Author Topic: Who is your favorite manufacturer?? (Read 1006 times)

williamlayton · « **on:** April 12, 2006, 12:44:01 AM »

when looking to purchase a weapon what manufaturer do you prefer.

I will start off by saying that this is a bit complicated, well, for me. I have found several over the years that I like, for a number of reasons based mostly on the type of weapon I have in mind.
I like SIGS for weapons of most calibers right out of the box. I have two in a p220 and 239.
If it is a 1911 I have found that STI fits the bill wheather .45, 9mm, .38 super or others. I have two in the Trojan line.
For pocket size I like WALTHERS, reliable well made, good design but in the PPK only .380 is available and I like pocket guns. I have determined on the KAHR p9 for a good pocket weapon in 9MM. A little more power.
Not much of a wheel gun guy but, that said, I own two S&W in .38/.357.
Blessings

Questor · « **Reply #1 on:** April 12, 2006, 01:34:14 AM »

I don't have a favorite. If I have a niche, then I research it and buy what seems best. The closest thing to exceptions would be Smith and Wesson for double action revolvers, there is none better. And Beretta for Over-Under shotguns, likewise, there is no one better.

Jerry Lester · « **Reply #2 on:** April 12, 2006, 05:12:54 PM »

I know I'm not in the majority with most shooters as far as my tastes. Personally I'm a Ruger man myself. In my opinion, without spending big bucks, a Ruger revolver is hard to beat in either SA, or DA. I'm also very fond of Ruger rifles, and will gladly take a Ruger over any other rifle maker.

With that said though, I don't much like the Ruger semi-auto pistols, with the exception of the MK-II, or MK-III series rimfires. When it comes to semi-auto's, I like Beretta's on the high end, and Bersa's on the low end, with not much interest in any of the others.

PaulS · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2006, 07:47:35 PM »

I am a revolver guy for two reasons - I hate to chase brass (I reload) and I don't trust auto-loaders to function every time (the first time)

That said I am a ruger man. I don't care about trigger pull - I care about what the gun will do after 20000 rounds - am I going to have to have it tuned, rebarreled, and parts replaced because of wear? My Ruger is over thirty-five years old and has had many more than 20000 full power loads through it. I polished the trigger back in 1972 and haven't done anything but keep it clean and lubed in all those years. It locks up tight, shoots smaller groups than when I was competing with it and has at least another thirty-five years left in it without work. I also have a Ruger Mark I that my dad owned. It isn't as pretty as it was when I was 10 but it shoots just as good. Its never been repaired either. I have a 22 revolver that is a Smith clone from HR and it is ok but the trigger pull on that one is twice what my Ruger is in double action and a good 6 pounds single action. I don't use it much - bought it as a cheap plinker and got what I paid for. The other handguns are single shotand well suited to their use but not much to work with on the street - at least not without a revolver as a backup. I have owned a 45 ACP Colt - had to disassemble it and debur every part to get it to function past the first shot. and a 9 mm that was the most anemic, inaccurate waste of metal I have ever owned. I had it for 1 week before I sold it. I respect Ruger - they make an honest gun that is made to last and has a guarantee to match.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2006, 01:57:12 AM »

I prefer the S&W revolvers for hunting handguns. For CCW I carry a Colt defender, but also have a S&W sigma as my main carry guns. I do however like the Sig's. I own more Smith & Wesson guns that I do of any other barnd compined.

jimster · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2006, 03:03:25 PM »

I guess this is a hard one, if I want a certain weapon I just have to go with that first. But, best all around manufacturer over the years, that seems to be within price range of a greater number of people, has a wide variety of firearms, and build them to be tough and used a lot....
I'd have to say Ruger has impressed me over the years. They also seem to come up with something new each year. I used to complion about not being enough American made side by side shotguns, and sure enough, Ruger come up with one of those too. (double triggers next?)
In my life I have owned their carbines, rifles, lots of single actions, semi auto 22's, ect...and I have probably bought them so much because certain times in my life I didn't have gobs of money, and they were within my reach, and they worked and took a pounding. They came up with coil springs in there revolvers, and there are people sending their Colt and Colt clones to Smiths to get coil springs in, like Ruger does.
So I guess my best all around manufacturer for me is Ruger. Maybe not the gun this week I get out and admire and gawk at, but they certainly have been a big part of my lfe over many years.

Win 73 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2006, 06:16:22 PM »

When you look at how many I have, I obviously prefer Ruger. I have seven of them. I have three Smith and Wessons and two New England Firearms. Everything else is just one of each.

My favorite individual gun is a Winchester. Why? Because it was passed down to me from my father and is 115 years old. It is a Model 1873 Winchester rifle.

CJ · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2006, 06:34:42 PM »

In sheer numbers I seem to have more Rugers than anything else, followed by Marlin then Savage and S+W in a tie for third. Guess that makes me a Ruger man, but they are also the only ones I know of making Handguns, rifles and shotguns in a wide variety.

poncaguy · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2006, 06:26:49 AM »

Ruger..............American made and very dependable.........

rockbilly · « **Reply #9 on:** April 14, 2006, 06:54:04 AM »

I thought there were only two on the market....SIG and S&W.

I have guns by almaost everyone you can think of, but the Sig and S&W brands get the most use and respect because I know they are dependable. The others are nice to play with.........but!

