Top Five Impractical-But-Cool FirearmsOh hell yes, you know I'm in... I'm going to try to limit my list to guns not on Tam's list or Mulliga's list, nor guns in comments. This may prove difficult.
Some ground rules first: I'm only including firearms that the average Joe could go out and actually purchase here in the United States, without going through too many hoops. That means no NFA stuff, no exotic guns that never went into production (I'm looking at you, Jackhammer automatic shotgun), and no imports that never made their way to these shores.
Let's see...
1. CZ-52. I own one. It's cheap, and the fireball it produces at an indoor range is certain to draw a crowd. In states where one can get mail order ammo, it's even reasonably cheap to feed with mil-surp 7.62X25mm. However, the heft, single-action with no functional safety and low capacity make it a poor choice for CCW, and the milsurp sights don't allow much for target shooting.
2. Marlin Guide Gun in .45/70. Large. Heavy. Fires a dumptruck-stopping round that costs more than most other rifle rounds. Utterly impractical unless you're an Alaskan brush guide. So why do I want one of these stainless beauties so bad I can taste it?
3. FN 57. With all the punch of a .22 Magnum, this unusual autoloader is typically fêted for its 20 round capacity. Never mind that the new XDs are only one or two rounds less in the ballistically superior 9mm, the FN 57 shoots armor piercing ammo OH NOES!
4. Lever action shotguns. Let's be honest here. Yes, the Winchester 1887 was designed by JMB himself (PBUH). Yes, it was made super-über cool in Terminator 2. But put it up next to a good pump-action gun and it just falls short for anything other than CAS or informal plinking.
5. Dan Wesson Pistol Pac. Oh, I want one of these in the worst possible way, don't get me wrong. It's one of those ideas that sounded great on paper, but in practice just proved to be too much damn work - there's a reason there's so many "unfired" sets on the market. And now they command so much money that you're better served getting two or three whole guns anyways...
So there's my list of very cool but totally impractical firearms. What are yours?
That is all.
12 comments:
I have to take issue with the Guide Gun. I have the 1895GS in .45/70 and stainless steel. It is my "go-to" hunting gun. There is nothing on earth that it can't stop and it is light enough ta carry all day. Sure, it is limited to about 150 yards in range, but honestly, who do we think that we are anyway. In the woods around here, if I can't touch it, I am probably not going to take a shot.
The .45/70 is a most awesome round...to reload. I have uploaded it to 550Gr whoppers moving at 1650 fps that have an much energy as a city bus, and the recoil to boot!
It is a VERY practical gun. I have killed a lot of game with it. You MUST have one!
Oh, what a can of worms this could be! Let's see here -
AMT backup. Awesome concept for a tiny pistol smaller than a wallet, made entirely from stainless steel. Has the benefit of a 5 round magazine lasting about 30 minutes of range time, as they tend to jam after each shot and require 3 hands to clear - with no slide lock and a euro style mag release. Look good and have a nice heft, not a great paperpuncher, better paperweight.
Siaga 12, in friendly 18" or toasty 12" barrels. 10 or 15 rounds of 12ga in a magazine. What's not to love? I'm not sure that they come with chokes suitable for turkey or dove hunting though. Muzzle flash would probably blind them, so you could just walk up and club your prey.
Magpul Masada - Who cares how neat-o it is. Most of the gun is plastic. Grip, lower, safety, etc. Sorry Magpul, the glock paved the way for plastic guns, not cheesy plastic guns !
XMG - basically a semi MG42 upper to mate with an AR15 lower. Beltfeds are cool, and completely impractical by every possible way. $5k for an item that is actively on the ATF's hit list makes this even more ridiculous. And to be absolutely clear: I WANT ONE !
It may be impractical, but I still want a CZ-52.
I have wanted one of those lever action .410 shotguns for a long time, and still don't quite no why.
One of the coolest but least practical -- at least, today -- firearms I know of is the Pietta Company's replica Le Mat pistol. If you've never seen or heard of this (unlikely, in this crowd), it's a revolver originally manufactured just before the Civil War, and used primarily by Confederate officers. Picture a muzzle-loading revolver with a nine-round cylinder plus a larger central barrel that works like a shotgun. The modern replica holds 9 .44 rounds plus one of buckshot.
And is it currently possible to buy replica 'snuffbox guns' or 'pepperbox guns'?
Last time I was in Paul's shop (SLGS) he had a Marlin Guide Gun on the used rack. It might have been .45/70, but I don't recall for sure
The Guide Gun has one very good use. It'll clear out an indoor range with only 2 rounds. Other shooters are either stunned from .45-70 blast or blinded by the muzzle flash (and with the vents there's a bright one!) When asked "What's that?!?!?"
the only possible reply is: "A real gun."
My Grendal-30 hold 30 rounds of .22magnum and throws a fireball that would make a CZ weep with envy.
1928 Thompson.
It sings to me. If I could have one Class 3, that would be it. Impractical, expensive to feed, lots of fun.
A friend of mine at the club has one, and I have fired it several times. I won a veteran's match that had a full auto component using that gun.
Practical? What is this word, and how does it apply to this hobby?
I've gotta argue that the '87 is "only practical for CAS". I have one, and have shot a fair number of trap matches with it. It might be a hair slower (and some of my sporting clays scores argue that), but not by much.
I used to have a Dan Wesson Pistol Pac, but I sold it to a friend a few years back. I still have enough Dan Wessons and parts, though, to add up to a Pac or two -- I even bought one of the brown cases empty at a show before the prices on those things went nuts. The Dan Wesson .44 Magnum is probably still my favorite range gun, along with a couple boxes of UMC L44MG7. Chrony-ed a few rounds of that once -- 180 gr at 1850 fps, so you really know you're shooting something....
As for the AMT Backup .45 that Wally mentioned, I have one of those, too, and it's my daily CHL gun. I guess I got a good one, 'cause while it's not something you want to spend an afternoon shooting, I definitely hit what I'm aiming at. Look for an early one, with a DAXXXX serial number, before they put in the silly firing pin safety. Without that, this gun has fewer moving parts than any other handgun I am aware of.
I also have to take issue with the Guide Gun. I own one and I LOVE it. It's more than enough for anything I could conceivably want to hunt or run into. As long as I remain mindful of it's limitations on distance, I am confident in it. And with Hornady's new ammo, I can reach out a little further. And it works wonders on wild hogs down here! Plus, the fireball that comes out the ported muzzle is great for looks at the range!
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