If you had the opportunity (and means) to acquire any famous/infamous rifle (or shotgun, I suppose) from history which would it be?

Oswald's Carcano (kinda creepy)?

Pattons Colts?

Bell's .275 Rigby?

My own choice would be this:

http://www.thegungeek.com/SGP/viewtopic.php?p=941#p494

Unique, beautiful and enough power for any enraged, charging elk or deer!

I held Tom Horn's rifle, pretty interesting.

I certainly wouldn't want Oswald's carcano hanging around.

And especially don't want some gun writer's over priced iron...

Wouldn't mind having the one that is going to shoot Bin Laden dead.

JM

JOC's .270!

JOC's number 2 270

Either .270 would do for me. Or Hemingway's '03.

Jack O'Connor's Winchester Model 70 Biesen Custom .270 Winchester

Jim Corbett's 450-400 double rifle with which he dispatched more than one maneater ...

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=72052&sid=34cc2ac4f25ab689f9e80adebad36648

Just to be different, Hank Williams Jr's 25-06 from the 1987 Gun Digest.

well, my picks,,, The Duke's 300 Roy,
Hathcock's '06
Sgt. York's 45
Teddy R's 1895

My Dad's Parker Hale 1200C in 7mm Rem Mag.

R.

My fathers' Colt 45ACP from June 6, 1944 and thereafter.
Seeing that I already have that, JOC's #1 or #2 .270Win..

I already own it..My grandfather's Winchester Model 94 in 25/35 that he bought in 1911 when he was 18 years old. It was made in 1907 and still shoots lights out...that one stays in the family...

Selby's 416 Rigby would be neat.

Mojo, I am confused. I always thought that Bell used a 7x57 Mauser for most of his elephant work. Have I been wrong? Are the 7x57 Mauser and .275 Rigby the same?

Patton's Ivory handled 3 1/2" S&W in .357 would also be a cool handgun.

I'd take JOC'S 30-06

Eleanor O'Connor's 7x57 - Czech VZ33 action, 22" barrel put together by Tom Burgess and stocked by Russ Leonard.

EK's 1st Model Newton in 256.

Any of EK's 44 Specials.

Eleanor O'Connor's 7x57.

Some of John Barsness' cast-offs.

Roy Chapman Andrews' Savage 1920, #5640, in 300 Sav.

JEff

Okay, then I'll take his custom .375 H&H....

Actually I wouldn't mind owning any of rifles used by JOC, Keith, or many of those other 'Old Timers'....

Speaking of JOC, and although it might be a little 'off topic', the below is kind of an interesting picture;

Writers at First Winchester Seminar, Nilo Farms, Illinois in January, 1960

This group is: Top Row, L to R; Bill Edwards(Guns), John Amber(Gun Digest), Pete Kuhlhoff(Argosy), Warren Page(Field&Stream), Jack O’Connor(Outdoor Life), Elmer Keith(Guns). Bottom Row, L to R; Ray Ovington(Guns&Game), Larry Koller(Guns&Hunting), Tom Siatos(Guns&Ammo), Pete Brown(Sports Afield), Jack Seville(Sports Afield).

Bet you won't find many pictures of JOC and Keith standing so close together and actually smiling......

Croldfort,

They are indeed the same. I believe I read somewhere (possibly Boddington's SR II) that Bell DID NOT use the Mauser for most of his elephants. A healthy number, for sure, (and more than I ever would!) but he didn't kill the majority of them with the Mauser. Boddington claims that the greatest number were killed with the .318 W-R. If anyone knows otherwise, please speak up.

One of Roosevelt's Springfields, or his .405's was the first thing I thought of on this thread.

Now his Holland & Holland double rifle, of course, I would probably shoot a couple of times, then auction it off and invest the millions I made at auction

One of Dober Dogs famous or is that notorious 7 Mashburn Supers.

Hold the phone, I do own one of those...

Ok ok ok so I'll take one mo, I'll take one of Melvins rigs (NULA) in my beloved Mashburn.

