The silver rifle

[kix]

  Ok guys, I'm going to rant,start a poll and probably get lynched pronto but here goes. The subject of my rant is the "silver rifle"; you know, s.s. rifle, s.s. rings and silver scope. No offense to those that own them but personally I cannot stand the looks of them. Granted, if I was a bear guide in wet Alaska my back-up rifle would be s.s. but the majority of hunters on TV aren't bear guides and several of my friends aren't bear guides   so what's the deal with the bling-bling?  Durability as in corrosion resistant? Well, I have hunted in heavy rain as well as driving snow and none of my rifles have turned into rusted junk, not yet anyway. I just happen to think a bolt-action (or any type) of rifle is more beautiful deeply blued with a dark wooden stock of some kind. I see so many silver rifles these days I'm thinking of marketing a super shiny silver sling to complete the ensemble; probably make a fortune. Like I said, no offense to those that prefer them; I would just like to know  if there are other hunter/shooters like myself. If I am the only one I will surely contact my doctor for medication.   Kix

[LONGTOM]

While at the docs get me some too.
I prefer blue and wood.
While I do have a few black stocks I do not have any silver rifles. Handguns yes but still prefer blue.
Have no problem with those that do.
All my,wait a minute, I do have one.
It's an 1865 HENRY, that was nickle plated just after the cival war.
Oh well, guess that males me one of them.


LONGTOM

[Swampman]

I don't mind a stainless barreled action, but I dislike plastic stocks.  Even on stainless rifles, I use black finished scopes.

[skb2706]

I like the looks of nice wood and CM but to be honest I'll never buy another rifle assembled that way. Stainless, laminated/glass with a matte scope is a nice mix. They are just so much more practical to use in the field.

[AtlLaw]

I would just like to know  if there are other hunter/shooters like myself.

Let me think here... well, outa all the spotin guns I got, and I do got a bunch to hear my wife-mate tell it, I gots me one that I put a plastic stock on, and day be no silver in my safes!     Just ain't nat-chil...

[STUMPJMPR]

I hate to be the only guy to disagree.... Its all about what YOU like... THis is like a ford vs. chevy thing... Some people like them some don't.... I only own one SS gun and it survived the flood in better shape than the rest of my rifles.... A good saltwater bath will show you how fast bluing comes off especially if it was low grade bluing....

[Dave in WV]

No "bling" here in my safe. I don't like silver scopes either.



a dark wood stock.

[Graybeard]

For me a HUNTING RIFLE should be made of stainless steel and wear a gray laminated stock. I prefer matte mounts and scope.

[kyelkhunter3006]

+1, but a brown laminate is ok too.  Silver scopes are awful, I've never found one that matches any of the stainless finishes, they look silver until you put them on the gun, then they're kind of a champagne (for lack of a better color to use) color. 

BUT, I like checkering on my stocks, and a lot of laminates don't have it.  So I usually end up with a synthetic stock.  Good walnut is just too pretty for a using rifle, IMO.  To me, rifles are tools, and the pretty wood belongs on an oh so sweet SXS or O/U shotgun.  They don't usually get the abuse that rifles do.

[Brithunter]

I hate to be the only guy to disagree.... Its all about what YOU like... THis is like a ford vs. chevy thing... Some people like them some don't.... I only own one SS gun and it survived the flood in better shape than the rest of my rifles.... A good saltwater bath will show you how fast bluing comes off especially if it was low grade bluing....

Hmmm perhaps you buy some high grade rifles then they won't have low grade blueing 


I like to mount the cabinets several feet off the floor which would help in a flood  and I don't have any SS guns either nor any drastic plastic  Oh Kix you have possibly struck on a gold mine with your Silver Sling idea. I suggest you get moving on it fast before someone steals the idea 


PS don't forget to be fully fashionable it would need to be a silver cammo pattern 

[kyelkhunter3006]

Speaking of silver rifles, there's been a Ruger 77 listed on Gunbroker (off and on) that's been Dura-coated in an aluminum diamond plate pattern.  The WHOLE gun, stock, metal, everything.  Talk about different......

[Bart Solo]

This morning I looked at a 700 BDL and thought to myself "damn that thing is too pretty to take into the woods." 

I don't mind flat stainless, in fact I think it has a real place, but I am not in favor of "silver rifles" because the make too much visual noise. When I was a kid I had a Remington nylon 66 in black and chrome. (I still have it in my safe.)  It was a fine plinker, but it was useless for hunting squirrels. Upon seeing the  the flashing barrel and receiver they would promptly disappear.

