I don’t know why but I now find myself wanting a couple of rifles that I used to think were absolutely goofy.

First is a Ruger 77 with the full length manlicher style stock. I used to look at them and ask why? Why would someone want one of these with their reputation for sometimes questionable accuracy? Not I look at them in a world of polymer stocks and cheapened up entry level rifles and think, “They’re kinda’ cool…”

Another is the Ruger 96/22, their short lived lever action .22. At the time I looked at them and thought why would anyone want one of these when the semi auto 10/22 is available? Now I look at it and think it would be a really fun plinking rifle. Then I look on Gunbroker and see the things are going for $1,700 all at once it’s no longer a fun little plinking rifle…

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
First is a Ruger 77 with the full length manlicher style stock.

Yes... Come to the dark RSI side...



Mine's a 1987 M77 RSI with the original style tang safety, in .30-06.

Two good examples I can relate to myself.

Another I think of is an earlier Winchester or Marlin lever action 30-30. I used to think "how dated and somewhat under powered". Now I think a classic design that worked very well and it was plenty powerful enough if you did your part.

I like goofy rifles, but I simply have accepted Eugene Stoner has a better idea.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
I like goofy rifles, but I simply have accepted Eugene Stoner has a better idea.

Yup, same.

Similarly, I grew up on an H&K 91 and have never had any love for that whole platform of rifles. They're clunky, they're slow, they're heavy, the triggers suck, the ergos suck, and the reputation is vastly overblown for what they actually are. I don't care what the H&K fans say.

When I did the 9mm subgun-esque thing, I tried everything except an MP5 because I just don't care for them and find them particularly outmoded. And yet, I think my next big purchase is going to be an MP5 clone simply because without having to jump through a whole bunch of hoops, I concede the fact that they're still the best 9mm suppressor host. Nobody's beat it yet in terms of raw suppression, and trust me, I did a lot of research and tried a lot of the alternatives.

And yes, it'll look like something straight out of Die Hard or Predator, too. No doodads, just a tri lug and a fixed stock. Maybe a side-folding B&T stock. I'm 60/40 both dreading and looking forward to it.

Another Ruger. The mini 14. Again, dubious reputation for accuracy. Why would anyone want a rifle that is not accurate? And it doesn't really fill any role, at least not for me.

But I still thought they were cool and got one in stainless with wood stock. Definitely not precision but accurate enough. i like shooting it.

Love my RSI.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
I like goofy rifles, but I simply have accepted Eugene Stoner has a better idea.

Yup, same.

Similarly, I grew up on an H&K 91 and have never had any love for that whole platform of rifles. They're clunky, they're slow, they're heavy, the triggers suck, the ergos suck, and the reputation is vastly overblown for what they actually are. I don't care what the H&K fans say.

When I did the 9mm subgun-esque thing, I tried everything except an MP5 because I just don't care for them and find them particularly outmoded. And yet, I think my next big purchase is going to be an MP5 clone simply because without having to jump through a whole bunch of hoops, I concede the fact that they're still the best 9mm suppressor host. Nobody's beat it yet in terms of raw suppression, and trust me, I did a lot of research and tried a lot of the alternatives.

And yes, it'll look like something straight out of Die Hard or Predator, too. No doodads, just a tri lug and a fixed stock. Maybe a side-folding B&T stock. I'm 60/40 both dreading and looking forward to it.

JP makes an AR9 with an MP5 derived roller lock setup. It's pretty pricy but you get MP5 smoothness and suppression with AR ergos.

My first comment is that IMHO there's NOTHING Goofy about Ruger M77 Mannlicher stocked rifles, they are BEAUTIFUL Classic Rifles! Thanks for the PIC's.

My "Goofy" Rifle is a Berretta BRX-1. Quite possibly the ugliest rifle I've ever owned. I find the Straight Pull Rilfes interesting and my Blaser R93 ended up a couple states away due to a Tornado! But the BRX has some super cool features. It is completely Ambedextrious. You can switch the bolt and ejector and/or the ejector back and forth individually or together in like 30 seconds. I.E. you can use the bolt left handed and have it eject right to have the shells land on the bench if you want or vise versa. Mine is a 300Mag with a carbon barrel and shoots 3/4" or better groups at 100yds with hunting ammo (after I EPOXY'd the cantalever mount). You can take it down to 1/2 length with 2 Screws in 15 seconds. You can swap out sighted in barrel groups with 2 screws in 15 seconds. It can shoot FAST!

Butt-Ugly Gun but it works Fantastic after just a slight bit of sorting out. Perfect guilty pleasure rifle, fun to shoot but don't tell your freinds you hunt with one! LOL

I was in my teens when I first saw a picture of one of the earliest versions of the M16/AR-15, and I thought it was the oddest thing imaginable. It was years before I could bring myself to get one myself.

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:
My "Goofy" Rifle is a Berretta BRX-1. Quite possibly the ugliest rifle I've ever owned. I find the Straight Pull Rilfes interesting and my Blaser R93 ended up a couple states away due to a Tornado!

Have you seen the relatively new Mauser 25 straight pull rifles?

I initially thought the early M16 design was goofy. I still do, and have no desire to own one. Decades of evolution of stocks, rails, and optics have turned the AR platform into a favorite. Caliber doesn't matter -- rimfire, PCC, AR15, AR10 -- I like them all. Great reliability and great accuracy for those with marksmanship fundamentals. Many manufacturers have attempted to build a better mousetrap, but I don't see that they've done it.