Dober

WDM Bell's .275 and Selby's four-one-six without a doubt.

Tom Horn's Winchester would be neat,so would Custers rolling block, Hickoks Navy colts, and John W Hardins pocket guns, but my vote would be Hathcocks 06 and the MN rifle that the round went thru the scope Russ

I got to shoot Selby's .416 a few years ago, and have been to the O'Connor museum in Lewiston and seen some of the famous rifles, including Eleanor's.

My personal choice would be Bell's 6.5x54 carbine, custom-done by Fraser of Edinburgh.

In the 21st century many "famous" rifles will have synthetic stocks, but so far I haven't sen anybody list Layne Simpson's original 7mm STW.

You just made me throw up a little in my mouth regarding the STW.

6.5x64 or x54?

Not famous but I want to inherit my great grandpa's pre-64 Supergrade 458 Win Mag that has taken leopard, cape buffalo, giraffe, hippo, tiger, elephant, and just about every other animal in Africa. Not in the best shape but that doesnt matter to me. Its got stories to tell

x54! Fixed it....

The S & W 1869 American Wyatt Earp carried at the OK Corral.



ETA: My bad. Not a rifle.

1st to mind is Tom Gilman's, self custom, Ruger #3 in .257 Roberts

First to mind was Finn Aagaard's old 375 WW Model 70, but if he did indeed have it buried with him, I could be happy with any one of his favorites...in his writings, it was often clear when he truly enjoyed a particular cartridge and rifle, usually a Mauser action...7x57s, 6.5x55s, 7-08. One in particular, I would like to hunt with was the 300WW he had made up on a Mauser. He spoke well of Model 70's and the Brno as well. All good for me. I'm easy.
One of Bob Milek's 280's might be cool as well.
2 of my all time favorite authors.

A LH Sedgley Springfield in a Savage caliber.

Major Charles Askins, Sr.'s (Col. Charley Askins, Jr.'s Dad) personal 1932 Browning Superposed 28" bbl. 12 ga, solid rib with his specified custom chokes for Desert Quail. But, I already have that one, as pictured several times in books by the Col. with the Major holding or shooting this shotgun. Maj. Askins was one of the top shotgun authorities and was the highest paid gunwriter of his time. See www.shotgunworld.com, Browning Forum and 1933 Superposed, probably by now on page 4 or 5 of that Forum. Interesting stuff about the family and some of their guns.

DF

Tim Murphys Goulcher double barrel flintlock rifle that he used at Saratoga to kill Brit General Frasier.

Keith's G&H 400 Whelen.

Lord knows I couldn't blow it up! (grins)

Jim Bridger's Hawken.

What about Daniel Boone's flintlock rifle.
Is this actually still in existance?

Lucas McCain's lever from "The Rifleman"

Don't know.

In Taos, N.M. I saw a Hawken that was supposedly used by Bridger along with one of his saddles.

Lt Col John Henry Patterson's Martini Enfield

JOC's 270, the others are interesting, but no desire to own them.

Something like one of Hunter's doubles, to take on a buffalo hunt would be kinda cool.

Something from Corbett would be really awesome!

That said, I'm perfectly happy with my dad's Win M88.

Jeff

I would like to own the rifle Timothy Murphy used at the battle of Saratoga during the Revolutionary war.

That way, the world would KNOW what rifle he actually used.

George Washington ordered a best quality Pennsylvania Rifle from all of his wages as General during the Revolutionary War.

I think that would do...

Crowkiller's percussion rifle that's at Cody would be no. 2.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Koller's Savage 1920.

Ganyana's 9.3x62 rifle

Phil Shoemaker'd "old ugly" 458 Win Mag

The muzzleloading rifle that David Crockett carried to the Alamo.

