What Are Your “Dream Guns?” Pick Any Three And Tell Us About Them
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 4 months ago
I don’t think they do a very good job with this video on the Langdon Tactical Beretta 92. They make no distinction between the factory slide and the Langdon Tactical custom pistol job where they modify the internals of the gun to make it accept a lower profile slide without interfering with the action. With the former, they simply mill a slide cut. With the later, they allow optics to co-witness with the sights because of modifications to the gun. This video does a decent job of explaining it. This is something Shooting Illustrated could have done as well. Begin at about the 11:00 mark.
So this is a good segue to a question that would undoubtedly have some interest for readers. I know it would for me.
If you had a chance to list any three firearms, your “dream guns,” what would they be? Here are the rules: [1] Be specific, and [2] they must be firearms you don’t currently have. List what you would like to have. If your dream gun is a .50 caliber M2, say so.
I’ll begin. I don’t own any of these firearms.
I’d like this Langdon Tactical custom job on the Beretta 92. It’s more expensive than the optics cut on the factory Beretta 92, and by the time an RMR is put on top, including transfer fee, taxes and shipping, the total would approach $3000. I want the FDE Cerekote.
Next, I’ve been quite disappointed in how quickly Marlin (Ruger) has made new lever action rifles available to the community, especially at reasonable prices. Currently, the 45-70 is the only model in production. I was told by an FFL just yesterday that two other models will come out before they even think about making the 30-30.
I’d like a Henry 30-30, but I confess I don’t like the synthetic furniture. But I also don’t like the straight stock typical of so many of their guns – I’d rather have a pistol stock. The 45-70 currently comes that way, both Henry and Marlin.
I’d like to send that Henry 30-30 to a fine furniture maker to replace the stock and forend with fancy walnut. Then I’d like a custom gunsmith to work on the action to smooth it out and lighten the trigger. I’m assuming that this would total the package out to $3000 – $4000 by the time a fine furniture maker gave me a fancy walnut stock and ensured that the fit was right.
Finally, I’d like to have a Bighorn Armory 454 Casull rifle with fancy walnut. By the time this got finished, between the price of the gun and transfer fee, taxes, and shipping, the total would be about $4500.
Enough with the plastic and tactical guns. I’d really like some heirloom firearms. We’ve discussed that at length before.
Okay. I lied. I’ll give the fourth. I’d like a Thompson submachine gun. Readers know that I’m a .45 ACP devotee. This would be the really expensive one.
Share your list. Who knows. Maybe dreams come true.
On July 31, 2022 at 10:07 pm, RHT447 said:
1) A nice minty original Winchester 1892 in 44-40, to go with my two repro revolvers (Colt and Remington) in that caliber.
2) An M-3 “Grease Gun”. I was trained to fix them in Small Arms Repair School.
3) A custom Surgeon rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor.
My heirloom is a model 1890 Winchester .22 rifle in 22LR, purchased new by my great grandfather in Texas.
On July 31, 2022 at 10:58 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ Herschel Smith
Re: “Okay. I lied. I’ll give the fourth. I’d like a Thompson submachine gun. Readers know that I’m a .45 ACP devotee. This would be the really expensive one.”
Don’t know if making it out to Vegas is an option for you, but in that town, there’s a place – a gun-store/tourist destination whose name I unfortunately cannot recall, where one can go to try out historically-significant and/or military issue firearms for rent.
Whoever thought of the idea is printing money hand over fist, because when I last saw the line, it was out the door and halfway around the block. People from other countries waiting 3-4 hours to get in. Because they have nothing like this attraction where they live.
You pay the fee of $200-300 bucks or whatever, and in return you select however many firearms from the dozens offered, and you go into a private booth with an individual who acts as your range-officer/supervisor. These are usually former military with a lot of small arms experience. You then get to fire a small amount of ammo through each of the firearms chosen, under the watchful eye of the RO.
Here’s a tip to enhance your experience: Most people, if they tip at all, do it at the end. Instead, if your RO seems like a cool guy and is doing a good job, do it then and there. He’ll often as not let you get more trigger time.
