Today we discuss how gun design and gun making has changed with newer, cheaper manufacturing processes. Ruger American, Tikka T3, Savage Axis and many others.
Dodge Mustang True collectors know when to let go for someone else to enjoy. I have parted with several custom knives, money disappears rather quickly; even if you save the cash.
Great video. Even the Mosin Nagsnt has gone from 75 to 300 now. The Mauser K98 arw drying up and i bought many for under 200. Now they are all around 700 and up. It seems guns are a better investment than anything else rate now
One of my most prized possessions is a Shultz and Larsen model 60 in 7 x61 S&H. It is easily one of the most beautiful guns I have ever owned. If I do my job it will keep five rounds well inside an inch at 100yds.
USOG, you are preaching to the choir, right now. People who like your channel appreciate the human workmanship and the feel of life in the firearms that they relish. The other crowd only sees the killing power and the shock effect of the modern, futuristic ejaculators. It comes from a very different culture. The movies that we watched as kids made the split. It made us what we are and how we think. You are the guru of this traditional group. What you say makes no sense to those who want GigaWatt laser guns.
Alejandro - that is a great name. Thanks for sending a note - yes - guns are one of few timeless great investments. Long before Buffet, when someone asked a refined gun collector : " Some of your firearms have increased in value many times what you paid. What is the best time to sell a gun that has increased in value so much?" The collector answered : " Never. There are so few things worth owning that if one finds something of lasting value - keep it." Good shooting Alejandro.
Wouldn’t it be nice if subscribers could get together at ranges all over the world. USOG why don’t we all try to plan a “range” day whereby you post a video shooting your favourite rifle and we all share a post to that video on the same topic? Alejandro you must book a flight to Canada now👍🏻
One of the great things about modern production rifles is that they gave us phenomenal rifles at low cost. Of course, they're rifles you don't get particularly excited about but you don't really worry about banging them up. Unfortunately they're just that-beater utility rifles.
It's all good - some guns have to be tools - like the .22 I carry under the seat of my F150; still cased and all but I don't mind if it gets a ding or two.
I respect your appreciation for the art and craftsmanship in these type of guns. As I do.... I've handled a mauser 66 today, I was amazed at the craftsmanship.
I think its the case with younger shooters, that firearms have simply become another disposable consumer item, like phones or tv sets, you buy one relatively cheaply in the case of the black rifles, use it for a couple of years and when you grow bored with it sell it on and get another. Very little pride in ownership. During my fathers time, in the 1950's/60's, buying a new rifle or shotgun was a major event. You bought a gun to get decades of use (possibly your entire life) out of. The firearm would have been expensive, well made, well finished, nice bluing, good walnut, and would have been looked after by the owner. But i think thats all gone now. Blued steel and walnut are seen as fuddy-duddy. I was laughed at when i turned up at the clay club with a side by side, but i still love it. Great video !
I like your words. We mistake action for progress and lose a lot of meaning in the process. I remain optimistic that values and what matters in life may be obscured from time to time; yet always return - much like truth. I love the story of you and the SXS - I've done similar things. For me - using a single shot rifle does not mean I have the most success with it - I could probably have greater success using something else. I do give up shots knowing that I might need a second; the trick is not to mind. I'm in the forest and hunting for more than one reason.
Ever consider that younger shooters (I'm in my mid-20s, so I assume I'm part of that "younger shooter" demographic), don't tend to have the funds that their parents and grandparents do to buy valuable and antique firearms?
It was not meant to be a disparaging remark on younger shooters. Some older higher quality guns are available for less than the newer ones. Case in point, i picked up a nice british made side by side, stunning wood, one of a pair for around a quarter the price of a new browning cynergy over and under with black plastic stock a cousin of mine bought. Maybe things are different in the USA though.
Tasty_Wind if you don't like wood/blue that's fine if that's your preference. But here's yet another example: Instead of spending say $400 on any lifeless black rifle, I will get a no longer produced but still available for sale CZ with sights and wood/blue for only $300 more. If I don't use a scope(and none is needed within 100yds for me) it's almost he same price after scoping the cheap black rifle. Try and buy a Howa in wood and blue, I can only find one on the bigger gunsites in 7mm RM because the rest is sold out. So I guess the demand is there, because there is no shortage of plastic/blue offerings. Not so much in wood/out of stock.