Bell recorded all of his kills and shots fired. It was a business to him, not pleasure, and he needed to record expenditures�

� He shot exactly 1,011 elephants with a series of 6 Rigby-made 7x57mm (.275 Rigby) rifles with 173 grain military ammo.
� He shot 300 elephants with a Mannlicher-Schoenauer 6.5x54mm carbine using the long 159 grain FMJ bullets.
� He shot 200 pachyderms with the .303 and the 215 grain army bullet.
� He went to a .318 Westley Richards for a while, which is a cartridge firing a 250 grain bullet at about 2400 fps, but found the ammunition unreliable and returned to the 7mm.
� He also recorded that one of the reasons why he favored the 7x57 was that the ammunition was more reliable and he could not recall ever having a fault with it. Whereas British sporting ammunition, apart from the .303 military ammo, gave him endless trouble with splitting cases.( He used the .303 in the hope of running into a Herd of Bulls so he could make use of the 10shots ! He was famed for using a Martini in .303 & holding the spare rounds between his fingers & could fire the rifle as fast as a bolt action !)
� The balance of his elephants were shot with this .318 and his .450/400 Jeffrey double rifle.
� He wrote about being able to drop an elephant with a light caliber rifle if he shot it in the same place that he would have shot it with a heavy rifle.
� It was unmentioned, but understood, that 7x57 ammunition cost a tenth the price of large caliber .450/400 Jeffrey cartridges and money is always a factor in business.
Just out of interest, it is must to be mention that to judge ammunition expenditure and his own shooting, he calculated an average. He discovered that with the .275 (7x57mm) he fired an average of 1.5 shots per kill. This means that half the time he only needed one shot. That is a fair performance for such a large number of elephants killed and considering that it is common today to fire an insurance shot, anyway. Seemingly a business man of a Hunter with a profit & loss acumen.

As for an infamous gun, I'd take the 6.5 Carcano Oswald used to kill Kennedy.

Ross Seyfried's .340 Champlain

JB's .338 Mr. Miserable (just layin' around wastin' away!)

TR's Springfield 1903 he took on the great 1909 Safarl

Bell's .275 Rigby

Paul Mauser's Model 1888 sporting rifle

Steve Timm's .280 Ackley

I have a .340 Wby that belonged to John Barsness

A G&H 03 Springfield 35 Whelen and a G&H Mauser 9.3x62.

Audie Murphy's M1. Failing that, Harvey Donaldson's first .219 Wasp. Third choice would be Nash Buckingham's Bo Whoop.

Hathcock's Model 70 30-06

�Somebody� fired at shot at Lexington in 1775 that started a revolution� I want that rifle.

I don't think that the rifles themselves were famous but since I used to really enjoy their writing there are two that would make my list. Erwin Bauer's 243 and his use of it on deer, back when it was considered too small, would be one. His writing inspired me to purchase and find out for myself that you can really get it done with that small cartridge. Jim Carmichel was IMHO another great gunwriter and he loved the 280, even though the public seemed to have no love for it, so one of his 280's would be something special to me. Because of my love of hunting and guns ALL of my fathers, grandfathers, wife's father, and wife's grandfathers guns are now in my possession. They are all special to me and are earning a place in my grandsons heart.

+1.

T.R.`s Win.95 405 WCF
Crowkiller Johnson`s Hawken and Bowie
My late Fathers Garand from IWO JIMA.

Bobby Lee Swaggert's 50

macabre, but Vasily Zaytsev's Mosin

Ross Seyfrieds 585 Nyati, I have held it and its spectacular!
Second choice would be Elmer Keiths .333 O.K.H.

MO2AZ,

Finn Aagaard did not have his .375 Model 70 buried with him. His wife Berit has used it considerably on buffalo hunts in the past couple of years.

I got to shoot it a number of times down in Texas about 3-4 years ago, thanks to Berit. We shot it at a "charging buffalo" moving target, and it acted like a trained rifle!
Very slick action and with the 2.5x Weaver it was easy to hit the right spot.

I saw that rifle on display in Prague in 1978. It was a travelling exhibit. It was a plain jane Mosin Nagant sniper with a miniscule scope and a side mount. The rifle looked like any other milsurp sniper with dings in the wood and little bluing left. The photos of him were a seaasoned young man uncomfortable being photo graphed. Back here in North America he would have been a farm boy doing his duty.

