Best of...: Long gun scores.

Now's the time to look over the best long gun catches of the past twelve months. Without further ado, I present:


5. MAS Mle. 49/56.

Too bad this rifle is chambered in such an inaccessable surplus caliber, because it has an amazing features list, otherwise: It's the size of an SKS 'Paratrooper', has detachable mags, is chambered for a .308-class round, has fairly easily-manipulated controls, and sports a receiver-mounted aperture sight. An extremely handy little package marred only by its obscure Frog chambering.


4. MAS Mle. 36.

See below.


3. Carcano Mo. 38 carbine.

This Terni-manufactured rifle and the St. Etienne-produced MAS above join a Kar.98k, a No.4 Enfield, an M1 Garand, a Type 99 Arisaka, and a Mosin 91/30 to complete my set of service issue longarms of the major participants in the Last Global Unpleasantness.


2. Mega/RRA 9mm AR carbine.

Of all the guns I currently own, this is the absolute, hands-down, no-holds-barred champeen winner of the Most Fun Gun to Shoot on the Indooor Range at Work competition.


1. Springfield M1903 Mark I.

The current crown jewel of my milsurp collection. And not just because the Gringo Pistolero used one...

Hidden high above the canyon
Where the falcon rides the wind
Chico's best hawkeyed aviso, Juan Romero,
Placed his mirror in his shirt and gazed with worry towards the rocks
Where he last had seen the Gringo Pistolero.

Put the sights up to eight hundred
Hold a yard left for the wind
And there's one by-god aviso that will never flash again,
Weeping red tears from a third eye that's a gift he cannot feel
From the Springfield of the Gringo Pistolero.