The New and Improved 50 Best Guns Ever Made

In Feb. 2006, the shooting world was rendered incontinent by the publication of Field & Stream’s “50 Greatest Guns Ever.” The magazine sold out, and shooters everywhere tore through its pages to see if their favorite had been included.

Eight years have passed, and much has changed. Guns have come and gone, and this list is not the same as the last one. Part of that is due to the fact that half of it was compiled by Phil, whose shotgun choices are far sounder than mine were.

There are a number of ways a gun could make it here: The first was to change the course of firearms design. The Remington Nylon 66 made synthetic stocks not only acceptable but desirable, and the Smith & Wesson Model 29 altered our concept of what a handgun could do. Other factors: longevity (the Mosin-Nagant), sheer excellence (the Purdey self-opener), and general-horribleness-but-still-works-like-a-son-of-a-bitch (the Mossberg 500).

This list is not compiled in order of greatness. It's simply the top 50 choices in no kind of order at all. Anyone who would tell you that a Weatherby Mark V is "greater" than an A.H. Fox would teach his grandmother to suck eggs.

In any event, enjoy, and when you e-mail to inform us we’re a couple of ignorant swine, check your spelling and punctuation. —D.E.P.

Photos: NRA Museums/NRAmuseums.com
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