I think in many ways the rifle have gone downwards,in term of the production techniques and raw material. accurracy and bad weather endurnce weather p4oofing have gone up, but at the place of soul and quality feel . But over here SL 97 and similar, Roessler have many good models. Bergara is good also, low budget Spanish sister firm of Shilen as i remember.
You are so right. I love also the older guns and use them for hunting. I got not one new rifle and I feel proud when I take the right rifle out of my tresor. Thanks for your very good videos. Greatings from Germany.
When I become committed to purchasing a particular gun, I am not buying a disposable item. I would rather have fewer guns but with quality and character. I like to think that I am committed to that gun and will invest time and money to bring the best out of it. I see some cheap new rifles, they cost less than a trip to a good gunsmith. Who would even think of spending close to the purchase price on a repair or new barrel, and that means to me that guns of that quality are in a way, disposable. Now, everyone has a different view of this, and that is fine. But I guess I look at guns as functional fine art, with history as well.
Agree fully. The feel and lines of a classic gun are also very hard to show on video. A sig p210 slide moving has to be felt. Anyway thanks for the channel.
I used to ignore the sporter section in my local pawn shops, but after watching your videos I can glance over the stocks and pick out the ones that are the highest quality/most expensive ones without even looking at the tags or see what action or gun they are. Saw a Browning T Bolt stock and didn't even know what it was, just that the stock looked very high quality.
You have the gift Ghostus. Some people can identify just about every gun in even a major rack from just the floorplate view. The cool thing is that so many guns, especially rifles, are sold very cheap. The retailer doesn't know what they are. One can make a lot of money with gun knowledge.
I have some hand made shotguns and rife made in the 1890's ,still working correctly . I have some new ,machine made guns that constantly have to be rebuilt .
Often, they don’t make them like they used to. All one has to do is look at the firearms on Mike’s videos to see that. I suppose you have to go custom and pay up to get such firearms. Some of the Deluxe rifles are still pretty good. The question may be, are there craftsmen out there that know how to do the work of the old masters? On the other hand there are budget rifles with low grade materials that are more accurate on average than the finer works of art and craftsmanship made in the past. I love the quality of older firearms. However, what was considered acceptable accuracy would not pass muster by today’s standards. Until only a few years ago I never realized that . So there lies the conflict for me. By far I love the quality of craftsmanship and materials of the older rifles. But I take issue with the lack of precision they had, compared to today’s cheaper but more accurate rifles. Glad to see a whole culture of folks nurturing the older firearms as Mike does. I’ll admire them and the couple I have. I’ll buy a couple of more high end Deluxe rifles for their quality and beauty. But after that it’s custom. I will trade off the beauty of old for the sub moa precision of today’s long range customs. Besides, I’ll get less agitated from battle scars on a modern rifle than when I scratch or dent one of my beautiful wood stocks- lol.
I just picked up a brand new unfired Merkel KR1. I didn't really appreciate the gun until I had the fortune of owning one. No receiver, short overall length, light weight, just a great gun. Would you like to review mine, I've asked you previously if you have one, I know they are not very common.
Hi Anthony - congratulations - I know them - absolutely superb. I handled one that was very special - I think they called it a Jena or something like that. I have a line on a KR1 and if that doesn't happen I'll be in touch. Thank you so much for the offer. Bravo again - such a design!
We think very much the same. I was thinking about automation, and how one day soon 3D printing might kill manufacturing almost completely when each of us can buy a future printer that actually creates pieces of the same strength as steel, and it's just matter of downloading a file and loading it so the printer will make you every part of a gun or a bicycle or a gulf club etc. Manufacturing could go the way of photography when you once needed to buy a film then take it to be developed and printed, now you it's all digital and done in your bedroom. Automation is actually starting to reverse "globalisation" in a way; Adidas is about to begin making shoes in Germany again, after maybe two decades of manufacturing in Asia, simply because the process of making shoes has become quite automated the machines will do almost all the work without much need for the prohibitively expensive German labour. But will a pair of shoes bearing the mark "Made in Germany" mean much when I know it's almost 100% machine made? The country of manufacture will lose its value in this context because Made in Germany or Made in UK etc. used to carry some romance of a first class craftsman who is being paid a lot of money doing the work. Same goes for guns. Everyone is moving towards more machines and more cost cutting. True Mauser actions are becoming rare and few in mass production because manufacturers are moving towards cheaper designs. CZ has discontinued the 550 Mauser actioned rifle in all but a few African calibres, and replaced it with the generic actioned 557. Consumers at large don't care, and as long as you give them a functioning tool they won't mind how much moulded plastic is there or if it is made by robots. There will remain a small niche market for those who want finely crafted guns using classic materials and hand workmanship, but no one knows if that small number of buyers will be able to sustain the businesses willing to do that. Companies like Beretta and Browning will likely be able to maintain "custom shops" in one way or another, because their main profits come from mass produced guns and military firearms therefore sustaining a few classic gunmakers making smaller numbers of high quality guns is not a problem. I fear though for the true gems like James Purdey and Holland and Holland. I visited the Purdey factory in Hammersmith and saw the world's finest guns and rifles being made by master craftsmen, some of whom apprenticed to previous generations of masters when they were just 16, and I don't want this classic mastery to disappear. These companies are owned by luxury groups and they try to sustain themselves by increasing the clothing and accessories side of the business, but with hunting becoming more politically incorrect by the day and with fewer people willing and able to pay $130,000-$600,000 for a gun or a double rifle one wonders if these historic companies can keep making forearms for much longer.
