Firearm Wish List
These guns are currently being built or are on order:
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These are things I would like to add to my collection, in order of their priority: |
I am also thinking about guns in these categories: |
Bushmaster ACR in 6.8mm SPC
My desire to own a Bushmaster ACR in 6.8mm SPC has moved one step closer to reality. They have announced a release date: March 1, 2010. Furthermore, they are actively discussing 6.8mm SPC as a chambering for this rifle.
Bushmaster ACR
This rifle solves all of the problems I have with the AR platform. It is piston operated. It has the charge handle in a sensible location. It has a true folding stock. And it is made by a manufacturer I have faith in. It supports tool-less caliber changes. It is also designed to be used with a sound suppressor.
This will likely become my primary CQB rifle.
The MSRP for the Enhanced model is $3,061. That's a lot of money to spend for a rifle that has no track record. I have only one other firearm that cost that much. That price will probably eliminate a lot of their customer base, and perhaps Bushmaster will eventually have to lower the price anyway. I think someone got greedy.
It appears that the Basic model in 5.56x45mm has hit the streets. I got to handle one at my brother's shop. I definitely like it. It is light, the controls are all sensibly designed, etc. However, the trigger is a bit heavy with a long, rough creep. I need to find out if it will take an AR-15 trigger group. The length of pull seemed a little short, but I assume it was adjustable and I couldn't figure it out. Update: The Enhanced model in 5.56x45mm has now hit the streets, and the alternate color (Coyote Brown) is also appearing. Even better, the street price (on GunBroker) for both models has dropped a bit. It's nice to know that I won't have to save up quite $3000. Nothing in 6.8mm SPC, yet.
Snubnose Pocket Revolver
I would like to get a compact pocket revolver for CCW purposes. I had thought I wanted a .357 Magnum, but now I am strongly considering the possibility of a .327 Magnum, assuming some good conceal options come out. Despite the recoil sting involved, I think I want an ultra-light revolver, ideally in titanium. I won't be taking it to the range every week, but it needs to be as light as possible if I am going to carry it.
Smith & Wesson Model M&P 360 Chief's Special
The M&P 360 Chief's Special is what I want. It is a scandium alloy J frame with a stainless steel cylinder. Overall weight is 13.3 oz (compared to my Glock 26 at 19.75 oz and my Tomcat at 14.5 oz). Matte black finished, with a short synthetic grip. I thought it had a tritium night sight, but I glanced at one in the case at Cabela's and it appeared to have a fiber optic sight. I need to figure that out. The 360 has an exposed hammer for single/double-action. Street price: $695 to $760 (this may be old, Cabela's wants $900 for it).
What about unfinished stainless/titanium/alloy? If I am going to carry it around a lot, the finish will wear off.
Sendero in .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
I have a lightweight rifle for hunting deer at short ranges: up to 300 yards. I have a luggable precision rifle which is suitable for long ranges: 1200+ yards. I would like to have a medium-weight rifle capable of taking deer and elk at medium ranges: up to 600 yards. The solution seems to be a heavy .30 caliber bullet with a high ballistic fired at fairly respectable velocities out of a gun with at least ½ MOA accuracy. In my opinion, the ideal total weight of rifle and scope for this rifle is 10 lbs.
The bullet for the job appears to be the 208 grain Hornady A-Max. If fired with a muzzle velocity of 2900 fps, it will retain 2000 ft-lbs of energy at 600 yards and reach the target with fairly low wind deflection. There are basically two common cartridges that can get the bullet going that fast: the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .300 Remington Ultra Magnum. I am starting to lean toward the latter, because 2900 fps is marginal for the Win Mag.
Remington makes two Model 700 rifles that seem to fit the requirements. One is the Sendero SF II, and the other is the XCR Tactical Long Range. Both weigh 8½ lbs. without optics, both have fluted 26" heavy-contour barrels, and both are stainless steel with 3rd party synthetic stocks with full-length aluminum bedding blocks. The Sendero is polished stainless steel with a black H-S Precision stock. The XCR has a black TriNyte finish with an OD green Bel & Carlson stock.
