Sent on to me by Reader John C.:
Top 5 “Favorite” Guns of Clint Smith:
- Sharps Trapdoor (.50-70 Govt) — a lovely gun, and I would never argue with his choice of this one, for any reason.
- M14/M1A (7.62x51mm NATO/.308 Win) — no argument from me on this one either. Fantastic guns, should never have been replaced by the M16.
- Colt 1911 (.45 ACP) — well, duh.
- S&W Mod 28-2 (.45 ACP) — shows you what I know; I wasn’t aware that the old Highway Patrolman was ever chambered in .45 ACP. (Why not the Model 25, I wonder?)
- Colt Single Action Army (.45 Colt) — see the 1911, above.
Clint takes pains to say that these may not be the “best” guns (for whatever reason), but they’re the ones he’s most fond of. (I should point out, by the way, that I respect Clint Smith more than any other gunman on the planet now that Jeff Cooper is no longer with us.)
John C. said in his email that Smith thinks like me in terms of the guns he loves, and this would be mostly correct. If I were to list my favorite guns — according to his criterion of the guns one loves to shoot — they would be (not in order):
- Browning 1885 High Wall (.45-70 Govt) — not only do I revere this gun, but everyone who has ever shot mine has given it back to me (reluctantly) with a huge smile on their face. Using hotter modern loads (e.g. Buffalo Bore), I would be comfortable taking this gun on any hunt short of African dangerous game (because I may be romantic, but I’m not an idiot).
- Mauser K98k (8mm Mauser or .308 Win) — because it’s the gun I grew up shooting (albeit that one rebarreled in .308 Win), and of every gun I’ve ever owned, this is the one I’m most comfortable with. If I won the lottery, one of the first guns I’d buy would be a new-manufacture M98 in 7x57mm ($$$$$!!!!) and it would be worth every penny. (I already have an old K98k in 8x57mm — see below — so a gentler cartridge would be better for my old shoulder-bones.) Like Clint, I don’t really want to hunt anymore, but I would have another one of these just because, like with the 1885 High Wall, I so love working the action and shooting the Mauser 98. Pure self-indulgence.
- Springfield 1911(.45 ACP) — anyone who’s ever read these pages knows all about my love for this gun, so ’nuff said.
- Colt Python (.357 Magnum) — it may not be as robust as its S&W competitors like the 686, but nothing compares to the Python’s silky double action. And like Clint, I’m a blued-steel man, so I’d have to get an older one to replace the one I destroyed, back in the day.
- M1 Carbine (.30 Carbine) — I love everything about this old warhorse: its light weight, handy length and gentle recoil. I can put up with its often-unreliable magazines because it’s unlikely ever to be used (by me) in any kind of combat (although I’d have no problem using one as such if push came to shove).
And there you have it: two Old Phartte Gun Guys and their favorite guns.
An anecdote: last Monday I went to the range with the Son&Heir to shoot some .22 guns. We own identical bull-barrel Ruger Mk II pistols, and I brought along my Ruger Single Six just for some variation.
The S&H popped off a single mag through the Mk II, and then glommed onto the old-fashioned Single Six and didn’t touch his Mk II again. (I never bothered with the pistol because I prefer shooting .22 through the single-action Six.)
We both agreed that 1) despite the Mk II’s designation as a “target” pistol, the Single Six has better sights, and 2) shooting slowly — i.e. a six-shot single-action gun — is far more enjoyable than just spraying bullets out of an automatic.
Your opinions may vary, but there ya go.
I want that Ruger Mk II.
If you ever want to sell it, don’t hesitate.
I got a stash here in my desk drawer with your name on it.
I’m glad you enjoyed that! I’ve probably followed you for 20 years, going back to American Rifleman blog, and besides being kindred spirits on most things firearms related (I will use a Glock or an AR, but other than that our tastes run along the same paths), I just knew that Clint Smith vid would be right in X zone for you.