Talk about a tough desicision, you have to get rid of all but one gun...what would you keep? For me it would be the Sig 220. :wink:

Bullseye · « **Reply #10 on:** April 14, 2006, 07:57:33 AM »

Semi-Auto Shotguns - Benelli
Pump Shotguns - Remington
Double Barrel Shotguns - Browning
Revolvers - S&W
Single Shots - T/C
Lever Actions - Marlin
Muzzleloaders - T/C

Seems like I have no real overall favorite, but a favorite in every category.

Sir Knight · « **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2006, 07:27:40 PM »

I use to prefer S&W but that was when they were concentrating on their 3rd generation autoloaders. Then, it was Beretta until they announced that they are dropping the 92/96 models.

Now, I really don't have a favorite. Was gonna say SIG but almost all of their stuff now comes with a rail.

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2006, 10:00:07 PM »

My guncase holds guns from several manufacturers but right now the lust in my heart is for a FA Modle 83 454 Casull with fixed sights and a six inch barrel. As a matter of fact I check it out on their website just about every day to make sure they haven't stopped making it!

papajohn428 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2006, 07:09:34 AM »

The old rule of thumb (30 years ago) was if you wanted an autoloader, you bought Colt, single-action revolver you bought Ruger, DA revolver had to be a Smith. Times have clearly changed, but not that much. Colt is basically a memory but the 1911 will live on forever. Ruger still makes excellent SA sixguns, if you can't afford a a Freedom Arms. ( I Can't.) S&W still makes a dang fine DA revolver, still my favorite, but still a little bit on the fragile side.

Everything Ruger makes is built to last. Not the prettiest in some iterations (their autopistols are UGLY :eek: ) but they will probably outlive your grandkids. Lots of pretty good foreign guns out there, most notably Beretta and Benelli shotguns, CZ rifles and pistols, and a few others.

Being the fossil I am, I still like S&W DA revolvers, Marlin rifles, and my Browning 22 Auto above all others. But I also enjoy my EAA Witness for it's unmatched reliability, my 1941 Remington 511 for it's accuracy, and my Henry 22 levergun for the joy of carrying it in the field on a clear spring morning.

Sometimes a fondness for a make, model, or variation of a gun has little to do with logic! Since we can all agree on that, there are no wrong answers, and your own choices are just that. That's what I call "Celebrating Diversity"!

Papajohn

Skeeterbaymac · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2006, 09:33:48 AM »

I tend to make my purchases based on the model and my needs. I love my old Win 86's. But the new Marlin guide guns are way better suited for woods work (read hotter loads). Does it mean Marlin's are better than old Winchesters, no just better suited for somethings. I have Smiths, Sigs and many other makes. To pick just one is hard!

If I had to pick just one company for handguns, it's got to be Ruger! Just for the fact of reliability and ruggedness. Out of the box they shoot as well as most need and they are still a half way good deal on the wallet. Do I have some Smiths that will out shoot them, Sure do. But the Ruger's shoot good enough for my needs.

Now I am a little concerned as of the last few years that Ruger's quality control is going down hill and I have noticed the prices going up. I am affraid that I will have to rethink my opinion soon. I still have a hard time thinking they need 1000.00 MSRP for a number one. I think they are making a big mistake and are pricing themselves out of the average joe's price range. But for now Ruger is my pick!

Jim 44-40 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2006, 01:01:40 AM »

My first Ruger ,22 single six.Payed 85.00 big ones for it.Shot it a million times,well maybe less then that! Ruger Forever!!!

urrlord · « **Reply #16 on:** April 19, 2006, 06:00:18 AM »

i don't really have a favorite.i tend to take my time,research. then find what i can afford.right now i have a couple of rossi revolvers,a ruger revolver,an feg pocket auto.rifles i have a 303 sporter,a kimber 6.5 sporter,a ruger bolt 308,and a savage lever 250.shotguns an ithaca 20 and an oxford 16 double.the ones i use the most are the rossi revolver and the savage lever followed by the oxford .

Old Griz · « **Reply #17 on:** April 22, 2006, 09:01:58 PM »

:cb2: Like most folks, I have a hard time narrowing it down to one manufacturer.

Fun guns (a.k.a., SA revolvers): Ruger.
DA revolvers: S&W.
Automatics: Glock.
Rifle: Marlin. (Though Savage is a darn close 2nd.)
Shotgun: Remington.
.22: Who cares!? They're all fun!
Gun of my dreams: Freedom Arms.

If I could only pick from one manufacturer, I guess Ruger, because they make everything: SA & DA revolvers, automatics, bolt rifles, semi-auto rifles, single shot rifles, the ugliest lever rifle known to man, shotguns . . . did I miss anything? They may not be the best in each catagory, but they are all good, U.S. made, and will shoot better than I can. (Oh, but I love my S&W revolvers, and I still want that M21 soooooooo much!)

papajohn428 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 23, 2006, 03:26:45 PM »

Ditto on the S&W M-21. To me, that is the best of all possible handguns to own, to look at, to carry, and to shoot until the cows come home. I love my M-65 dearly, and dote on it, but Smith N-Frames are to die for. Though if Freedom Arms made a DA revolver, I'd have to think seriously about selling the kids and getting one!

PJ

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #19 on:** April 23, 2006, 05:42:19 PM »

Wow! So many choices here.Revolver-Ruger;CCW-Sig;1911-Springfield.Also like S&W.Heck I just like all of them.Some just a little better than others :lol: ....Rick