My uncle Mac's FN Hi Power accompanied him five years during WWII, and his son owns it now. It is where it belongs. I am a bit odd I guess but do not have a desire to own a particular rifle because of its famous history.

My brother and I own Dad's rifles, and our kids and grand kids will inherit them.

I think I kind of agree with that... When first I saw this thread, I thought of all the fine rifles I've read about, TR's Big Medicine, JOC's .270's, Any of Elmer's big bores...

Then I thought: "What would I do with them if I had them...." Likely any of them would just sit in one of the safes like dozens of others... I have my own .405 "Big Medicine", more .270's and 7x57's than I'll ever use... And yes, I have my share of big bores, as well... I think some of them would make Elmer proud... More than any of the guns, I'd much rather share a pot of coffee and an afternoon of conversation with any of the above...

I've done that with one retired writer, and I have one of his custom rifles that I purchased from him. That is one day that stands out as one of the highlights of my life. Perhaps the time will come I can do that again... I'd cherish that...

GH

Wooters, Sako mannlicher carbine 308
Elmer's 44 Mag S&W that he used on his infamous 600 yard running elk!

John-
Thanks for that info on Finn's 375. I have been curious about it since I heard of his passing years back. I use the familiar since as I read his works, I felt the telling was as from an old knowledgible friend. That "trained" aspect is part of what makes me like "experienced" rifles so much.

OK....let's see,
1.Bells .275 Rigby
2.Elmers Hoffman .400 Whelen
3.Jack O'Connors Model 70 .270 ( either one )
4 Bob Bells 1911A1 that he carried in WW2 or his 2nd .338 called Old Ugly
5.Fred Wells old Mauser '98 .375 H&H named The Beast
I'm sure there's at least a hundred more that I could think of given the time.

F.C. Selous .375 Holland Rifle

John Wayne's big loop lever.

Audie Murphy's Thompson..

One of the Remington boltguns fired by Carlos Hathcock.

Swamp, are you sure Carlos wasn't using a M-70?

DF

Ahem...

He also shot some M40 Remingtons.

You can't even spell his name right..

No, Johnny, I think hes got it right..Hatcock shot Remingtons, Hathcock shot a M70....

Carlos gave that rifle to me. I'm putting it in the classified later on this evening if your're interested. I'll be offering layaway terms for all interested parties.

If your going to talk about a man of this caliber, at least get his last name right,

Carlos Hathcock

All the books I have read of Mr. Hathcock tell of a Winchester M70.

(you guys type really fast)

Mawhinney is the one that used a 700.......not Hathcock

�Remington really went out of their way to help put this together. They created the stock with the cheekpiece on it; they never had this heavy a barrel in this stock. We had the scopes sent in from Redfield. Remington mounted them, tested them, and they were put in a specific case and shipped to Vietnam or to Quantico.� This was the rifle used by Carlos Hathcock in his second tour of duty.

Since Hathcock was in the Corps for years after he left Vietnam & training young snipers I feel sure he fired an M40 at some point. I'd like to own one that was fired by him.

M7300SUAM I believe that Carmichel is selling off a large part of his collection via auction. You may be able to score one.

Oh and there are so many historic guns Davy Crockett's Betsey and Daniel Boone's Ticklikker, but I would like to have either Teddy Rosevelts 405 Winchester 95 or maybe Wyatt Earps Buntline.

Hathcock used a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H during his second tour.

Did not...

....with a Zeiss Conquest

You guys are too funny!
Randy

Trashco....blister packed...

Redfield 3-9X40 which he said were junk.

He later switched to a Leupold 6x42 with a turret.

Roy, I think your thinking of Lewis and Clark..

dotz....

I would just like a nice condition WWII era M1

I stand corrected. They invented Diamand Coat.

FFII with BP

But of course....

This one is probably not the Caliber of Famous that you guys are looking for but this is one I would like to have.