Remington Model 700 Sendero SF II
Neither of these rifles come with accuracy guarantees, however both are intended to be quite accurate. I have had many people report that the Sendero reaches ½ MOA accuracy out of the box. One drawback of the TriNyte finish is that my gunsmith will have no way to re-apply it if he re-crowns the barrel. Still, I might not have this rifle accurized. If I can't get it to achieve ½ MOA accuracy, I might just sell it and buy another one.
I want to mount the Leupold VX-3L 4.5-14x56mm Long Range scope on this rifle. This is the one with the lovely crescent cut out at the bottom, allowing it to mount lower. It weighs 23 ounces and has a street price of $900.
Open Top Revolver
I've been watching too many spaghetti westerns lately or something, and now I would really like an open-top revolver. I need to learn more about them. I really like the contrast of a black cylinder against a nickel or brass frame. I also like the long, sleek look of them. Who has them? What model do I want? Can I tolerate a strange caliber like .44 Colt or .45 Schofield?
1871 Late Model Open Top Colt Revolver
Varmint Rifle in .204 Ruger
I want a long-range varmint rifle, especially if I am going to be moving out west. For a while, I thought I wanted to use .223 for this, and I even thought about .17 HMR. However, there is a new cartridge called .204 Ruger, and I like what I've read about it. Theoretically, it fires a 40 grain bullet at 3900 fps or a 32 grain bullet at 4250 fps! The bullets are slender and aerodynamic. Compared to either a 40 or 55 grain .223 Remington, the .204 has better energy and a much flatter trajectory, both at short and long ranges.
The cartridge has low recoil. In fact, the recoil is so low that people testing and reviewing rifles chambered for this cartridge consistantly report being able to watch the impact through the scope.
Factory ammunition is a little expensive still, but that is changing now that there is more competition in the market. It is a reloadable centerfire, and Hodgdon has reloading data for it. It appears that the same H4895 powder that works so well for .223 Remington is also good for .204 Ruger. Maybe VARGET will work well, too. I think Lee is making dies for it now, too.
Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Varminter in 204 Ruger
I have made my choice (again). I want the new Savage Model 12 Long Range Precision Varminter. It weighs twelve pounds due to the 1" diameter extra heavy barrel. It has a synthetic stock with a molded alloy bedding system. Stainless steel. They eliminted my only minor reservation to this by making a repeating version with a four round magazine. Tim has a Savage rifle with the AccuTrigger, and I really like it.
Gallery of Guns doesn't show the repeating version. On the single-shot version, they show it as having a 30" barrel! Can that be true? Street price for that is under $1100. Savage shows the 12 LRPV DBM to have a 26" barrel and a detachable box magazine.
I am thinking I will get a Leupold VX-3 8.5-25x50mm Long Range Target with a Varmint reticle. Street price on that is $1050. I might think about going with the 6.5-20 version instead.
Ruger LCP
The Ruger LCP came out several months ago. It is clearly a knock-off of the Kel-Tec P-3AT. However, one would hope that Ruger has been able to solve the durability problems that Kel-Tec has had. The more I look into the LCP, the more I like it. The trigger pull is much better than I had expected, and this is apparently due to it's semi-cocked firing mechanism. Also, this is a recoil operated firearm, rather than being blow-back operated. There is no manual safety. If it had last-round hold open, and a loaded round indicator, it would be perfect.
Range Report: LCP — A friend of mine picked up a Ruger LCP a couple weeks ago, and we went to the range to fire it today.
It was very difficult to fire it accurately, because of the trigger. When I dry-fired the one at the gun show, it didn't seem as bad as this. However, at the range, the heavy trigger pull made it very challenging to hold the gun steady, especially as light as the gun is. Worse, the trigger pull is very long, almost as bad as the NAA Guardians. In my case, I will pull it back so far, and then want to jerk it the rest of the way back. It was a struggle for me to assert proper trigger control over my instincts. My groups were terrible.
On the plus side, the recoil was surprisingly mild. Very little "sting" factor compared to the NAA Guardian. I suspect this is because it is a recoil operated firearm, rather than being blow-back operated with a fixed barrel.
Also, we didn't have any failures to feed.