Much to think about. I did not know about Adidas and you are right : in addition to being soulless robots have no nationality. Still, I look forward to seeing "Made in Germany" again - by whatever means. I am very interested in your thoughts and observations. Please write more. I have spent countless hours over many years looking at various econometric models and it is clear to me that fundamental assumptions about industrial production, technology and supply/demand that seemed theoretically correct were and are far from accurate. I can't come up with the mathematical proofs but consumption is not infinite and technology is supposed to be a tool used by meaningfully employed populations. We are not meant to work for machines. I hope and believe there are always going to be people that can discern the difference between a million perfect but random letters, and one word. Anyway, so long as we are free to own guns we still have a shot! : )
Excellent. Another fine maker is F.W. Heym. I have a SR20 that was one of their "cheaper" models. The fit & finish, checkering & metalwork is top notch & it will thread needles. A joy to shoot. The only drawback to having such beautiful, well made rifles is that you might flinch a little when you think about bringing them into the field & weather.
Hark, I see a Weatherby Mark V rifle in the background. A fitting tribute to Roy Weatherby's genius on the 30th anniversary of his legacy. Tomorrow's rifles today! The world's strongest action - up to 200,000 psi - Roy claimed. Famous gunsmith PO Ackely used loads that blew up a Mauser 98 action (in a 270 Ackley Magnum, I think) that left the Mark V unfazed.
Hi fellow subscribers. I have posted this before, however, one of my absolute favourite rifles was deemed near garbage at a gun show I attended 2 years ago. A Parker Hale deluxe .303. A No.4Mk1 with early Singer sight. This rifle continues to shoot amazing groups. It was on a table of beautiful, Winchester lever actions and while covered in red wool (from the blanket that it was stored in) was a 5 groove barrel looking for a owner ready to re-engage the hobby. This rifle was $150. Thank you for this channel and I enjoy reading every comment. Merry Christmas and good health to you. I retire to enjoy some cheap cognac so I can save money for the collection. Cognac is good for curing chest colds.
Those PH 303s are incredible buys - hard to believe actually; so much rifle and accuracy, reliability and just plain appeal for so little. Thanks for being here on the channel and for your supportive words (which mean a lot to me). I wish you a Merry Christmas and a return to full health; but keep sipping the cognac (to keep the bugs away.) Cheers!
Schultz-Larsen still make excellent guns in the same semi-handmade fashion. You should try to get a hold of some of their current top of the line offerings as they offer tremendous value for money. My first rifle was S-L ‘Otterup’ target .22LR, and it was amazingly accurate, while being simplicity itself.
I've heard about those target models - have to get one; .22s remain the most shootable firearms on the planet - cheap, no recoil, easy on the ears. I wish S&L arms were more available.
I think this is a kind of advice that most people don't take seriously enough. Anyone with a little savings and the determination or intelligence to spot value can invest. Firearms, stocks, or other antiques, doesn't matter. All that matters is that real value lasts and increases.
Perfect words - no investment value in makeup, songs piped into ears, games played of just about any kind etc... one has to buy real and lasting value - just as you say - the rest - is just popcorn.
