What Are Your Favorite Firearms And Why?
What are your favorite firearms? How did they become your favorites?
Staying at home during a pandemic has given me a chance to reflect on how certain guns become our favorites, whether they are ones we currently own, ones we’ve traded away or ones that rank highly on our wish lists.
I’m Drawn To Certain Firearms
If I’m attending a gun show or happen to stop into a gun shop, I’m always drawn to certain types of guns. Lever-action rifles, .357 Magnum revolvers and pump shotguns always grab my attention, although I have those niches filled already.
So you might conclude that my favorite firearms fall into those categories. They’re not fancy, but I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so it might figure.
Liking lever-action rifles makes sense because of all the Western movies and TV shows I watched as a kid.
They’re short, narrow, handy and perfect for the densely wooded areas I hunt. There, 100 yards would be a very long shot. But I’m shaking my head as I write this because I like lots of other types of guns too.
Favorite Guns You’ve Yet To Buy
Years ago, I was saving money toward a Thompson/Center Contender single-shot pistol. It was versatile with all the different available barrels and chamberings.I figured I could use it in both large and small bore silhouette competitions and for hunting. I liked the idea of long-range handgunning. The Contender was high on my wish list.
In the end, I opted for another long-range proposition and plopped the money down as a deposit on an engagement ring. Wants and needs change. The guns on my wish list change sometimes month to month. I couldn’t consider any of them a favorite yet.
Favorite First Firearms And Hand-Me-Downs
You might have a fondness for guns that you shot when you were first introduced to firearms. The first rifle I shot was a Remington 572 Fieldmaster pump-action .22.
The first handgun I shot was a Smith & Wesson Model 28 Highway Patrolman in .357 Magnum with a six-inch barrel.
I still have both. They’re both sentimental favorites. But, to be honest, I rarely shoot them anymore.
Certain guns might become favorites because they were passed down from loved ones. I have a S&W Model 60 .38 Special revolver my dad carried after he retired as a police officer.
My father-in-law was partial to semi-autos, especially those from Browning. I have his old Hi-Power 9mm pistol and Auto-5 “Sweet Sixteen” shotgun.
I wouldn’t part with them. But I don’t know I’d call them favorites necessarily.
Happy Memories Can Be A Big Factor
I suppose happy memories of long-ago hunts can play a part. I shot my first deer – and many more afterwards – with a Glenfield Marlin smooth-bore 12-gauge pump shotgun firing slugs. It was the only shotgun I could afford at the time. It’s imbued with happy memories of a simpler time, but it might not make my list of the top shotguns I’ve owned.
Some Favorites Arise From Familiarization
Use a firearm long enough and it might become a favorite simply because you’re comfortable and familiar with it. When I started my own police career, I was issued a S&W 681 in .357. It was a stainless steel L-frame revolver with fixed sights. Later, I was issued a Glock 17 9mm and last a Glock 37 in .45 GAP. Although I own guns by those companies now, I don’t own any of those particular models.
So What Are My Favorite Handguns Now?
First, anything in a quality single-action revolver, especially in .45 Colt, rates highly with me. Must be those influential Western movies again.
For defensive handguns, I love the Oriskany Arms .45 1911’s both full- and Commander-sized. That’s probably because the triggers on 1911 pistols in general are usually pretty darn good.
If I’m going polymer, I really like Ruger American Compact in .45 ACP. But if I’m going to be carrying a handgun with a red dot reflex sight, I’d opt for a FN 509 Midsize or Glock 19.
If I’m downsizing for more discreet concealed carry, then the Ruger SR1911 Officer Style 9mm or Walther CCP M2 9mm get the nod.
Very often I carry a revolver. Most likely it’s a S&W K-frame Model 66 Combat Magnum with 2 ¾-inch barrel. But I have a Ruger LCRx with Crimson Trace Lasergrips in my pocket now.
For hunting, I would probably choose the Ruger Super Blackhawk Hunter in .44 Magnum.
If many long miles are in the equation, I might pick the lighter Glock 40 long-slide 10mm with Trijicon RMR sight.
What About Favorite Long Guns?
For a rifle, I like the Legendary Arms Works Professional bolt-action in .308. I wouldn’t give up my Ruger Mini 30 either. I have lots of affection for a Ruger stainless Model 77 in .30-06 too.
And of course there are the lever guns: Marlin 336 in .30-30, Marlin 1895 Guide Gun .45-70, Browning BLR .308. The Henry X Model .45-70 is quickly rising on my list. Bugging out? Maybe a Ruger PC Carbine.
My favorite shotgun won’t see action hunting upland birds. It’s a Remington 870 Marine Magnum 12-gauge pump with a Streamlight TL-Racker forend with light. When I hold it, I imagine using it at sea to repel boarders. I have the gun. All I need now is the boat.
What Are Your Favorite All-Arounders?
For an all-around handgun, I like the stainless Ruger GP100 four-inch .357, S&W Model 629 Mountain Gun .44 Mag, Ruger SR1911 10mm and Glock 20SF 10mm.
If I’m choosing with my heart and not my head, I’d probably go with a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible .45Colt/.45ACP, Ruger Vaquero .45 Colt or Cimarron Firearms El Malo .45 Colt.
For a shotgun, I’ll take a Remington 870 pump 12-gauge with an assortment of barrels: short smoothbore for defense, short rifled for deer, long smoothbore with interchangeable chokes for birds and rabbits. Familiarization at work here? Probably.
For a rifle, how about the carbine length Remington 7600 pump in .30-06? Handy size, versatile cartridge and an action that’s almost as fast as a semi-auto.
Could You Pick Just One Of Each?
No. Don’t ever ask me to do that. You can see, though, that among my choices there’s nothing super expensive, rare or classic. So, let me put you on the spot. What are your favorite firearms and why?
Steven Paul Barlow is a retired sergeant/station commander and former firearms instructor with the New York State Police. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enthusiast with all things related to firearms, knives, and survival. He has been writing on outdoor topics for more than 35 years. His collections of outdoor humor stories are available at BriarHill Books.