Quigley's Sharpes

I met a guy that had one of the ones that they made for the movie it had property of the production company stamped into the barrel. it was very heavy and long. and the guy would not let anyone shoot it but himself he pissed a lot of the seasoned shooters off.

I was just getting into black powder and realy did not know at the time what a special rifle that it really was.

either doc holidays revolver or wyatt earps .44 cal Schofield

Pistol- Chesty Pullers 1911

Shotgun- Ernest Hemmingways Boss

Rifle- Not famous but, B. Searcy Field Grade .470NE

How about Charles Whitman's 6mm......that's a proven "killer".

The gun I'd like the most is my Dad's Mossberg 500 20ga. I remember how happy he was with that gun. He got good enough to be able to take a limit of doves in less than a box of shells. I 'bird-dogged' many a day for him and that shotgun. I even watched him drop a bird and catch it before hitting the ground. My brother has it, but doesn't hunt much...

As far as guns from writers, Shoemakers 458 Win, Barsness mauser 338 Win, and Page's 7mm Mag would do it for me.

One of Swampy's Remington 700s. That would be.........THE BEST IN THE WORLD!

Ernie

Famous rifle....TR's Big Medicine...his .405 Winchester 95 that is in the Cody Museum.

Infamous rifle....Bonnie&Clydes Monitor that is in the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. They had several BARs but also had one stolen Monitor that is a shortened version of the BAR....

Bob

[quote=TexasRick]How about Charles Whitman's 6mm......that's a proven "killer". [/quot

is this aimed at me? Why would I want whitman's rifle? I posted my three choices and they aren't changing.

I am pretty sure Chesty's 1911 has a few kills, Hemmingway's is a sad story but the gun is well a "BOSS" so enough said there. That leaves the B. Searcy Field Grade in .470NE I am sure I can make it a proven killer.

I'd like to have the Vickers machine gun my grandfather used at the Somme and Ypres in World War I while he was in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

I wouldn't shoot it of course, I just want it as a family memento!



John

TR's Holland & Holland double I think it was a 450 No.2
OR
Rbt. Chatfield Taylor's Brownell M70 270 Win
OR
Herb Klein's 257 Wby

OR all three of them

I owned it.....you had to remind me.....

I was offered the G&H 7x57 as well.....what was I thinking?

I'd like any old German drilling owned by the one and only John Barsness.

Could "settle" for one of his SxS shotguns.

Dan Daly's rifles...

1900 Boxer Rebelliion rifle(1895 Lee straight pull, possably a Krag-Jorgensen) 1st MOH.

1915 Banana Wars 1903 Springfield, 2nd MOH.

1918 Belleau Wood 1903 Springfield, Navy Cross.

The one that shoots Swampy.

I would just like two Nulas!

JOC's .244 or .25/06 Mauser.

Herb Parson's Winchester 61.

I was in IL back in the early 90's. I met an older gentleman in his home that was a Medal-Of-Honor winner from the Pacific in WWII. He was kind enough to let me view his MOA and to allow me to hold his Johnson rifle that he carried during his service. It was presented to him at the cerramonies.

It would be nice to own firearms from famous people and movie stars, but that particular Johnson would be pretty cool also.

hotsoup, FWIW, I once read that Bell was not too concerned with a quick kill. If the elephant died 3 days later, he still got paid. I cannot verify this.

I would like to wish for a .470 Holland & Holland double gun but that would be stricly a wish and unless I won the lottery, it would never happen no doubt.

Swampman..........Now Remington may have put that rifle together with the Redfield scope on top but Sgt. Carlos Hathcock never used it in Viet Nam. He used a model 70 Winchester in the 30-06 and in case you don't know, a model 70 Winchester rifle in the .300 Win mag caliber. He liked the 30-06 better by the way.

Teddy's 405 big medicine would tough to pass........

Tonk it is great to aim high. I would settle with great happiness on the B. Searcy .470. But if you should win the lottery hook yourself up brother just let me come along on your hunt with it. I will film for you.