I had been thinking that I should get one of these, but now I think I should hold off until I learn about methods to improve the trigger. A lighter trigger spring might help, but since it uses a semi-cocked firing mechanism (like a Glock), the hammer spring is probably also involved. Lightening the hammer spring might make it detonate primers less reliably. However, I think shortening the trigger pull is more important, which would mean replacing a sear or something. I need to do some online research to see if and how other people are modifying their LCP triggers.
Maybe I will get a Sig P238 instead.
| Handgun | Length | Height | Width | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glock 26 | 6.29 | 4.17 | 1.18 | 19.75 |
| Beretta Tomcat | 4.9 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 14.5 |
| Ruger LCP | 5.16 | 3.60 | .820 | 9.40 |
| Sig P238 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 1.1 | 15.2 |
| S&W M&P 360 | 6.31 | 13.3 |
So what really makes my Glock 26 difficult to conceal? Weight might be the biggest factor. If I drop it in a pocket, it makes that pocket sag quite a bit. The Tomcat has much less of a problem with this. Thickness must not be the problem, because I put the Tomcat in a pocket holster, which must make it even thicker than the Glock. The total combination of length, height, and width together must be considered together. I guess I should wait until I've gotten my 360 before I make any serious decisions about other pocket guns.
Springfield Armory 1911
This was on my list a long time ago, and somehow it was removed. I would like to get a 1911 style handgun, probably one made by Springfield Armory. I like the look of stainless steel with black grips.
Springfield Armory PX9152LP Loaded Black Stainless Target
The PX9152LP has a 5" barrel, adjustable rear target sight, 3-Dot tritium, match grade trigger, G10 composite grips, stainless steel frame and slide with matt black rounds. It obviously fires .45 ACP. MSRP is $1244.
500 Smith & Wesson Revolver
If I am going to hunt bear with my 450 Marlin, I need a backup weapon. The minimum I could use for this would be a 44 Magnum. There is also 454 Casull, 475 Linebaugh, and the new 460 Smith & Wesson. However, the ultimate is the 500 Smith & Wesson.
I would like to get a long barrel with a compensator. It will be very loud, but it should be relatively easy to handle. I also want a shoulder holster for it.
500 Smith & Wesson, 8-3/8" Revolver
It looks like the 8-3/8" version is available with a fixed or a removable compensator.
Kel-Tec SUB-2000
The Kel-Tec SUB-2000 is a cute little novelty: a folding carbine that fires 9mm or 40 S&W pistol cartridges. It folds down to 16" x 7". I keep thinking of situations in which it would be nice to have a stocked rifle that requires very little storage space.
Kel-Tec SUB-2000
Not being one to settle for what's available, I would really like to have one of these in 357 SIG. This caliber would make it a true survival gun, able to take deer-sized game in a pinch. I doubt I can convince Kel-Tec to do a custom job for me, so I will have to buy the 40 S&W version and have it rebarreled in 357 SIG. I wonder if I could buy a replacement 9mm barrel from them and re-chamber it. Hmm, more research is needed, but there are rumors that a few 357 SIG versions are already floating around.
Calico M-100 Carbine
Another cute little novelty is the Calico M-100 Carbine. This is a .22 with a 100 round helical magazine. They make several products utilizing this magazine technology.
Calico M-100
338 Lapua Magnum
For a long time, I have wanted a rifle in 338 Lapua Magnum.
The obvious answer is a Lou Andrews custom rifle. He has been building these lately on a Lawton action. My plan, in this case, would be to get a switch-barrel setup, capable of firing 338 Lapua, 30 Wolf, and 510 Whisper.
A factory option to consider is the Sako TRG-42. As a factory rifle goes, it is expensive, but it is certainly less expensive than the custom rifle I have. It is available with a stainless barrel or a chrom-moly barrel. Street price appears to be around $2800.
Accuracy International: Arctic Warfare Super Magnum. "Due to precise lug-to-receiver-face dimensions, shooters can swap barrels at will using the factory-supplied kit." Does this mean I could have 30 Wolf and 510 Whisper barrels made and swap them easily?
I will definitely have to try some Naturalis Long Range bullets.