I think that collecting and using beautiful guns is a joy. I hope in my long life I will be able to purchase just one of these beautiful, hand made pieces. Comparitively speaking, quality rirearms are inexpensive. You might spend $30-40k on a car and do it every 5 years or so. Why not spend $10k of that and own something of immense beauty. Even $5k will get you something special. I once went hunting boar here in Australia as part of a club group. All the young people had their composite stock but accurate all the same, rifles. I then saw an older guy with a SABI hunting rifle in 375 H&H. Everyone gathered around and you rarely see a SABI on the market. He had paid $10k for it and though its not an English or European rifle, it does not disappoint. Its used all the time. The action is a Mauser 98 modified and your choice of barrels. That rifle will hardly drop in price. One should look at the safari grade offerings from European manufacturers with history like Brno, Mauser etc. Or you can do what some do, myself included is to buy an action or a donor gun, update it have it beautifully reblued and fit it into a black walnot stock. Its money well spent. My current project is an M96 Mauser in 6.5. Its a keeper.
Hello Stephen, Your words are gems. I am convinced by personal experience - the values that resulted is everything we have in the Western world remain the same - technology confuses and that's fine - but the classic arms and ways are what matter. Without exception - every young person I've taken afield (even those that said they HATE guns) returned home with a knowledge and a wisdom that is hard to find - and they all can't wait to get back into the wild - and shoot. The current ways are interesting - to me as well - but the deeper waters are where the meaning is. Not to be overly philosophical - but guns are instruments of art - much like cellos and violins. Killing has nothing to do with the entire equation.
Indeed. In my country, Australia, its not easy wanting to own and shoot firearms. You have to go through the licensing system that takes about a year. Of course assault weapons are handguns are completely banned. No loss in my book. I belong to one of the biggest gun clubs in Sydney and we shoot at the military rifle range on the coast. You have to shoot at least four times a year to get and keep your license. Getting a hunting license as well is also difficult and you have to go on four club organised hunts each year. I don't find this a problem. It weeds out the irresponsible from the serious and committed. Every so often someone will bring along something special to shoot on our range days. It gets a lot of attention and then they go back to their Remington with its plastic stock and the desire to upgrade sets in. The thing is these new guns are unarguably accurate, which is good. You can remove the action and barrel, throw away or sell the stock, go and get some nice walnut and finish it into a beautiful stock. Then reblue it and you have something you can be proud of. Anyway, I enjoy your videos. They are considered and thoughtful and the aspects of beautiful guns is accessible through you. My extended family has a global luxury chain, asprey.com. My cousin William also has his own business. williamandson.com He occasionally gets a commission to supply a custom rifle or shotgun. He tells me he does not make any money out of it. I said charge a lot more and they will come. They do. Business marketing is all about perception. My email address is wmasprey@gmail.com
USOG, from a collectability and shooting point of view, how would you rank the following rifles assuming they are of equal condition; K-11, Carl Gustav CG-63 and No4 Mk1. For the most point, this rifle will be enjoyed at the range. Of course I’m interested in all points of views from subscribers. Wild Card: Bonafide Mosin Sniper or M-96
First Place : No4Mk1 / then the CG-63 and lastly the K-11. You can reverse the list from a collectors point of view; until the .303s dry up. The Mosin is an excellent rifle - and especially in the sniper version is more in the collector realm - although many people love hunting with them. Hope my remarks are useful.
Ok. Last one for today. A Voere Kufstein in 30.06 with sling and scope as purchased when new. Have we a video of this firearm in the archive? This beauty has a wonderful Monty Carlo stock. Any inherent weakness to look for? I love the vintage x4 scope!
I've seen a number of your videos now. You have a great collection and good insight.
Keeping the faith! Thanks for the good words.
Good. I'd like to buy some of them :)
Dodge Mustang True collectors know when to let go for someone else to enjoy. I have parted with several custom knives, money disappears rather quickly; even if you save the cash.
Great video. Even the Mosin Nagsnt has gone from 75 to 300 now. The Mauser K98 arw drying up and i bought many for under 200. Now they are all around 700 and up. It seems guns are a better investment than anything else rate now
One of my most prized possessions is a Shultz and Larsen model 60 in 7 x61 S&H. It is easily one of the most beautiful guns I have ever owned. If I do my job it will keep five rounds well inside an inch at 100yds.
USOG, you are preaching to the choir, right now. People who like your channel appreciate the human workmanship and the feel of life in the firearms that they relish. The other crowd only sees the killing power and the shock effect of the modern, futuristic ejaculators. It comes from a very different culture. The movies that we watched as kids made the split. It made us what we are and how we think. You are the guru of this traditional group. What you say makes no sense to those who want GigaWatt laser guns.