Although the current version of the S&W Performance center TR revolver is an abomination (rubber finger groove grips, slabbed barrel, picatinny underrail, ugh!) he once commissioned a real beauty. A S&W Model 22-4 with beautiful wood grips, high polish blued finish. Ah for the good old days. See photos of said pistol (sold, thankfully so I won’t be tempted) at this gun listing. Hope the DOT makes this link print. Just beautiful.
https://wwwDOTgunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/revolvers/smith—wesson-revolvers—performance-center/s-w-model-22-4-thunder-ranch-special–45acp-revolver.cfm?gun_id=101210459
link didn’t work
Re: S&W M-28
Story I heard was the post Dirty Harry demand for M-29s led several gunsmiths to rechamber M-28s to .44 Magnum, apparently without a rash of KaBooms. So they should be able to handle .45 ACP pressure without a problem, even considering the oft feared “notch thickness” issue.
Why not an M-25? They may have been scarcer than M-28s. S&W’s decision of when and how many M-25s they make is an arcane science/art which few can understand. The M-28, OTOH, had a market.
Top 5? Depends on the day of the week.
1) M1 Garand. Need I say more
2) K31 Swiss Fantastic craftsmanship (Swiss!) and a trigger that is glass. As a military issue!
3) No.4Mk 1 Enfield. Best bolt action of 2 world wars. IMHO. If I have to take a boltie to war, this is the one I want.
4) My grandpa’s Winchester M74 in .22 short. just fun. And grandpa’s. It will go to one of my sons.
5) (Right now) Rossi (? I know!) M92 levergun, in .357 mag That could change, tomorrow.
I’m a rifle guy, more than a handgun guy.
you both have solid lists.
1) K22 in my case a S&W model 17-? made in the 60s. I forget the variation. the sa action breaks like glass. da isn’t bad either
2) Ruger MkII 6-7/8″ bull barrel government model is always in my range bag
3) M1 Garand -eight shots and then it plays a little tune for you so you can reload it and shoot again
4) M1A very fun
5) Browning Citory 525 I think is the model I have. great for clay sports that are just like golf minus the waste of land, silly carts, goofy clothes and sadly without Miss Spiranac.
JQ
PS honorable mention to a S&W 66 or 686 for 38 special or 357mag fun and a S&W 1911 because that has to be on the list. Also, I can put a 22lr kit on the 1911 and enjoy the 1911 trigger on the cheap
My list:
Remington 700 30-06 with a detachable box magazine.
Stevens 311 double barrel 12 gauge
Ruger 10/22 with a bull barrel in stainless
Barretta 92AF INOX in 9mm (early model)
Smith & Wesson model 65 .357mag with a 4″ barrel in stainless
Honorable mention:
swap the 30-06 and .357 for a 10mm AR carbine and 10mm Glock 20MOS
The new Mauser K98 is beautiful. 7×57 is a classic cartridge, and quite possibly the best whitetail/black bear/etc cartridge ever. Great killing power, modest recoil.
HOWEVER, I would like to have one of those new K98s in another classic cartridge…..9.3x62mm.
Why? Because it will cleanly take anything in North America, including grizzly/polar bear. While the recoil is a bit more than a 30-06, it’s not so much that it causes issues.
I wish I shot the Mk II as well as I can the 22/45. The former is so much more elegant, and less plastic, but needs must. 22/45 Mk II heavy barrel.
And I still love my M1 carbine almost above any other long gun. Even the Garand, though its close. I’ve shot others’ M14-alikes and do really like them but I don’t want a cast receiver Springfield and the JRA forged units disappeared just when I could afford one.
I would dearly love to have my Dad’s H&R 999 Sportsman revolver back. May misfortune and sorrow follow the evil bitch who stole it from their house. I learned gun safety and how to shoot a handgun with that revolver. I hope it turns up again someday…
I was lucky about 20 years ago to pick up an all matching pre-war (1936) K98. It has a wonderful action. Smooth as butter. Later I bought Richard Law’s book on the K98. The book is wonderful. I learned why the gun was so damn great. If I recall correctly, it took something like 145 seperate human/machine operations from start to finish ! German obsessive work.