Barrett M82A1
One of these days, I'm going to get one of these. It is rather expensive, but my collection won't be complete without one. It fires the 50BMG cartridge, but it claims to have recoil similar to a 12 gauge shotgun. It is semi-automatic with a 10 round magazine. Maybe after the war, they will be easier to get, and I will have the money for it. I will need a taller gun safe if I get one of these. The standard model has a 57 inch overall length, but there is a model that is 60 inches long.
Barrett M82A1
.375 H&H Magnum
I'm still sort of thinking about getting a rifle in .375 H&H Magnum. I might not keep it forever. Winchester is no longer an option, but either of the CZ options would still be good.
CZ 550 Safari Magnum
I won't bother getting a scope for this, mostly because I don't plan to do any real hunting or serious target shooting with it. Fortunately, these things tend to be made with iron sights on them.
Winchester Model 70 Safari Express
Uh, oh. I had originally wanted this caliber in a Winchester, but when they went under, the rifle that was chambered in .375 H&H disappeared. I chose to consider the CZ instead. However, it appears that the reincarnated Winchester has brought it back. What to do ...
22 Magnum (Rimfire) Rifle
It might be wise to have a 22 WMR rifle on hand. Quite a few of the hunting regs for furbearers limit weapons to "22 caliber rimfire", which would include 22 WMR. I wouldn't feel very confident hunting a coyote with a 22 LR. I think I would like a stainless steel rifle with a grey laminate stock.
Ruger offers 22 WMR only in their 77/22 bolt-action rifle. One of them is a stainless version with a synthetic boat paddle stock. It looks nice. Also, it has a 9 round detachable rotary magazine. MSRP is $777, and the street price is probably around $575.
Ruger 77/22 in 22 WMR
22 Semi-Automatic Pistol
For training and plinking purposes, I really should consider getting a semi-automatic handgun in 22 LR. This would be for developing muscle memory, so a target pistol with a steep grip angle is not what I want.
Oh, I am pretty much decided that this handgun should be one that can accept a sound suppressor. I will either have a stock barrel threaded, or I will by an after-market barrel that is already threaded.
I am mostly convinced that I will get a Browning Buckmark. I like the way they look, they are known to be accurate, and they are easily modified. There are a couple dozen current models to look at, so I haven't made up my mind which specific one I want. I probably want one with a bull barrel and a picatiny/weaver scope base.
Browning Buck Mark Hunter
RimfireCentral.com has a great sticky thread to help a newcomer like me wade through all the Buckmark options.
- I want to avoid the Camper models, since they (usually) come with a plastic rear sight base
If I could get the color and contour of the grips on the Plus Stainless Black Laminated UDX, but the barrel length and integral scope base of the Hunter, and the standard front sight, I would be happy. However, I think I will settle for the Hunter. The selection of after-market grips for the standard grip is much better, so maybe I can find a black laminate that I like. For example, the Silver/Black Ultima Target with Finger Grooves at HandgunGrips.com
Ultima Target Grip with Finger Grooves in Silver/Black
Montana Rifleman 338 Federal (left-hand)
I have received a barreled action from Montana Rifleman. It is a left-hand bolt action chambered in the new 338 Federal cartridge. I will keep it for my dad to use when we go hunting together in the U.P. It should be sufficient to take deer, elk, black bear, and even moose. Recoil should be reasonable.
The barrel and action is chrome moly, blued with a polished finish. The action is a left-hand short action with a .473" bolt face. It has a magazine length of 3.125", and it comes drilled and tapped for a scope (I was told to look for a "Winchester magnum two piece" mount, and that it has an 860 spacing. The barrel is a #3 regular sporter, 22" long with a 1 in 10" rate of twist. It will have a recessed crown.
Reloading data is getting easier to come by. Hodgdon has lots of data online, including data for the 160 grain Barnes X-bullet. Barnes has 338 Federal data in their newest reloading manual (but not for the 160 grain bullet). Speer has published some on their web site.
Status: The stock is shaped, fitted, sanded and stained. It needs to receive the final finish, and then I need to do the glass bedding job.
Turkey Shotgun
For turkey, I want something that can take 3½" shells. It should be well camouflaged. Remington has several options that look good and don't cost a lot. The Remington 870 Express Super Magnum Turkey Camo looks like their best option. It is a pump-action that can handle any size shell, and it comes with a Turkey Extra Full choke. The magazine holds four 2¾" or 3" shells, or three 3½" shells.
