Oldest rifle you have that is shot often

[Hitzy]

Just thinking about this and figured I'd start a thread.
Oldest I have that gets used is an 1899 Oberndorf made Swede '96 sporter, sported when I got it, I don't like to bubba. Job was well done in Sweden, shop I got it from imports hundreds of rifles a year from there. They have weird laws where you can only own something like 8 rifles, so when Swedes want to buy something new they usually have to sell off something. Because of the limit however, there are literally no buyers there for these, so shops auction of lots of old guns for peanuts. I've picked up a lot of gems over the years as a result.
I'll post some pics when I can get them loaded off the puter.
Thing shoots like a lazer, pretty impressive for being 120 years old.

[Whistlebritches]

I have several older but none get shot as often as my 25 year old Browning A-Bolt in 25-06.It's a pleasure to shoot,it's a tack driver and it'll take down anything Northwest Texas has to offer.I've taken well over a hundred wild boar,probably closer two hundred truth be told,probably 75 whitetail and literally hundreds of coyotes.Best damn rifle I have ever owned.

[CoreyR]

I shoot my Martini-Enfield about 5 or 6 times a year. As I recall it has a manufacture date of 1884.
It is .577x.450 Martini but I use a subcaliber device and shoot .45 LC for a whole lot le$$. Very fun to "bullet launch" with. When I do, actually, fire a .577-450 round from the rifle, that is exactly what it is doing, "launching" a lead slug downrange. Low and slow. LOL I know the brits used to complain about the recoil on this rifle but, compared to Mausers, Lee-Enfields, Mosin-Nagants or (good GRAVY) those Austrian Mannlicher MONSTERS, the recoil of the Martini is pretty mild. It sort of rolls back. I could shoot it all day long if I had too.

[CoreyR]

Just thinking about this and figured I'd start a thread.
Oldest I have that gets used is an 1899 Oberndorf made Swede '96 sporter, sported when I got it, I don't like to bubba. Job was well done in Sweden, shop I got it from imports hundreds of rifles a year from there. They have weird laws where you can only own something like 8 rifles, so when Swedes want to buy something new they usually have to sell off something. Because of the limit however, there are literally no buyers there for these, so shops auction of lots of old guns for peanuts. I've picked up a lot of gems over the years as a result.
I'll post some pics when I can get them loaded off the puter.
Thing shoots like a lazer, pretty impressive for being 120 years old.

I have a few old swedish Mausers and they are tack drivers. I love going to the range and outshooting hunters with scoped hunting rifles. They assume that scope makes them a shoe in over a iron sight but they are wrong. Especially when facing a Swedish Mauser...and a shooter who happens to have "telescopic vision" in his right eye due to an injury. I can't read close up but I can see crap far away!

[Ronv69]

I shoot my Martini-Enfield about 5 or 6 times a year. As I recall it has a manufacture date of 1884.
It is .577x.450 Martini but I use a subcaliber device and shoot .45 LC for a whole lot le$$. Very fun to "bullet launch" with. When I do, actually, fire a .577-450 round from the rifle, that is exactly what it is doing, "launching" a lead slug downrange. Low and slow. LOL I know the brits used to complain about the recoil on this rifle but, compared to Mausers, Lee-Enfields, Mosin-Nagants or (good GRAVY) those Austrian Mannlicher MONSTERS, the recoil of the Martini is pretty mild. It sort of rolls back. I could shoot it all day long if I had too.

I had a beautiful 1895 Austrian Mannlicher, 8x54 I think. Nazi ammo with swastika stamps. I shot it 3 times. At the range a visiting marine wanted to shoot it I warned him and handed it over. After he fired it he handed it back and turned away quickly, but not before I saw the tears. I kept it a couple of years just because it was so beautifully made. Then I swapped it.

[Ronv69]

The oldest rifle I still shoot is a 1961 Remington Nylon 66. Next oldest is a 1971 Ted Williams /Winchester 30/30.
My favorite rifle is an 1895 Siamese Mauser, but I have rebuilt it as a 45/70 in the 80s so I don't think of it as old. Hot loads are very good fun. Twice the energy of the Mannlicher and none of the pain.

[CoreyR]

I shoot my Martini-Enfield about 5 or 6 times a year. As I recall it has a manufacture date of 1884.
It is .577x.450 Martini but I use a subcaliber device and shoot .45 LC for a whole lot le$$. Very fun to "bullet launch" with. When I do, actually, fire a .577-450 round from the rifle, that is exactly what it is doing, "launching" a lead slug downrange. Low and slow. LOL I know the brits used to complain about the recoil on this rifle but, compared to Mausers, Lee-Enfields, Mosin-Nagants or (good GRAVY) those Austrian Mannlicher MONSTERS, the recoil of the Martini is pretty mild. It sort of rolls back. I could shoot it all day long if I had too.

I had a beautiful 1895 Austrian Mannlicher, 8x54 I think. Nazi ammo with swastika stamps. I shot it 3 times. At the range a visiting marine wanted to shoot it I warned him and handed it over. After he fired it he handed it back and turned away quickly, but not before I saw the tears. I kept it a couple of years just because it was so beautifully made. Then I swapped it.

BINGO! That thing is lightweight and simply beautiful in your hands. The low weight is part of its problem, BTW. You load it up, throw it to your shoulder, squeeze the trigger, pick yourself up off the ground and try to figure out where you are and what truck hit you???
No freaking wonder the Austrians didn't even try to offer resistance to the Nazis, with a weapon like that as their MBR? "I give up, just don't make me shoot that thing!!!"

[Kevin Keith]

I guess mine would be my Holland and Holland Sidelock Non-Ejector Double Rifle chambered for the .500 black powder expresss cartridge circa 1888. Made for His Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad. Deccan. It has 26” rifled barrels with concealed third fastener (treble grip) with London Black Powder Proof marks. The right barrel is marked 'Holland & Holland, 98, New Bond Street. London.' The left barrel is marked 'Winners of all the "Field" Rifle Trials. London. 1883.'



Oh. Wait, I made a mistake. This is not my rifle after all. I was channeling another guy from another forum.

[CoreyR]

I have a 1870 Italian Vetterli but I have never had ammunition for it and I am not sure that I would trust i...oh yeah, I would shoot that thing!

[Ronv69]

I guess mine would be my Holland and Holland Sidelock Non-Ejector Double Rifle chambered for the .500 black powder expresss cartridge circa 1888. Made for His Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad. Deccan. It has 26” rifled barrels with concealed third fastener (treble grip) with London Black Powder Proof marks. The right barrel is marked 'Holland & Holland, 98, New Bond Street. London.' The left barrel is marked 'Winners of all the "Field" Rifle Trials. London. 1883.'



Oh. Wait, I made a mistake. This is not my rifle after all. I was channeling another guy from another forum.

I started to say "well la-de-da! You channeling Condor?"