You could build extensive and fascinating collections of rifles from either continent from that period. You just have to choose a direction. Most rifles made then had very high levels of fit and finish even as designs evolved away from the classic pre-war designs, so it’s hard to go wrong in that respect.
For US rifles, I’d want bolt guns from Winchester, Remington, and Savage, lever guns from Winchester, Marlin, and Savage, and pumps from whoever you find interesting. I don’t know enough about single-shots to have an opinion.
Many European arms factories ended up building weapons for the Germans during the war so the Allies targeted and destroyed a lot of them. They didn’t make many sporting rifles after the war, but they did convert a lot of 98ks into sporters for for GIs stationed there. Designs were not standard—it was a cottage industry—and quality ran from superb down to as low as you want to go. They also built multi-barrel designs: combinations, drillings, vierlings, etc., but again I’m out of my league on that.
There’s also a LOT of crossover between US and European rifles from that time. Post-war Europe was starved for hard currency and the US wanted hunting rifles, so many European makers built rifles to export to the US. Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium was the leader, both in finished rifles and in actions supplied to Husqvarna and other makers. In fact, Roy Weatherby built his first rifles on FN actions. Some were sold as European brands, others were sold by American companies like Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Wards, etc.
In Eastern Europe, Zastava and CZ also turned out variations of the commercial 98 for decades. You could make a fascinating study of arms built behind the Iron Curtain.
In England, old-school makers like Rigby and H&H built rifles, as did newer outfits like Parker-Hale. Spain exported Santa Barbara 98 rifles and actions made in the La Coruna factory under various names. They were relatively faithful copies of the commercial FN 98 despite sometimes questionable metallurgy.
You could go a million directions.
Okie John