I totally agree with you, the weapons, especially those of artisan manufacture increase their value day by day, are investments that are enjoyed ...
Alejandro - that is a great name. Thanks for sending a note - yes - guns are one of few timeless great investments. Long before Buffet, when someone asked a refined gun collector : " Some of your firearms have increased in value many times what you paid. What is the best time to sell a gun that has increased in value so much?" The collector answered : " Never. There are so few things worth owning that if one finds something of lasting value - keep it."
Good shooting Alejandro.
Thank you!!!
Wouldn’t it be nice if subscribers could get together at ranges all over the world. USOG why don’t we all try to plan a “range” day whereby you post a video shooting your favourite rifle and we all share a post to that video on the same topic? Alejandro you must book a flight to Canada now👍🏻
I agree, the older guns feel like pieces of art, as well as being fine functional machines.
They knew what was what - not sure what will come out of the latest crop - hopefully something good, somewhere.
One of the great things about modern production rifles is that they gave us phenomenal rifles at low cost. Of course, they're rifles you don't get particularly excited about but you don't really worry about banging them up. Unfortunately they're just that-beater utility rifles.
It's all good - some guns have to be tools - like the .22 I carry under the seat of my F150; still cased and all but I don't mind if it gets a ding or two.
I respect your appreciation for the art and craftsmanship in these type of guns. As I do....
I've handled a mauser 66 today, I was amazed at the craftsmanship.
I think its the case with younger shooters, that firearms have simply become another disposable consumer item, like phones or tv sets, you buy one relatively cheaply in the case of the black rifles, use it for a couple of years and when you grow bored with it sell it on and get another. Very little pride in ownership.
During my fathers time, in the 1950's/60's, buying a new rifle or shotgun was a major event. You bought a gun to get decades of use (possibly your entire life) out of. The firearm would have been expensive, well made, well finished, nice bluing, good walnut, and would have been looked after by the owner. But i think thats all gone now. Blued steel and walnut are seen as fuddy-duddy. I was laughed at when i turned up at the clay club with a side by side, but i still love it.
Great video !
I like your words. We mistake action for progress and lose a lot of meaning in the process. I remain optimistic that values and what matters in life may be obscured from time to time; yet always return - much like truth. I love the story of you and the SXS - I've done similar things.
For me - using a single shot rifle does not mean I have the most success with it - I could probably have greater success using something else. I do give up shots knowing that I might need a second; the trick is not to mind. I'm in the forest and hunting for more than one reason.
Ever consider that younger shooters (I'm in my mid-20s, so I assume I'm part of that "younger shooter" demographic), don't tend to have the funds that their parents and grandparents do to buy valuable and antique firearms?
It was not meant to be a disparaging remark on younger shooters. Some older higher quality guns are available for less than the newer ones. Case in point, i picked up a nice british made side by side, stunning wood, one of a pair for around a quarter the price of a new browning cynergy over and under with black plastic stock a cousin of mine bought.
Maybe things are different in the USA though.
Tasty_Wind if you don't like wood/blue that's fine if that's your preference. But here's yet another example: Instead of spending say $400 on any lifeless black rifle, I will get a no longer produced but still available for sale CZ with sights and wood/blue for only $300 more. If I don't use a scope(and none is needed within 100yds for me) it's almost he same price after scoping the cheap black rifle. Try and buy a Howa in wood and blue, I can only find one on the bigger gunsites in 7mm RM because the rest is sold out. So I guess the demand is there, because there is no shortage of plastic/blue offerings. Not so much in wood/out of stock.
I think in many ways the rifle have gone downwards,in term of the production techniques and raw material. accurracy and bad weather endurnce weather p4oofing have gone up, but at the place of soul and quality feel . But over here SL 97 and similar, Roessler have many good models. Bergara is good also, low budget Spanish sister firm of Shilen as i remember.
I will try to find a S & L 97. I handled a Bergara B 14 - very fine rifle! I only had a few minutes though.
Thank you for your comments.
You are so right. I love also the older guns and use them for hunting. I got not one new rifle and I feel proud when I take the right rifle out of my tresor. Thanks for your very good videos. Greatings from Germany.
When I become committed to purchasing a particular gun, I am not buying a disposable item. I would rather have fewer guns but with quality and character. I like to think that I am committed to that gun and will invest time and money to bring the best out of it. I see some cheap new rifles, they cost less than a trip to a good gunsmith. Who would even think of spending close to the purchase price on a repair or new barrel, and that means to me that guns of that quality are in a way, disposable. Now, everyone has a different view of this, and that is fine. But I guess I look at guns as functional fine art, with history as well.
