This thought comes to me after the passing of Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk. He philosophized about the soul of a car. Is it the engine, the body, the dash board and steering wheel, or the heritage behind the name?

So what is the soul of the rifle? Some may believe that the soul of any rifle rests upon the shoulder of the shooter. But we have all had riles we have loved, some right out of the box and some after we have had built to our needs.

Could it be the action/receiver? It is the basis of any rifle but is it what endears us to the rifle as a whole?

The Barrel? Whether hand crafted or factory produced, barrels equal accuracy. Variables include length, contour, twist and crown.

Stock? Nothing feels better than a rifle that fits like a old worn in baseball glove.

The chambering? The .30-06 is a classic, the .375 H&H is iconic and many others have cult followings such as the .257 Robets or the .458 Lott. Does the head stamp on the brass determine the virtue of the rifle?

There could be many other things that determine the SOUL of a rifle, these are but a few. What would you consider the heart of a particular rifle?

On a custom, it would probably be the (wood) stock or action.

If rifles really had souls, I think that would come from previous owners and the hunts and memories they shared with those rifles. It would also come from a truly hand made piece, where blood sweat and tears along with precision, ingenuity and pride made that rifle what it is: Pre 64 model 70's come to mind. A lot of my rifles are over 60 years old and it's these older rifles that really speak to me. I hear them wanting to tell me stories every time I cycle the bolt or look at them. Some of the new CNC'd rifles feel "soulless to me".

I'm with BSA on this one. I have my Grandfather's M54. There isn't a spot of blue on it. The checkering is long gone. Every time I reach in the back of the safe it reminds me of sitting in the back of his 49 Chevy PU (Which I also have) hearing the hounds running a buck in Chicken Hollow.

BSA and Blacktailer, and Ray of Cartalk, nailed it. By itself, a rifle or car is just a machine, but the interaction with those who built it and later used it make it more, as this gives it a connection to human experience.

I don't think rifles come with a soul, they earn that by going over the river and back...if you come across a rifle that has so many nicks and scratches on the outside it looks like it's been dragged behind a truck and the bluing is worn thin, but it's obviously been kept clean and oiled and in good working rig...then that rifle used to be somebody's baby, and it's probably taken more game than 99% of those fancy ones on the shelf with it.(as much as I love my CZ-452, it's got a long way to go before it catches my beat up old 10/22 in the game department)

Rifles with "soul" are the ones that you hold onto for no real good reason, they'll be the last ones to go when it comes down too it...whether it makes any sense or not.

It is the thought a one man making most of the piece. My Wisner 7x57 is that for me. The banded front sight, blade, hood, sling swivel band, quarter rib, folding leaf rear sight, bottom metal, QD scope rings and base, bolt handle, grip cap.... He 33/40'd the Swede receiver and polished all internals to glass. All beautifully fitted and rust blued. All by one man from chunks of steel. I cannot imagine the hours.

Drilled it

I can't afford rifles with souls. Accuracy makes any one of mine sing, though...

Nothing has more soul than an all black rifle.

Soul Train...........

I'm soooo in this camp.

I can say with certainty that I'd take Phil Shoemaker's "Old Ugly" over anything that's been crafted from the best-of-the-best with rich wood and engraving.

That's not to say I can't appreciate the finest of things but I look at my rifles as tools and what and where I use those tools is what gives these sorts of things meaning and soul for me.

Don't confuse soul with character. Phil shoemaker's gun has more appeal due to character than soul...

Exactly

The stories the rifle can tell isn't character - it's soul.
And, I likely didn't make that clear in my initial post.

But rifles can't tell stories. Never have been able to tell stories, never will be able to tell stories.

People can tell stories and any perceived 'soul' that a rifle may have is in the man that has used it.

Fine, you win.

Point o' clarification, it was Tommy who died, not Ray.

In any case, the stories make the soul. And yes, it takes people to tell the stories, preferably in person. I acquired a 722 here on 24HCF that has wonderful character, and I'm sure it has stories to tell. But it's doubtful I'll ever hear them.

On the other hand, 3 generations before me have hunted with the G&H Mauser that great-grandad bought new from A&F in NYC. The first 2 generations left typed & bound accounts of their hunts with the rifle, some of which refer to it as, "J. Omar's .275 Rigby", even though the barrel is (clearly?) labeled, "7 m/m". And the third generation? Well, Dad still shuffles around the living room on cold winter nights, telling stories of each mount on the wall, with a gleam in his eye, and the subtle clinking of ice cubes in his bourbon and soda...

I'd say that rifle has a soul.






FC

Exactly..

It's history, I have a couple. My POS WWII 44 BCD Mauser in a Bishop stock and Redfield peep sight. My first deer rifle. I would love to know it's history. Took many many MN deer with it, went into the Navy and gave to my BIL. Two years ago he gave it back to me. It will go to my son, not worth much at all. It does have a soul however. The second is a '55 Model 70 in 300H&H willed to me, it will be passed down.

Oh, never mind, I thought "gus" came up with a new name. Carry on.

Not sure of about a soul but the post below describes it best IMHO.

twofish

Could not have said it better. Rifles do not have souls. They can only stir emotions in the user and admirers when they perform as designed and are used with skill.

I 44 -

To me the SOUL of any rifle is ACCURACY!!

The following things are important to me,
Fit and feel,
Not too heavy,
Absolute dependability,
It helps to be appealing to the eye, 'encores' need not to apply.

Above all tho is accuracy.

I believe it is the original fit and finish, the grade of wood, the polish of the metal, and the associated wear tells the story of the hands through which it passed before us, not many new rifles have the soul of the older ones, and I'm a firm believer that classic rifles from the 1870s through the 1960s have the most soul of any rifle out there.

I stand by my answer.

What is a rifle that's not accurate ?

SOLD.

RE- bedded.

RE- scoped.

RE- barreled.

Any or all of those options to get ACCURACY.
Any inaccurate rifle does NOT occupy precious space.

Who said, "Only accurate rifles are interesting" ?

the 'soul' of a rifle is in the mind of the user. nothing more.

My rifles don't have any soul.

They can't dance or jump very high, either.

toad is right. But it's not all accuracy. My Dad's old rifles aren't the accuracy (actually, precision) equivalent of some of my newer rifles, but they've got soul. And they will kill deer reliably, today, should I take them out. Maybe I will this winter...look for a coyote with them.