As to black stocks, they aren't my favorite.  I am glad to see that manufacturers are taking a hint from turkey hunters and are finishing some of their synthetic stocks in camo.  I know that Weatherby is retiring it's black plastic Vanguard stock in favor of a solid feeling composite stock in various subtle colors. I think the tan stock we see so much of is a camo pattern called "spider web."  Remington has its Buckmaster camo finish on it's 700 SPS.  Of course most of its synthetic stocks are still black.  I think camo has a chance to run the black finish out of production.

A lot of people complain they hate synthetic.  To them I say, buy wood.  For people who tramp in the woods, synthetic stocks are far superior.  They don't warp and they rarely break.   

I went to the range today and discovered my old Remington 788 6MM can still shoot better than me. After zeroing it in from a bench in three shots I spent the rest of my time shooting from a standing position.  Man, do I need to practice my breathing technique. Hopefully before November 15 I will have plenty of trigger time, especially if I buy that new 30-06.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

       Ahhhh well in answer to this:-

A lot of people complain they hate synthetic.  To them I say, buy wood.  For people who tramp in the woods, synthetic stocks are far superior.  They don't warp and they rarely break. 

     Well I don't have any plastic, synthetic or whatever you want to call it today, tomorrow it might be called by the new fashionable name  , and yes I hunt with my rifles, tramp through the woods and have never had a problem doing so even of a rifle which is the only one of it's kind made and cost me a lot of money, and no I am not wealthy either  . In US $ it cost me about $4675 US and it been out in the woods in all weathers and has been responsible for the demise of several Foxes, Deer and even the odd Rabbit 

     So far I have had two rifles with plastic stocks both of which were unfriendly and unpleasent to use so went. I even took a loss on them to get rid of them, Oh both were .22LR's and one was Remington Nylon 66 Mohawk, and have also shot several other plastic stocked rifles and so far have never found one this is comfortable or pleasent to use and they include:-

Rem 700 VSS
Winchester 70 Varmint
Tikka T3 Tactical
Sako Finnlite
Weatherby Vanguard

    Give me good wood any day of the week  as for wood breaking well plastic breaks as well and some of my rifles are well over 100 years pld and the bedding is as good as it was when they were made  Of course they used properly air dried wood which is stable unlike the cheap nasty kiln dried stuff foisted upon us today 

[Bart Solo]

"Of course they used properly air dried wood which is stable unlike the cheap nasty kiln dried stuff foisted upon us today."

And of course, there is the rub. Really good hard wood is hard to come by these days.  It is expensive. That's why manufacturers have gone to plastic. By the way not all synthetic stocks are injection molded plastic.  Weatherby's new Vanguard stocks are composite. They are heavier and much stiffer than their older injection molded (and exceedingly ugly) plastic stocks and they seem to be more stable than any modern wood. 

[Tom W.]

My Savage Model 12 is Stainless, with a laminated wood stock, and is not ugly at all....The rest of my rifles are blued, some with walnut and some with whateverwood. My next rifle will be stainless with a laminated stock, I'm pretty sure...

[Drilling Man]

"Of course they used properly air dried wood which is stable unlike the cheap nasty kiln dried stuff foisted upon us today."

And of course, there is the rub. Really good hard wood is hard to come by these days.  It is expensive. That's why manufacturers have gone to plastic. By the way not all synthetic stocks are injection molded plastic.  Weatherby's new Vanguard stocks are composite. They are heavier and much stiffer than their older injection molded (and exceedingly ugly) plastic stocks and they seem to be more stable than any modern wood. 

  In the right (wrong) conditions, even the best wood will swell ect...

  I was on an extended hunt one time waaaaaaaaay out in the bush...  One day along came 3 guys that were hungary, tired, wet, and one was shakeing "badly" from the cold.  I was camped in a broke down junk old shack that only had half a roof, but i had a decent camp set up.  Those guys were in bad shape, as there tent was destroyed about 3 miles from where i was and they had been rained on all night.  They asked if they could get dried off and warmed up as they were afraid there buddy wouldn't make it.  I agreed to it, and the next day they went for there gear.  Anyway, one of those guys brought his grandpa's model 12 Winchester out to camp figureing he'd get some ducks and geese along with big game...  The wood was swelled way up over the action, and the gun was turning into a rust bucket...  I happened to come back to camp and there he was crying, because it was grandad's gun that had been left to him, and he couldn't get the rust off...  I told him i could get the rust off, but he said it was beyond that stage...  I had fried myself some bacon eariler and the grease was still in the pan, so i took a small square of aluminum foil, crumbled it up and dipped it in the bacon grease and got after the rust...  The alum/grease combo cleaned the pores of that shotgun and didn't remove the blueing...  He stood around with his mouth open just stareing...  lol

  I've hunted with all kinds of guns, old and new...  And given the right conditions, ALL wood moves, new, old, air dried, or kiln dried!!