The Thompson is built like a tank, and heavy – but runs like a Swiss watch. The MP38-40 SMG is a great gun, but the WWII Sten – at least the one I tried – was a piece of junk which jammed almost instantly. The H&K MP5 ran great and you can see why so many have been sold since they were were put into production.
Tried an original M16A1, too, which ran fine and worked well. High rate of fire.
Anyway, that’s how this place works. Sorry I can’t remember the name, but if you are at all interested in military or FA history, it is worth making the trip out there.
After hearing so much positive press, I’d rather have selected an M3 Grease Gun than the Sten, but maybe next time I get out there….
On July 31, 2022 at 11:15 pm, Herschel Smith said:
The “Grease Gun” has a very slow rate of fire compared to a Thompson. In fact, when someone handed Jerry Miculek a grease gun, he compared what he could do without the full auto and he could outrun it with his finger.
I thought about putting the grease gun on the list. Tim Lynch says that when he carried the grease gun around Afghanistan, the villagers (including the Taliban and sympathizers) left him alone.
If I had to make this list five, I’d add the grease gun. But I lied anyway and put four rather than three (and limited readers to three).
So I broke the rules. I can’t do that again. There are limits to what even an editor can do.
On August 1, 2022 at 1:53 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ Herschel Smith
Former SOF-D “Delta Force” senior NCO and noted author/trainer Larry Vickers numbers the humble M3 Grease Gun as one of his favorite WWII-era weapons. And if it is good-enough for Larry….
I know precisely what you are talking about vis-a-vis Jerry Miculek and the M3; that man’s trigger finger has a higher rate-of-fire than the Grease Gun! Ain’t that a hoot?!
The irony is pretty rich, though, and here’s why: The knock on the Thompson was that it was overly-complex, expensive and time-consuming to manufacture for war-time needs. It was a well-liked weapon loved by many of the men who used it in action, from the U.S. Marine Corps in the “Banana Wars” to Mr. Churchill’s commandos who carried them on raids during the Second World War, but that didn’t save it from being replaced by the M3 Grease Gun.
Manufactured along the same lines as the British Sten and German MP38/40, the M3 made extensive use of sheet metal stampings, and as little use of machined steel as possible. Its expedient construction was one reason it was nicknamed as it was – it resembled nothing so much as a 1940s-era grease gun of the kind then found in garages and mechanic shops across the country.
Made of substantially cheaper materials than previous designs of SMGs, Grease Guns were not expected to set any records concerning durability or longevity, yet they were still encountered in active service as late as the 1990s when many U.S. Army and Marine Corps tankers had them issued as close-in support weapons in case any crew members had to engage enemy ground forces at close range. And by all accounts, they worked fine even at that late date.
Sort of like all of those 1940s era Quonset Huts which were designed more-or-less as disposable buildings, but are still in use seventy-five or eighty years after the fact.
On August 1, 2022 at 1:58 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
Re: “I thought about putting the grease gun on the list. Tim Lynch says that when he carried the grease gun around Afghanistan, the villagers (including the Taliban and sympathizers) left him alone.”
Well, you probably know the saying from back in the day, right? I’m talking about:
“They all fall to hard-ball…”
…which used to be the saying about the legendary ability of those 230-grain “fat boys” to put down bad guys for good and otherwise adjust attitudes in need of adjustment.
On August 1, 2022 at 7:47 am, RomeoCharlieWhiskey said:
Only three? Difficult decision but mine would be:
– M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) in .308 but uncertain how the cartridge change would affect the cycling since JMB engineered it for the .30-06, similar to doing likewise in a M-1 Garand, like CMP offers(ed)
– M2 .50 Browning Machine Gun aka Ma Deuce
– Solothurn 20mm cannon
Of course, I couldn’t afford any of them, just the procurement alone, much less feeding them and in the case of the cannon, unobtanium at any price, at least above board.
Close 4th is: General Electric M134 Minigun, but the one used (not anymore) semi-annually at Knob Creek had perputual problems with jamming.