I agree - and there are legions of others that think the same was - at least according to the correspondence I receive.
Agree fully. The feel and lines of a classic gun are also very hard to show on video. A sig p210 slide moving has to be felt. Anyway thanks for the channel.
Thank you so much. So true.
I used to ignore the sporter section in my local pawn shops, but after watching your videos I can glance over the stocks and pick out the ones that are the highest quality/most expensive ones without even looking at the tags or see what action or gun they are. Saw a Browning T Bolt stock and didn't even know what it was, just that the stock looked very high quality.
You have the gift Ghostus. Some people can identify just about every gun in even a major rack from just the floorplate view. The cool thing is that so many guns, especially rifles, are sold very cheap. The retailer doesn't know what they are. One can make a lot of money with gun knowledge.
I have some hand made shotguns and rife made in the 1890's ,still working correctly . I have some new ,machine made guns that constantly have to be rebuilt .
This is true.
Walnut and blue steel = Gold
Black plastic and bead blast = Silver
Black plastic tactical and assault = Bronze ( except in war time)
This should be a universal standard - glad you came up with it.
Totally agree, there's a Sauer 90 on your desk - my favourite rifle model! I own 4 of them!
You know
Today is all about cutting production costs. Cars, boats, rifles etc. Old conquest for quality is long gone.
It's sad but true.
It seems that people in general don’t understand lasting value.
Often, they don’t make them like they used to. All one has to do is look at the firearms on Mike’s videos to see that. I suppose you have to go custom and pay up to get such firearms. Some of the Deluxe rifles are still pretty good. The question may be, are there craftsmen out there that know how to do the work of the old masters? On the other hand there are budget rifles with low grade materials that are more accurate on average than the finer works of art and craftsmanship made in the past. I love the quality of older firearms. However, what was considered acceptable accuracy would not pass muster by today’s standards. Until only a few years ago I never realized that . So there lies the conflict for me. By far I love the quality of craftsmanship and materials of the older rifles. But I take issue with the lack of precision they had, compared to today’s cheaper but more accurate rifles. Glad to see a whole culture of folks nurturing the older firearms as Mike does. I’ll admire them and the couple I have. I’ll buy a couple of more high end Deluxe rifles for their quality and beauty. But after that it’s custom. I will trade off the beauty of old for the sub moa precision of today’s long range customs. Besides, I’ll get less agitated from battle scars on a modern rifle than when I scratch or dent one of my beautiful wood stocks- lol.
When I was young " guns were hardware " only someone with " more dollars than sense " would think otherwise .
You're probably right Phillip - just tools in the end.
I just picked up a brand new unfired Merkel KR1. I didn't really appreciate the gun until I had the fortune of owning one. No receiver, short overall length, light weight, just a great gun. Would you like to review mine, I've asked you previously if you have one, I know they are not very common.
Hi Anthony - congratulations - I know them - absolutely superb. I handled one that was very special - I think they called it a Jena or something like that. I have a line on a KR1 and if that doesn't happen I'll be in touch. Thank you so much for the offer. Bravo again - such a design!
Glad to hear you are pursuing a KR1, I am looking forward to seeing a review in the future of this masterpiece of firearms art!!
Best wishes,
Anthony
new model S&L is great, as old school as you can get nowadays without paying and arm and a leg (:
Smoothest bolt I have ever shot, and accurate
Those guns are art and craftsmen ship personified. I will be hunting shows this summer with an entirely new perspective. Thanks!
We think very much the same. I was thinking about automation, and how one day soon 3D printing might kill manufacturing almost completely when each of us can buy a future printer that actually creates pieces of the same strength as steel, and it's just matter of downloading a file and loading it so the printer will make you every part of a gun or a bicycle or a gulf club etc. Manufacturing could go the way of photography when you once needed to buy a film then take it to be developed and printed, now you it's all digital and done in your bedroom.
Automation is actually starting to reverse "globalisation" in a way; Adidas is about to begin making shoes in Germany again, after maybe two decades of manufacturing in Asia, simply because the process of making shoes has become quite automated the machines will do almost all the work without much need for the prohibitively expensive German labour. But will a pair of shoes bearing the mark "Made in Germany" mean much when I know it's almost 100% machine made? The country of manufacture will lose its value in this context because Made in Germany or Made in UK etc. used to carry some romance of a first class craftsman who is being paid a lot of money doing the work.