  DM

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Heck---I've got a little bit of everything---shiny blued/wood---matte blued/wood---parkerized/plastic---stainless/wood----and even one stainless/plastic and it wears the only silver scope I own and looks nice---at least to my eyes.

[Brithunter]

"Of course they used properly air dried wood which is stable unlike the cheap nasty kiln dried stuff foisted upon us today."

And of course, there is the rub. Really good hard wood is hard to come by these days.  It is expensive. That's why manufacturers have gone to plastic. By the way not all synthetic stocks are injection molded plastic.  Weatherby's new Vanguard stocks are composite. They are heavier and much stiffer than their older injection molded (and exceedingly ugly) plastic stocks and they seem to be more stable than any modern wood. 

Can you answer why cheap plastic cost so much ? NOT ONLY ON GUNS BUT CARS AS WELL. A cheap plastic bumper which takes seconds to make costs US the customer a fortune same goes for those plastic wrapped motor cycles  and with the plastic fairings they don't have to finish the engins casings liek they used to yet charge more for the bike?  yet the only real cost is the mould and a bit of paint  same as a lot of plastic stocks yet they sure know how to charge for them  Yeah some plastic stocks are laid up by hand and labour costs more that way but they still ain't worth a quarter of what they charge for them.

   It's down to us the customers to demand better quality  however I don't see that happening soon  it's like the kiln dried wood which they claim is as good as air dried wood. Sheesh  as  real gunmakers know kiln dried wood moves so firms like Holland & Holand won't use any wood until they have had it for a minimum of Five years so they know it's properly dried. The bulk makers also used to do this but but greed and those sharp practicing accountants decided cheap kiln dried stuff would make them more profit and the punter would never notice. Well we noticed but some just keep on buying the stuff 

  Oh and plastic is often heavier than wood 

[Drilling Man]

Sheesh   as  real gunmakers know kiln dried wood moves so firms like Holland & Holand won't use any wood until they have had it for a minimum of Five years so they know it's properly dried. The bulk makers also used to do this but but greed and those sharp practicing accountants decided cheap kiln dried stuff would make them more profit and the punter would never notice.

  I've made quite a few stocks, and i bought and sold stock wood for many years...  I've used both kiln and air dried stocks out in the bush, and BOTH will move given the right conditions...

  My "bear rifle" has an air dried "quality" piece of european walnut on it...  I've seen it move...  AND i know that stock was air dried and stable before it was put on my action.

  ALL wood moves, you just can't get around that...

  I DO agree that the stocks of today aren't of the quality of old, but to think the old "air dried" ones won't move, is just BS.

  DM

[PartsMan]

My rifles are tools.
I wish every rifle in my safe was stainless.
None of them are cause I am cheap.




 

[bearmgc]

I got one that's an Abolt flat stainless, shiney bolt, synthetic stock for rainy hunts. Sittin in the woods, sun comes out, and that flippin shiney bolt starts sendin flashy signals across the canyon. That's definitely not good. All my others are wood/blue.

[corbanzo]

I don't have one blued gun that hasn't had rust on it.  Not one. 

Granted I do live in the Alaskan coastal rainforest....   

Hell even my gerber tools rust at times (when I bring them fishing on the ocean mostly), and they are supposidely "stainless."

I like stainless guns.  Anywhere you live has the possibility to give you the wrong weather and get to your guns.  Now I really do love a good looking wood, but some synthetics aren't too bad.   Like the remington XCR stock, that isn't a bad looking plastic stock.  Like partsman, if I had more money, I would have more stainless in my safe. 

Like the remington 710 that I have that everyone and their mother seems to complain about.  If it was stainless, it would be about the perfect rifle.  It is lightweight(due to the plastic mostly, and 22" barrel), works well, and is very accurate.  If it was stainless, I would have the perfect gun right there.  That, and because of how it's made, I'm not afraid of beating the crap out of it.

Now most people don't like stainless cause it's not what grandpa hunted with, but really, if you have the money, and for the function, stainless is BETTER in any case.   More resistance to wear and doesn't rust as easily. (Most would say it doesn't rust, but they need to spend more time around salt water)  And I know people have their guns that are XX how ever many years old on which the blueing is still perfect.  But honestly... if your guns look like that, you aren't using them for the right purpose. 

