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Inspired by correspondence from a friend. And, candidly, in dry, almost desert like, space (firearm and otherwise) at the present with my own mind. (I've found they come and go. This one is weird, though, alas, not the fun weird. Honk-honk.)

What firearms, technology, era, or what have you fires you imagination? Why so and do tell in detail? Functional, esthetically, or otherwise? How is this exploration going?

Enjoy! :)
 
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1911's. They have always felt like an old friends handshake. When I hold an old one I smile and wonder about the tails it could tell. Lately I've been on a 38 Super kick, because it was the caliber of choice for John Dillinger.
 
I try to imagine the infamous AR-14 with the "thing that goes up" or the ghost gun that terrorises people as if it were IT, the killer clown. :s0112:

In all seriousness, I dream up a long slide 10mm 1911 in case-hardened slide and frame or Damascus steel in very clean but expensive as heck lines, components, and fitments.
 
Honestly it's big bore. I love them, from bespoke Italian made pieces to the one off garage single shots....can't get enough of them.

secondly and no less important to my mind is combination guns, they have always been a fascination of mine.
 
The hyper specific, one trick ponies.
Whether effective or not . Single shot line launcher, usaf bushmaster survival pistol/rifle, M231 firing port weapon , the old OSS stuff like the liberator, WW1 anti tank rifles, punt guns , the 10-22 arrow gun . I'm sure the list is endless.

Oh , .380 mac 11 inside the briefcase! Yeah! images.jpeg-23.jpg 606451-3510605d5abdf3730dacd8f5e5207d4f.jpg
 
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Oddball, but mainstream, calibers. Something that can hit two birds with one stone. Stuff like 350 legend. It's out in the mainstream, yet it's an oddball. It has some random misc guns chambered in it, mostly hunting based. Yet, the venerable AR also accepts it. It's intriguing as it is something that can totally be taken to another lever with handloads. Stuff like that really kicks up my imagination of what could be or can be. Could I make a really good suppressed load? Could I make a really unique rifle for it? Could I also utilize that rifle for other means like pushing rounds faster?

Current curiosities include my bolty 9mm and I imagine that in time, with better availability, I might be able to really hone in some whacky 9mm hand loads for that rifle.
 
I've got a Remington 1 1/2, cal. 22RF. Velzey went through it for me, his usual excellent work. The wood and checkering are very nice
considering the age. It has a shutzen (sp?) style stock on it. A beautiful tang sight. I've shot it and I can keep it on 12"X12" square at
100 yards. I open the safe it's in, pull it out, sit down on the bed and touch it and wonder, wonder where it's been, who shot it, was it
competitive. My best research indicates it's from a few years after the Civil War. No answers to any of these questions, and that
mystery is what creates the satisfaction for me. It'll go to my son when I'm gone. Hopefully the fascination goes with it.
 
Mmmm...Let me think....Yeah those muzzle loaders...be they antique original or a nicely crafted custom gun.

I like to shoot and hunt with some of my original guns...
Doing so , can give one a greater appreciation for history and the workmanship of the past.
Hitting a target , winning a match or bringing down game with a gun that dates from 18 something is a treat.
Neat that a gun from era , can still do as it was originally intended.

That said my favorite rifle of all is my Hawken Rifle copy.
I have the upmost respect for the maker of my rifle.
This rifle is copy of a Hawken Rifle of the 1840's , something Kit Carson . Jim Bridger or Jim Beckwourth would be at home with.
When I hunt and shoot with it , I can see the Santa Fe Trail , or head up to the Tetons ...

More close to home I can remember the maker and my best friend challenging me to make a difficult shot...
And their smiles and nods when I did hit that small target at range.
They are gone...but I know they are with me when I shoot my Hawken Rifle.
Andy
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Anything hand crafted by artisans, from the early 1800's to Pre WW-II gets my heart beating a little faster! Custom rifles and pistols from the days when ONE man with hand tools made a firearm from start to finish, and then with great pride, handed it to the chief armorer for final inspection and proof testing! I love the history that many of those arms might have, from the time they were made, who may have used them, when and where, and what happened after!
My most favorite will always be one of my 1855 Colt Side Hammer revolving rifles, it's not the nicest or fanciest, or rarest, but to me, its perfect. It was "Converted" some time in the late 1800's into a nifty sized hunting rifle, but it was done correctly for the period. Second fav is my "Cavalry Carbine" which was a mix of parts and pieces I had gathered over the years and had a custom barrel made for, and custom Lyman sights fitted, I also replaced the rotted stock and forearm with matching pieces of Claro Walnut, and then had the entire thing blued in the classic Colt deep blue that made them famous! It's a shooter, it likes a 410 gr .50 cal round nose hollow base conicals over top a charge of 110 grains of 3F, and it can put all 5 rounds through the same 1 inch hole at 100 yards if I do my part, ( and didn't drink frontier cofveve before hand!) and it has taken a few animals since I did all the work. Third fav is my Grand Dads 1895 Winchester .405, an absolute work of art, and yet a working tool. that rifle kept a family fed through the lean years, and the flush years as well, and it still puts meat in the freezer every bit as well as it ever did!
 
Got to thinking about this and of ALL the guns (categories, tech and era) I have had an appreciation for (or owned) it is the Sharps rifles that pique my interest the most.

The appearance, design and historical significance of them are of great interest for me. Heck because of this you would think I would OWN one but do not. Came close a few times but decided to concentrate on some other guns I already do own and shoot - and have a similar appreciation for as well so the Sharps will always be just point of interest for me.
 

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