I've always liked traditional bolt action rifles, like Remington 700 and Winchester Model 70. My competition rifles are built on Remy 700 clone actions -- but with modern fiberglass stocks, bottom metal, barrels, and optics. PRS-type competition has pushed rifles into modular chassis systems, such as MDT and MPA. I think they're goofy, but I get it. Chassis offer fitment adjustments and weight balance not possible with traditional-type Manners & McMillan stocks. For a light-recoiling 6mm chambering such as 6BR or 6 Dasher, a chassis system is about as good as it gets for full-on PRS competition.

However, the chassis systems transmit higher vibration to the shooter during recoil than a traditional fiberglass stock. The more energetic the load, the more vibration transmitted to the shooter. Manners/McMillan stocks just feel more dampened. Maybe if I shot a 6BR in competition, maybe I'd have a chassis system. Nevertheless, I still like a rifle that looks like a traditional rifle, not a tinker toy set.

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
https://www.jprifles.com/1.2.18_JP-5.php

Thought I was the only one that would want one of these.

Love my GMR-15 but it is starting to get to heavy for these 66 year old arms and back.

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
JP makes an AR9 with an MP5 derived roller lock setup. It's pretty pricy but you get MP5 smoothness and suppression with AR ergos.

JP makes great stuff, but if I'm gonna spend in that price range, it'll be one of the MP5SD clone conversions. Incidentally, that is something I'm actually considering. With the M18 sleeve to HUB adapters they make these days, I have a couple excellent cans for one, too.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
JP makes an AR9 with an MP5 derived roller lock setup. It's pretty pricy but you get MP5 smoothness and suppression with AR ergos.

JP makes great stuff, but if I'm gonna spend in that price range, it'll be one of the MP5SD clone conversions. Incidentally, that is something I'm actually considering. With the M18 sleeve to HUB adapters they make these days, I have a couple excellent cans for one, too.

The appealing thing to me about the JP offering is the AR15 ergonomics. Just my personal preference. The MP5SD certainly has the cool factor and is for sure the original GOAT.

Oh, we're 100% on the same page haha.

quote:

Originally posted by IndianaBoy:
The appealing thing to me about the JP offering is the AR15 ergonomics. Just my personal preference. The MP5SD certainly has the cool factor and is for sure the original GOAT.

I shot a couple of MP5s many years ago. The owners were well-to-do and had boatloads of guns. I was excited to try them, and there definitely is a cool factor for their history. At the time of their introduction, they were definitely ahead of other manufacturers. But I thought that shooting them didn't match their reputations. Sure, they cycled smoothly. IMO accuracy, ergonomics, and trigger were all wanting.

Jump to the present day, and I am unimpressed by the practical function of an MP5 in the current market. AR 9mm platforms have taken the 9mm subgun / PCC to a much higher level. Ergonomics, accessory options, and accuracy of a quality AR9 is beyond the MP5's capabilities. Honestly, if someone gave me an MP5, I'd immediately sell it and invest the money in something I really wanted.

quote:

Rifles you used to think were goofy and now find yourself wanting

SCAR 17S: I used to think it was so ugly I would never own one. But, somehow I ended up with one (bought from a SF member). Still won’t win any beauty contest, but it has grown on me.

Ruger LC 10: Goofy for sure, but I’ve been wanting one for a while now. Never shot the 10 mm round, but the thought of having 30 of them in a carbine for home defense intrigues me.

quote:

Originally posted by fritz:
AR 9mm platforms have taken the 9mm subgun / PCC to a much higher level. Ergonomics, accessory options, and accuracy of a quality AR9 is beyond the MP5's capabilities.

100% agreed, but I'm still yet to try one that suppresses better than a Basic Betty MP5 clone, and I really wanted that to be the case. That's my lone metric here. The CMMG RDB comes close, but it's still not quite there. If I have to spend JP money to get there, I'm not going to, I'm just going to do the integral MP5 thing and let cool factor win out. Some of this stuff can be just for fun.


Sticking to the subject, this one may sound kind of silly, but it's in a similar vein. I used to think the 10/22 was kind of goofy and overrated as well. I know, I know: it's iconic, and I know it's because it's king of aftermarket .22 parts, but I always felt like they were kind of cheap and cheesy. Maybe it was the rotary mags and the "it's a baby M1 Carbine, but not really" thing. I dunno. In the last year or so, I changed my mind with, again, suppressed super quiet plinking being my metric. I wanted to SBR one, and picked up a used 8" Charger off a friend. Haven't Form 1'ed it yet, but probably will this week. It is hilariously quiet with a B&T Tiger and subsonic with everything I put through it so far. The BX15 and BX25 mags are a big quality of life improvement over the 10rd rotaries that I find a little finnicky.

It didn't quite scratch the itch, it only made it worse, and I took advantage of some Labor Day sales. I now also have a threaded 5" Pike Arms bull barrel on a Brownell's receiver and match bolt with the oversize Tandemkross bolt handle, all stainless and natural anodized with a BX trigger group. Printing a chassis for it in PET-GF as I type that I edited to hopefully run flush with the end of the barrel, and chamfered and relieved to clearance suppressors. If it runs the way I hope it does this weekend, I'll Form 1 it also and then my son and I will both have some shorty suppressed 10/22's for hiking and plinking in the desert.