[LONGTOM]

I never cared for stainless guns. With proper care to both the wood and the metal will give you just as long of service as stainless & plastic.
Examples:
1- You leave your auto sit out in the weather almost all the time yet you take care of it and they are a heck of a lot more money than a rifle, so with proper care you should not worry about a gun.

2- I have an original 1860 HENRY made in 1865 and saw service at the end of the civil war and was shot only with black powder and yes it does have a couple of spots that is pitted and has very little bluing left on the barrel but for a 140+ year old gun that was well used and probably abused as well what would you expect!

I don't really worry about the weather on my guns, that is what gun oil and wood wax is for.


LONGTOM

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

         

    Stainless is called that because it Stains ....... Less than carbon steel not because it does not rust  also there are hundreds of different grades of Stainless Steel some which are vurtually rust-proof but they are too soft for firarms applications on one end of the scale and maybe too brittle on the other. It's been many years since we covered this in a class room at technical college  .

Hell even my gerber tools rust at times (when I bring them fishing on the ocean mostly), and they are supposidely "stainless."

  Speaking of Gerber tools and the Leatherman type, does anyone know when they first hit the market?

   And I will still prefer and go with good wood than any plastic and just care for the wood  Oh and don't forget that wood is enviromently friendly being a re-newable source unlike your plastic 

   I won't stoop as low as to talk about throw away guns 

[no guns here]

I really prefer the wood and blue guns BUT since my guns sit in the safe for a couple of years at a time... I don't have to worry too much about the "silver" guns just the wood and blue ones.  Maybe I can get home on leave this fall/winter and get some PM done on them all again.  Haven't had my safe open since Christmas of 2006.  REALLY hope the GoldenRod is doing it's thing...  I think this time when I go home I'll spent the money on some of those silicon bags.  I've heard they work pretty well.  After this trip it'll probably be two more years before I can get home for good.

ngh

[Swampman]

If you put a couple of these in your safe......

http://www.bull-frog.com/products/#emitters

You won't have any rust.  I've been using them for years with great sucess.

[kix]

  Hi guys.  Looks like I got some good replies to my rant and like I said, didn't mean to step on toes because s.s. rifles have their place, just not in my hands. Maybe I just don't like "shiny" because I have replaced all my Rem. BDL stocks with something a little more flat and darker. In fact, the only Rem. 700 stock I haven't replaced is a '63 700 "carbine" in '06, 20" barrel and aluminum butt. I won't touch that one. Kicks like the devil though with factory loads, something I will not do again!  I am surprised about all the mentions of "plastic" stocks because I didn't raise that topic but is another one of my extreme dislikes. Is the reason synthetic stocks were brought up because they go hand in hand with the silver rifle?  Must be. Just yesterday I was at the range and my buddy was shooting his sporterized '98 Mauser in 25/06, 1.5" 3-shot groups and this at 300 yds! I was amazed, jealous but mostly sad(?) because the rifle wore an ugly, flat black plastic stock, Choate or possibly Ram-Line. Just ruined it. Are they more durable? Possibly. Are they more weather resistant? Of course. They have their place but once again not in my hands.  Kix

[kyelkhunter3006]

The Leathermans were the first multi-tool that was widely available (I'm pretty sure it was the first period, not counting the old Swiss Army knife), it hit the market in the early 80's I think. Tim Leatherman was a serious mountain and road bicyclist, and wanted a compact light tool kit to take on his rides.  I think that he succeeded.   

[Brithunter]

Ahhh thank you for that snippet of information because I thought the Leatherman was first and remember them hitting the shelves in the 80's also but it seems he copied the idea from a German tool from the mid 1960's  just found it in a 1967 Parker-Hale catalogue and marketed as the "15 in 1 Fishermans Tool". Not sure if their one folds like the Leatherman as the picture is not that clear but it struck me as so similar.

   Ahhh back onto the topic  there is shiney and there is shiney  ???the sheen of a real oiled finish is not the same a that of varnish or that plastic film used on some factory wood stocks. If I acquire a rifle with that factory plastic type finish it comes off and I apply a real oiled finish as that plastic type finish feels slippery to me whilst oil is more tactile. Sure an oiled finish requires a little attention every year with a little more oil rubbed in but I don't regard that as a hardship  in fact find it quite pleasurable and just normal maintenance, which reminds me I need some more BLO as it also gets used on the wooden handles on the garden tools.

   Also it has neven been claimed, at least not by myself, that plastic stocks were inaccurate, or caused inaccuracy  , I suppose some of the weak hollow ones could do that due to lack of rigidity.

[Swampman]

Just keep in mind that BLO isn't water proof, or even water resistant.