I do have a Savage 99 300 that belonged to the famous John Barsness. I guess that will have to do...........

Francis Macomber's '03 .30-06. Or his wife's 6.5 Mannlicher.

I think he was holding that when he was standing on the wall with Bowie and said "we ain't doin' no landscaping today are we?!".

I'd like to own one from a modern day legend.....Big Stick! He seems to know his chitt so I know that it would be a shooter and what a conversation piece to tell stories around the range and hunting campfires! I couldn't afford to buy one so he'd have to give it to me. I'd thank him later. grins

my Grandpa's SxS, my uncle however backdoored everyone on it years ago and the SOB don't even hunt or shoot! [bleep] i better not head down that road, it'll just get me all worked up again.

i don't care who owned them but i would love to have either a nice (like there were any bad ones?) Win 52 sporter, Ruger No1 in 7-08, or a fine win model 21.

How about Jeff Cooper's Lion Scout?
[img:left]http://www.jeffcooperfoundation.org/news/mediagallery/media.php?f=1&s=20080312145745152[/img]

Or Baby, his short, stout, iron-sighted 460 G&A?
[img:left]http://www.jeffcooperfoundation.org...p?f=0&sort=0&s=20080312145715941[/img]

Sir Samuel Baker's Baby would something (2ish bore), firing that 1/2 lb explosive shell and all.

Handguns? Maybe Jim Cirillo's S&W Model 10, or Bill Jordan's Model 19.

Billy Dixon's "Big 50" from the second battle of Adobe Wells.

Ahhh... "Skitini". Karamoja Bell's .275 Rigby would be nice too.

My great-grandfather's 1892 44-40 that was stolen from my Aunt's house after my Uncle passed.

The Broomhandle with the long barrel and stock/holster that fell at my Great Uncle's feet when his buddy was quicker than the original owner and my GU was the guinea pig! He sold it outside the family as it brought back too many bad memories and he had no interest in seeing it again.

Any of the old Sedgley's or BRNO 7x57.

Lee24's 375 H&H..

That one is EXTREMELY rare, and so no doubt very valuable.

MontanaCreekHunter,

You should pick up a copy of the recently published Shooting Sportsman Book HEMINGWAY'S GUNS, which is very well researched. The authors (there are 3!) pretty much prove that Hemingway killed himself with his W. & C. Scott & Son Monte Carlo B live-pigeon gun--and that he probably never owned a Boss. It is very interesting reading.

Elmer Keith's 400 Whelen would be pretty cool.

Any M-1 Garand that went ashore at Omaha or Utah on Tuesday, June 6, 1944.

Teddy's 405 win

I've gotta say, y'all have come up with some good choices! A few of mine, in no particular order are:

John Wayne's big loop 92
Jimmy Stewart's 1 in 1000 73
Lucas McCain's sawed off 92
Teddy's 405 95
Anything George Washington carried
One of J O'Conner's 270s

Hmmmm, 4 Winchester levers, and the only 2 leverguns I own are Marlins?

Johnnie B's 300H&H.......

Burns makes a forth chambering now ?

If he did, that would still be 2 chamberings more than a 20K + David Miller Marksman is available in.

One of these days I'm going to own a JB (mule deer) rifle . I've been thinking about it lately and yeah, that would do.

I would like to own the Mexican Mauser that Karnis owns.

BlasTech EE-3 Blaster Rifle, ala Boba Fett... ;P

...you never said it had to be REAL-LIFE history, and Star Wars played a very key part of the Gen-X's history, did it not?

#1) My dad's Garrand he carried in the Battle of the Bulge and afterward. He remembered his s/n until his Alzhiemers started winning the battle. I was fortunate enough to obtain a safe queen Garrand that is < 100,000 difference in s/n's so I am happy as a puppy with two peters.

#2) Anything at all Jack O'Connor touched...he's my hero. Shoot, I'd take a fired shell casing of his and be happy!

I own it................

I'll call you when it comes up for sale...which one?

The one in the article......NICE!