Same goes for guns. Everyone is moving towards more machines and more cost cutting. True Mauser actions are becoming rare and few in mass production because manufacturers are moving towards cheaper designs. CZ has discontinued the 550 Mauser actioned rifle in all but a few African calibres, and replaced it with the generic actioned 557. Consumers at large don't care, and as long as you give them a functioning tool they won't mind how much moulded plastic is there or if it is made by robots.
There will remain a small niche market for those who want finely crafted guns using classic materials and hand workmanship, but no one knows if that small number of buyers will be able to sustain the businesses willing to do that. Companies like Beretta and Browning will likely be able to maintain "custom shops" in one way or another, because their main profits come from mass produced guns and military firearms therefore sustaining a few classic gunmakers making smaller numbers of high quality guns is not a problem. I fear though for the true gems like James Purdey and Holland and Holland. I visited the Purdey factory in Hammersmith and saw the world's finest guns and rifles being made by master craftsmen, some of whom apprenticed to previous generations of masters when they were just 16, and I don't want this classic mastery to disappear. These companies are owned by luxury groups and they try to sustain themselves by increasing the clothing and accessories side of the business, but with hunting becoming more politically incorrect by the day and with fewer people willing and able to pay $130,000-$600,000 for a gun or a double rifle one wonders if these historic companies can keep making forearms for much longer.
Much to think about. I did not know about Adidas and you are right : in addition to being soulless robots have no nationality. Still, I look forward to seeing "Made in Germany" again - by whatever means. I am very interested in your thoughts and observations. Please write more.
I have spent countless hours over many years looking at various econometric models and it is clear to me that fundamental assumptions about industrial production, technology and supply/demand that seemed theoretically correct were and are far from accurate. I can't come up with the mathematical proofs but consumption is not infinite and technology is supposed to be a tool used by meaningfully employed populations. We are not meant to work for machines.
I hope and believe there are always going to be people that can discern the difference between a million perfect but random letters, and one word.
Anyway, so long as we are free to own guns we still have a shot! : )
You are a smart man. Keep making the videos !
Thanks Sandra. I'll do my best.
Excellent. Another fine maker is F.W. Heym. I have a SR20 that was one of their "cheaper" models. The fit & finish, checkering & metalwork is top notch & it will thread needles. A joy to shoot. The only drawback to having such beautiful, well made rifles is that you might flinch a little when you think about bringing them into the field & weather.
You bet - Heym makes some very fine rifles. I'd just take em hunting - one lives once.
Hark, I see a Weatherby Mark V rifle in the background. A fitting tribute to Roy Weatherby's genius on the 30th anniversary of his legacy. Tomorrow's rifles today! The world's strongest action - up to 200,000 psi - Roy claimed. Famous gunsmith PO Ackely used loads that blew up a Mauser 98 action (in a 270 Ackley Magnum, I think) that left the Mark V unfazed.
Hi Will - I must seize the moment and make a proper video on Roy's magic Mark V. Thanks for refreshing my memory.
Hi fellow subscribers. I have posted this before, however, one of my absolute favourite rifles was deemed near garbage at a gun show I attended 2 years ago. A Parker Hale deluxe .303. A No.4Mk1 with early Singer sight. This rifle continues to shoot amazing groups. It was on a table of beautiful, Winchester lever actions and while covered in red wool (from the blanket that it was stored in) was a 5 groove barrel looking for a owner ready to re-engage the hobby. This rifle was $150.
Thank you for this channel and I enjoy reading every comment.
Merry Christmas and good health to you. I retire to enjoy some cheap cognac so I can save money for the collection. Cognac is good for curing chest colds.
Those PH 303s are incredible buys - hard to believe actually; so much rifle and accuracy, reliability and just plain appeal for so little. Thanks for being here on the channel and for your supportive words (which mean a lot to me). I wish you a Merry Christmas and a return to full health; but keep sipping the cognac (to keep the bugs away.) Cheers!
Schultz-Larsen still make excellent guns in the same semi-handmade fashion. You should try to get a hold of some of their current top of the line offerings as they offer tremendous value for money. My first rifle was S-L ‘Otterup’ target .22LR, and it was amazingly accurate, while being simplicity itself.
I've heard about those target models - have to get one; .22s remain the most shootable firearms on the planet - cheap, no recoil, easy on the ears. I wish S&L arms were more available.
