Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 1920's 30-06 hunting rifle

Let's say it's the mid 1920's and your looking for a new 30-06 hunting rifle. What would you choose. The rifle is to use iron sights only, no scope. Some of the choices are the NRA Sprinfield Sporter, Remington Model 30, Winchester Model 54 and a comercial Mauser Sporter. What would you choose? I would probably go with the NRA Springfield Sporter.

For me it would be a either a Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1924 or an Oberndorf Type A. The M-S just fits me so well, and the thing is just slick. I also really like the factory sights - especially the front bead which my eyes just happen to "like". The Oberndorf? Well....I just like them! If I had to choose one though, I'd say the M-S would get the nod.

A mauser would be cool, but likely unreachable for a commoner like me. The Springfield never greatly excited me. I'd go with a Remington Model 30 carbine and a Redfield reciever sight. That or a Savage 99 .300 which would give me the same ballistics at the time.

Looking back in time, knowing what they'd be worth today, I'd pick a deluxe Oberndorf Mauser sporter.

DF

A Springfield. The NRA sporters bring good money today, as well.

As much as I like the Mauser sproters, in the 1920's nationalism was running pretty high and our best gunmakers like Wundhammer, G&H, Sedgley, Owens, Linden and Niedner were turning out superb work. It's likely I would have chosen something like this 1903 Spfld built by Adolph Minar

I've lived in ignorance. Suddenly Springfields greatly excite me!

Phil, that rifle is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing that picture. It is exactly the type of rifle I would love to have, then or now. Of course, I would want a custom 404 Jeffery with a 26" barrel on an M1917 action and a Springfield M1922 in 22lr to round out the battery.

Thanks for posting that. It's not every day one gets to see a Minar Springfield.

Custom '03s aside (sticking with the original premise), I would opt for the NRA Sporter with its Lyman 48. The Winchester M54 with a Lyman receiver sight would be a sore temptation though. Never cared much for the Remington M30's.

There is no doubt that the "best" example is the Mauser sporter.....it is still the "best" today. The Winchester and Springfield offerings (as well as the Reminigton monstrosity) were pretend, want-to-be Mausers anyway.

However, given the time (1920), I'd quite likely go with the Savage 99 in .300 Savage. It was a better looking. better working rifle and the balistics of the .300 Savage was at least as good as anything availabe in a bolt action rifle.

I always enjoy seeing photos of Phil's rifles. He has great taste in good stuff and a healthy sampling of top examples.

DF

Ya could've had a Savage M1920 in 300 Savage, as well. Or a Winchester M1895, if we're stuck on the 30-06?

I'd settle for anything mentioned thus far. I love old rifles much more than what passes for "classic" firearms these days.

There were other nice rifles of the time that are still usefull today.
When my son and I flew out to go black bear hunting a couple years ago we took three rifles. He is a M-99 fan.

I have a Savage M1920 in .300, and it's a sweetheart, as is any Savage lever gun in .300 too. But the thing is if this rifle were for a one gun man (shudder at the thought), the '06 back then represented much more versatility if he were a handloader (especially if cast bullets were thrown into the mix) than the .300- much the same as today. If factory ammo was the only option for the 1920's rifleman, then not so much difference. The M1920 is an extremely user friendly rifle. (Which reminds me, I need to bloody it one of these days!)

That is cool. I'm in my late 30's (read almost 40) and have gone through the stage of "I want the sexy, black, tacticool, blah, blah...". However, the past few years I have come full circle and have fallen in love with good ol' walnut and blued steel once again. I traded off a romanian AK for a tang safety, red butt pad ruger 77 in 30-06 with beautiful but simple walnut. I love the rifle. Most people don't get it.

These days, I'm infatuated with old sporters. Hence why I love this pic! Thanks again for posting it.

You preaching to the choir, here...

We get it...

DF

Nice Phil!

Don't forget about the 1917 Enfield or even an Winchester 1895.
Not in 06 but a Remington model 8 in 35 rem, Standard Arms model G 35 rem, a Savage 1899 303 sav, or a good old Krag rifle.

Phil,

I think I'd seen a photo of that Lee-Enfield sporter before.

What's the "rest of the story" on it?

DF

Winchester 1895 in .30-06 would have been my choice.

It is hard to beat an 06 --- even the Germans had to admit that




and that was before the Garand was developed