guys are probably born gun smiths or engineers Bren gun, CZ pistols and its believed that the VZ 24 is of very high quality some ehat different from the Mauser. Another well known export to India is Czeh model Yana Gupta no wonder an acquaintance of mine is spending so much time there turning around a factory there LOL..

Best

The internals of Yana Gupta are completely different from the AK-47. Hell I would trade the Vz-58 for a Yana.

Simillarly the Vz looks like an AK, but is different. No interchangeable parts. It is a much simpler rifle. And in a manner of speaking more robust. Unfortunately it doesnt handle like a Yanna, not that I have handled Yana, sure would like to though.

More seriously the Cz 75 is probably the AK of pistols.

MoA wrote:The internals of Yana Gupta are completely different from the AK-47. Hell I would trade the Vz-58 for a Yana.

Simillarly the Vz looks like an AK, but is different. No interchangeable parts. It is a much simpler rifle. And in a manner of speaking more robust. Unfortunately it doesnt handle like a Yanna, not that I have handled Yana, sure would like to though.

More seriously the Cz 75 is probably the AK of pistols.

Nice one MoA

Cheers

MoA wrote:Hell I would trade the Vz-58 for a Yana.

Just remember to check that the guy getting that rifle is not her husband.You may end up getting more than you bargained for.

Best-
Vikram

For Navi:

Navi, it's going to be some time before I get a chance to do some proper pics. I feel guilty because I've been promising and promising pics of my long guns, but have never delivered. So I dug up some pics of most of them from when my grandkids came over. However, there's no pic of the RFI 2A in here -- sorry, I'll get to it. This is the best I can do for now:



Against the basket, you can see 3 barreled M91 Mosin Nagant actions. Just under my grandson's underarm, you can see a glimpse of the RFI 2A. Then, on the bed, is an M91 Mosin Nagant in a cheap plastic ATI stock, My Polish Radom wz 29 (Mauser M98 type, in 8x57), M39 Finnish Mosin Nagant, NHM 91 (7.62x39) with Choate stock, and SKS.



This is starting from the other side of the bed: A small boy's model .410 shotgun (Eastern Arms), a Sears & Roebuck version of a Stevens 520 16 ga pump, which I bought for $10, sawed off to 18", and put a new buttstock on, An LC Smith Field Grade 12 ga double, my Marlin 39 .22, a Cabela's .58 muzzle loader with a Leupold Gilmore red dot sight, my Ruger #1 in .270 with a Weaver 12x AO scope, the SKS paratrooper (a cut down Chinese model that was imported here a number of years back -- 16" barrel), the NHM 91, the Finnish M39, and a part of the Radom.



Same as #2.

I've posted the handguns awhile back, so this should bring me up to date a little until I can take some proper pics for you.

here are some from my other side