I think this is a kind of advice that most people don't take seriously enough. Anyone with a little savings and the determination or intelligence to spot value can invest. Firearms, stocks, or other antiques, doesn't matter. All that matters is that real value lasts and increases.
Perfect words - no investment value in makeup, songs piped into ears, games played of just about any kind etc... one has to buy real and lasting value - just as you say - the rest - is just popcorn.
Your Mauser 66 is such a handsome rifle.
Very wise advice. Thanks.
I think that collecting and using beautiful guns is a joy. I hope in my long life I will be able to purchase just one of these beautiful, hand made pieces. Comparitively speaking, quality rirearms are inexpensive. You might spend $30-40k on a car and do it every 5 years or so. Why not spend $10k of that and own something of immense beauty. Even $5k will get you something special.
I once went hunting boar here in Australia as part of a club group. All the young people had their composite stock but accurate all the same, rifles. I then saw an older guy with a SABI hunting rifle in 375 H&H. Everyone gathered around and you rarely see a SABI on the market. He had paid $10k for it and though its not an English or European rifle, it does not disappoint. Its used all the time. The action is a Mauser 98 modified and your choice of barrels. That rifle will hardly drop in price. One should look at the safari grade offerings from European manufacturers with history like Brno, Mauser etc. Or you can do what some do, myself included is to buy an action or a donor gun, update it have it beautifully reblued and fit it into a black walnot stock. Its money well spent.
My current project is an M96 Mauser in 6.5. Its a keeper.
Hello Stephen, Your words are gems. I am convinced by personal experience - the values that resulted is everything we have in the Western world remain the same - technology confuses and that's fine - but the classic arms and ways are what matter. Without exception - every young person I've taken afield (even those that said they HATE guns) returned home with a knowledge and a wisdom that is hard to find - and they all can't wait to get back into the wild - and shoot. The current ways are interesting - to me as well - but the deeper waters are where the meaning is. Not to be overly philosophical - but guns are instruments of art - much like cellos and violins. Killing has nothing to do with the entire equation.
Indeed. In my country, Australia, its not easy wanting to own and shoot firearms. You have to go through the licensing system that takes about a year. Of course assault weapons are handguns are completely banned. No loss in my book.
I belong to one of the biggest gun clubs in Sydney and we shoot at the military rifle range on the coast. You have to shoot at least four times a year to get and keep your license. Getting a hunting license as well is also difficult and you have to go on four club organised hunts each year. I don't find this a problem. It weeds out the irresponsible from the serious and committed.
Every so often someone will bring along something special to shoot on our range days. It gets a lot of attention and then they go back to their Remington with its plastic stock and the desire to upgrade sets in. The thing is these new guns are unarguably accurate, which is good. You can remove the action and barrel, throw away or sell the stock, go and get some nice walnut and finish it into a beautiful stock. Then reblue it and you have something you can be proud of.
Anyway, I enjoy your videos. They are considered and thoughtful and the aspects of beautiful guns is accessible through you. My extended family has a global luxury chain, asprey.com. My cousin William also has his own business. williamandson.com He occasionally gets a commission to supply a custom rifle or shotgun. He tells me he does not make any money out of it. I said charge a lot more and they will come. They do. Business marketing is all about perception. My email address is wmasprey@gmail.com
USOG, from a collectability and shooting point of view, how would you rank the following rifles assuming they are of equal condition; K-11, Carl Gustav CG-63 and No4 Mk1. For the most point, this rifle will be enjoyed at the range. Of course I’m interested in all points of views from subscribers. Wild Card: Bonafide Mosin Sniper or M-96
First Place : No4Mk1 / then the CG-63 and lastly the K-11. You can reverse the list from a collectors point of view; until the .303s dry up. The Mosin is an excellent rifle - and especially in the sniper version is more in the collector realm - although many people love hunting with them. Hope my remarks are useful.
Ok viewers. Why does USOG always pick the most expensive rifles? 👍🏻
Ok. Last one for today. A Voere Kufstein in 30.06 with sling and scope as purchased when new. Have we a video of this firearm in the archive? This beauty has a wonderful Monty Carlo stock. Any inherent weakness to look for?
I love the vintage x4 scope!
What is the rifle at the front of the table. It's beautiful!!!
I think a Colt Sauer 80 - truly an exceptional rifle.
USOG I didn't recognize it. Looks to be a high quality piece