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

In the immortal words of the Grand Poohbah, you SUCK!

I would go with a Griffin and Howe! The were first rate gun makers 88 years ago and they still are. Thou I would take a Sedgley in a second. I think the likes of Mel Forbes NULA Model 24's will be looked at as pretty choice in another 80 years or so. The 30-06 will still be going strong, new powders and better bullets, and with luck our great grand kids will have plenty of game to shoot.

We need a "show and tell" thread just for Phil to show off some toys.

Would a Winchester 1895 qualify.

+1

Ok since I'm a m1917 kinda guy, I'd have to say 30 express (given those choices)..

A Griffin & Howe Springfield sporter. I'd love to have one of those and back in that day when they were more affordable I imagine I would have.

Winchester 1895 in .30-06

I guess I would pick this Sedgley look- alike . Would have o replace scope with a reciever sight.
And nice looking rifle hillbillybear!

I'd get a Winchester model 54. Wait, I DID get a 54 in 30-06. Nice to know I'm ready should the 1920's return. :P

[quote=DeerHunterIA]I'd get a Winchester model 54. Wait, I DID get a 54 in 30-06. Nice to know I'm ready should the 1920's return. :P[/quot
Winchester . A1 +

Well, the only one I am really familiar with is the Remington 30 'cuz I chanced onto one a few years back. Redfield peep sight. It has been shortened and then spacers added to the stock with a rubbeer recoil pad. Other than that, it is just the way it was in 23. Wish I could talk to this thing.

It would not have been a 30-06, rather the little 8x57 Erfurt on the right, I hoped.

Of the guns mentioned the Springfields are the ones still with me. I've used and owned sporterized Springfields with scopes and Lyman or Redfield equipped peeps for a long time. A genuine Springfied Sporter has always been the unattainable grail gun for me. Can't really put my finger on 1 particular reason for my fondness for Springfields,but it may well because they aren't labled 30-06,30 Gov't,Cal 30 or any other designation,nothing. That's because they are from a time frame when men knew what they were looking at and handling. Without anything else but the Springfield name which stood for 30-06, everybody knew that. Magnum Man

Although they had been discontinuedfor about a half-dozen years, I'd seek out a new Newton from about 1916 in 30-06, produced when the rifles were carefully inspected before being shipped. It would have a bolt peep, and the barrel-mounted rear sight would have the two leaves that both folded down. The rifling was designed by Harry Pope, resembling current 5-R types. Ross Seyfried thought the early Newton double trigger was the best he'd ever worked with.

I've hunted with one of these for the last three years.

(The image below is not my rifle; it's from gunsamerica, edited a bit.)

--Bob

Very nice older rifles on this thread,and to me anyway a far sight more interesting than the plastic/SS variety common today,which are great tools but have the soul of tire irons.

Love Phil's Minar.

We need to get Petrov to put some of his guns on display. I have one Sedgley Sporter in 06 with a compass in the buttstock. It has a lyman 48 receiver site. I would be in the camp of finding a Wundhammer if it was possible.

Sincerely,
Thomas

54 for me.

My choice, without a second thought, based on ownership and use of about 15 different .30-06 bolt rifles over some 45ish years, would be an Oberndorf sporter, probably a Type B, like my 1937-vintage factory original 9,3x62.

These, in .30-06, are not that hard to find,even now, in decent shape and mine shoots superbly with both Norma factory ammo and my handloads using the 286 NP with Johnny B's data.

I hate to say this, but, I am a major .270 Win. and .280 Rem. fan, currently have three super custom rifles in each of these and have sold three of the five fine .30-06s I had in the past couple of years. I dunno WHY, perhaps reading J'OC in "Outdoor Life" mags hidden in my texts during junior and senior high school English and History classes may have influenced my young psyche?

I would have the Lyman "peep" sight that attached to the ejector housing/bolt stop installed and no other irons plus a front banded. hooded ramp with both Euro. "Sourdough" and "Night Sight" inserts.

I would probably load a 180 to the best, safe and accurate velocity I could, sight at 2" high at 100 and this rig would STILL be VERY functional for almost any BC uses I have seen in my decades of bush stuff here.

In the 1920's I would have chosen the BAR, still would if I win today's lotto.

You schmos are making me feel bad about selling my '03-A3, and my Winchester M54. Of well. In it's place is a beautiful Savage 99EG, so it's not all bad.