On August 1, 2022 at 9:13 am, Name (required) said:
BAR, Thompson, Broomhandle Mauser.
I’d take a 1919 in 30-06 as a substitute for the Thompson.
On August 1, 2022 at 9:23 am, Mike said:
1. a mint-condition STEN Mk II (with a bag of spare mags!)
2. a Christensen Arms lightweight rifle in 6.5×55 (they don’t make it)
3. a mint-condition M1918 BAR
On August 1, 2022 at 9:32 am, Fred said:
“Your guns, their guns, all the guns.” – Global Government
On August 1, 2022 at 10:11 am, BRVTVS said:
1. Pedersoli Indian Trade Musket
2. 1899 Savage Takedown in 300 Savage
3. Remington Model 8 in 35 Remington
On August 1, 2022 at 11:43 am, =TW= said:
My wants are many, but my needs are few.
I could maybe use a precision bolt rifle.
I would like a full custom 1911, built to my specs.
Gb61- I always appreciate your comments. Please carry on!
On August 1, 2022 at 12:08 pm, Ozark Redneck said:
1. Barrett M107A1 50BMG semi auto rifle
2. Full-auto Uzi carbine
3. Full-auto Thompson sub-machine gun, military configuration.
On August 1, 2022 at 1:04 pm, Alex Lund said:
I am from Germany, so just being allowed to own a gun would be my dream.
So, for me it would be:
1) a 2nd Amendment for Germany with clear wording (written for 3 year old) with no commata, just precise sentences, and that cannot be mis-understood even by brain-dead leftwings. And yes, as in a joke it would have references to possible evolutions of guns. And of course it would also contain clear sentences about which type of gun (automatic, semi-automatic), barrel length, rate of fire and magazine capacity would be allowed (short: whatever the state police, military employs, the civilians may also employ). And if you loose your rights because of a – how do you US call it – felony, then it is also in it, when you regain your gun rights.
so, as I only touched guns during my military time I dont know as much as the rest of you, so excuse me for being not very specific
2) handgun ( and I would first test fire before I decide if a 9mm or .45. But I would at least try out a .50.
3) rifle of 5.56. I fired the 7,62 G-3 in the German Army and I found it to be heavy and lots of recoil. Once I was allowed to fire a M-16 and while I remember the loading process as very complicated, I liked the light recoil and the greater ammo capacity.
On August 1, 2022 at 1:19 pm, Latigo Morgan said:
Well, does a match pair of mirror imaged Randall 1911’s count as one or two? I’ll call it one, as it is a “system”.
So, the rest of my list:
Shiloh Sharps in .45-70
An M60-E3
Ruger Vaquero in polished stainless, ivory (or fake ivory) grips, .44 Mag, and 5.5″ or 4-5/8″ bbl.
So, I went to four as well.
On August 1, 2022 at 2:37 pm, Bill Buppert said:
1. FG-42 in 7.92mm
2. Lahti 20MM L-39 Anti-Tank Rifle
3. Barrett MRAD .338 LM
Bonus round: 10x 30rd crates of M67 grenades
On August 1, 2022 at 5:50 pm, Gryphon said:
1. Solothurn 20-MM Anti-(MRAP) Cannon.
2. M-1919A2 in .308, also spare Watercooler Barrel Set
3. M-14A2 (the Pistol-Grip Stock) wait, wut, I have that one already…
On August 1, 2022 at 6:58 pm, Canucky said:
@Alex Lund
thanks for your perspective!
we complain about gun rights being assaulted here in Canada,
but I am fortunate to (still) have what you are only allowed to wish for!
Canucky
On August 1, 2022 at 8:58 pm, Paul B said:
have a berretta 92 with a langdon trigger, Shoots real nice.
As to two more, I have a rossi m1 carbine in 9mm that takes the same magazine.
Otherwise any of the 308’s i have would make #3.
On August 1, 2022 at 9:14 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ TW
Re: “Gb61- I always appreciate your comments. Please carry on!”
Thanks! As they say in Texas, I’d better go buy a bigger hat! If thanks are due to anyone, it is to the proprietor of this fine website.