I'm a nostalgic guy. I get a similar feeling when I see 22" polished wheels and rubber-band tires on a '68 Camaro.
This thread annoys me.
Someone will use a sxs for defense, and thats ok; but because it has a light, which is unquestionablly useful; theyre idiots??
If you are a mere collector or guns, its fine to say, "ick" or "blastphemy!", but if a modification, or a look enhances the function of a gun ESPECIALLY when its used for gunfighting, its all fair game. A armed thug will not care if you are true to the memory of John Wayne when you ventilate him with a 30-30 or buck from a 12ga.
We have a name in motorcycle circles that describes those who care more how their motorcycle looks than performs. They are called POSERS.
It is not unlike those who fuss over the color scheme of their Black rifles before they even consider ammunition choice, or even learning how to properly shoot the damn thing.
Someone will use a sxs for defense, and thats ok; but because it has a light, which is unquestionablly useful; theyre idiots??
If you are a mere collector or guns, its fine to say, "ick" or "blastphemy!", but if a modification, or a look enhances the function of a gun ESPECIALLY when its used for gunfighting, its all fair game. A armed thug will not care if you are true to the memory of John Wayne when you ventilate him with a 30-30 or buck from a 12ga.
We have a name in motorcycle circles that describes those who care more how their motorcycle looks than performs. They are called POSERS.
It is not unlike those who fuss over the color scheme of their Black rifles before they even consider ammunition choice, or even learning how to properly shoot the damn thing.
I like them both, and I'm someone that loves classic leverguns and sxs's. I also very much enjoy modern looks on classics. Keep up the ingenuity!
Sorry for the annoying thread, kinda. I was finding myself learning in the other thread. *gasp* I know, I swore I'd never do that again after graduating college, but it was interesting to me. I used to be firmly in the camp of "don't mess with the older guns" but I found myself thinking, OK, the old K98 Mausers are cool, but if I was going to use one for hunting or range, I'd want to put a new stock on it, free float the barrel, or completely rebarrel it, and mount a scope on it. And for a long time now, I've thought "why the heck not?" when it comes to refinishing guns. So then along comes GED's thread, and I'm thinking, what's so sacred about a lever gun? Especially a modern production gun like the Marlin 336?
So, the more I think about it, I see less and less "wrong" with the SxS with the light and optic. I mean, I have no mental block to someone refinishing an older gun, so why not do it the most functional way for the owner? For me, I'd probably start with a Mossy 88 if I was building a budget HD shotgun, but if someone had grown up shooting break open shotguns, and was fast and proficient with them, why NOT modify one for better HD use?
So, while this thread may be annoying to those already set in one camp or the other, maybe it will help some people to make a more educated opinion.
So, the more I think about it, I see less and less "wrong" with the SxS with the light and optic. I mean, I have no mental block to someone refinishing an older gun, so why not do it the most functional way for the owner? For me, I'd probably start with a Mossy 88 if I was building a budget HD shotgun, but if someone had grown up shooting break open shotguns, and was fast and proficient with them, why NOT modify one for better HD use?
So, while this thread may be annoying to those already set in one camp or the other, maybe it will help some people to make a more educated opinion.
Okay, other than the bipod, I like this. I wouldn't do it to my Garand, but maybe if I got another "beater" Garand
Like the Marlin, SXS's are for either hunting or play for me, but that Garand is blasphemy!
I am not a collector, but I used to think some things were best left alone. That said, I love lever guns for every application, 50 yards in brush out to 400 yards on open range (30-30, 45-70, 308 marlin, all good). As the Duke's best tracker once said, "close, my eyes not so good anymore". Now if he would have been able to put a reasonably priced, Leupold Rifleman Scope on his 1894, I bet he would have done it.
I know that I like lever action, hate bolt action, and will not give up using what I love, just because my eyesight has gotten bad and someone does not like the way I rig it. On top of everything, my left eye is better than my right eye so I have had to shoot left handed for the last 20 years. It is hard enough to run a lever action left handed when you are right handed, but down right impossible to run a bolt. Ad onto that, left handed bolts were a rarity when I had to relearn to shoot left handed, the lever gun works the same no matter which way you shoot.
After all the soap boxing, I still think that a gun's first purpose is as a tool. As with any tool you should do what ever it takes to make it the safetest, most proficient, durable tool you can buy.
I know that I like lever action, hate bolt action, and will not give up using what I love, just because my eyesight has gotten bad and someone does not like the way I rig it. On top of everything, my left eye is better than my right eye so I have had to shoot left handed for the last 20 years. It is hard enough to run a lever action left handed when you are right handed, but down right impossible to run a bolt. Ad onto that, left handed bolts were a rarity when I had to relearn to shoot left handed, the lever gun works the same no matter which way you shoot.
After all the soap boxing, I still think that a gun's first purpose is as a tool. As with any tool you should do what ever it takes to make it the safetest, most proficient, durable tool you can buy.
ok, sorry, no offense to you..
I meant the responses that the thread generates!
itches are annoying, but then, its cool to scratch them!