Remington 870 Express Super Magnum Turkey Camo
Rifled Slug Barrel
The time may come when I want to hunt in some state where the best option is a shotgun with slugs. In such a case, I will want a rifled slug barrel. Getting one for my Benelli M2 seems like the obvious solution, but it is excessively expensive. The part number (matte black) appears to be 80114, and the street price seems to be in excess of $500.
Perhaps a more reasonable option would be to get one for the Remington 870 which I intend to buy eventually. However, I may have trouble finding one that fits a Super Magnum (3½") receiver. On the other hand, it may be that a receiver isn't made to fit 3½" shells, but that only the barrel is. Also, rifled slug barrels appear to be available with cantilever scope mounts. Street price appears to be $300 or $250.
Whisper AR-15 Upper
There are a series of "whisper" cartridges, which are all heavy bullets traveling at subsonic muzzle velocities. If ever I am going to spend money for a sound suppressor, these seem like the appropriate applications.
I believe the .300 Whisper is designed to operate in an AR-15 action and magazine. I should research this more. Does it have any problems cycling the action? (Yes, subsonic has issues, so a gas regulator is probably needed.) How much noise does the AR-15 action make?
Ideally, this would be a relatively long, heavy barrel. It should be threaded for a suppressor. A free-floated forearm, of course, that can accomodate a bipod. Flat top receiver for optics. It doesn't need to be piston operated, but I should find out if that improves the sound signature.
Maybe I should just buy an upper made by SSK Industries. Apparently, SSK has properly headspaced .300 Whisper brass available. I am sure they can recommend or sell me a good suppressor, as well.
Midway appears to sell a Lee trimmer set for the .300 Whisper.
It looks like SSK gets about $1100 for a complete upper. I'm not sure what the suppressor will cost.
Ideally, I would like a 20" stainless bull barrel, threaded for a suppressor, a low profile gas block, and a free-floated forearm. I'm not sure what rate of twist is ideal.
Large Caliber Precision Whisper Rifle
The whisper cartridges make up for lack of velocity by using heavy bullets. The ultimate, of course, is the .510 Whisper. I would like to have a precision rifle built for this caliber.
If I have Lou Andrews build a precision .338 Lapua rifle for me, I will probably do a switch barrel configuration with a .510 Whisper barrel. There may be some challenge in finding a supressor in this caliber, however.
Suppressed .22 LR Rifle
I have almost decided to get a .22 caliber suppressor. I would mainly be interested in using it on a rifle I can hunt small varmints with. I'm not sure if I should have my CZ threaded or if I should get a different rifle for this purpose. I will also want to use it on a .22 LR handgun, when I get it. If possible, it would be interesting to use it on a .223 or a .204 rifle if the opportunity came up.
Having my CZ threaded would certainly be the least expensive option. However, I'm not sure how that would work on a blued barrel. Alternatively, I could build a new rifle. Maybe I should revive my plans to build a tricked out Ruger 10/22 (that I originally wanted to build for .17 HMR). Doing a semi-auto would allow quick follow-up shots.
Rimfire Central has a Topic on 10/22 receivers that are on the market.
Steyr Mannlicher Luxus
I just found out about the Steyr Mannlicher Luxus. It is a bolt-action rifle with interchangeable barrels. The scope mount is integrated with the barrel. It has interchangeable bolt faces. This is precisely what my brother and I imagined for a bolt-action upper-lower rifle.
The only drawback is that the calibers available don't seem all that interesting to me. Fairly standard big-game cartridges, plus some European ones. I guess I should look into the European ones: 7x64, 9.3x62, and 8x68 S.
If the barrel can be removed from the mount, I could have it rebarreled in whatever caliber I want. Some calibers might require custom bolt faces. A .338 Federal barrel would be nice once my Montana Rifleman leaves my collection.
Possible Film Props
- Bersa Thunder 380 in Stainless
- Stainless 1911 - Springfield Armory?
- Beretta 92
- Coach Shotgun (side-by-side, external hammers) ... CZ makes one new