The author has been shooting, collecting and writing about firearms all his life.
The author has been shooting, collecting and writing about firearms all his life.
There are few absolutes in this world, but one of them is that whenever you get two or more people in the same room and let them talk long enough, there will eventually be a difference of opinions. I have seen this phenomenon manifest itself whenever a lengthy discussion drifts onto the rocky shoals of a topic of extreme personal importance, such as what is the best single malt Scotch, the best cigar and, perhaps most opinionated of all, the best gun.
Indeed, few things are as individualistic as a firearm. Shape, design, purpose, function, and feel all come into play. And yet, there is no common denominator. A shotgun, for example, that may be great for trap shooting may not fair as well when it comes to upland game, just as a handgun purchased for plinking might not be the best choice for self-defense. Even if they all shared a common purpose, there are enough variables to fill a gun rack so that it would stretch around the world—which, in itself, is not a bad thing to visualize.
Even though we all have our viewpoints, the reality is, there isn’t really a “best” gun. It all comes down to an unscientific determining factor known as “What I like.” There are lots of those—great guns that excite or inspire or tantalize us, guns that we might want to have, if for no other reason than we want to have them. Which, when you think about it, is reason enough.
For me, the situation is compounded by the fact that I write about guns I admire, whether it’s the western nostalgia of a Colt Single Action Army, the James Bond intrigue of a Walther PPK, or the undercover allure of a Smith & Wesson Model 36 snubbie. I get totally immersed in the gun, its history, its shootability. The end result is that immediately after finishing an article about a particular firearm, I become overwhelmed with an uncontrollable urge to go out and buy it—not an easy task, given mandated waiting periods, proximities to gun stores, availability of the guns themselves and, well, there is also the matter of finances. Thus, my fantasies usually go unfulfilled. As a result, I often lie awake at night, eyes closed but with a faint smile playing across my lips, as I visualize the many guns I wish I could have—but have yet to possess. I am sure some psychologists would have a field day with this scenario; even they would agree, one must have goals in life.
Then, not very long ago, I started to think that I can’t be alone in this ongoing yearning. There must be others like me, who have coveted certain firearms after seeing them on the shooting range, in the movies, or pictured in a gun magazine. And then there are those friends who, when not asking me what cigar they should smoke or what whiskey they should drink, want to know what gun they should buy. After going through the prerequisite qualifying discussion—what’s it for, how much do you want to spend, and so on—I start to list my many, many favorites, which either elicits enthusiastic agreement or glassy-eyed indifference. In every case, though, they want to know what these guns are.
Of course, my choices rarely have anything to do with my actual need, but, rather, are given merely because I like them and therefore, must have them. Notice I’m dealing in plurals here, because just as one can never have too much money, there is no such thing as too many guns. That’s why I always admonish fellow firearms enthusiasts to buy the biggest gun safe they can afford, because they’re going to eventually fill it up.
So, given my almost four decades of experience writing about, collecting, and shooting what I think are some of the greatest guns in the world, I thought, what about putting together a list of my personal “Fabulous Fifty Firearms,” a hand’s-on book that doesn’t focus on out-of-reach museum pieces, but on popular guns that can be obtained, new or used, by any qualifying law-abiding reader with a valid credit card.
And that’s what I’ve done, drawing in large part from my many “The Classics” columns that have appeared over the years in the NRA’s Shooting Illustrated magazine, although I used my own photography for this book and rewrote and updated much of the copy since it was first published. Nonetheless, I would wholeheartedly like to thank the Publications Division of The National Rifle Association for their kind permission to reprint these articles.
By that same token, I would urge every freedom-loving American, whether or not they own a firearm, to join the NRA as a gesture of support for an organization that has fought so hard and so long (since 1871) to protect our nation’s Second Amendment. I find it difficult to believe that anyone who enjoys firearms is not a member. But, if you’re not, that’s easy to rectify. Simply go to www.membership.nrahq.org and sign on. It’s that simple, to help keep our freedoms intact.
In this photo from the 1950s, the author proudly poses with his first Colt Single Action and Winchester 94.
All that said, now, please join with me as I tell you about fifty firearms I feel you absolutely, positively, unequivocally have got to have. You may not agree with all of them (if not, please let me know via the publisher and give your alternate choices—we may have enough for another edition), but think of this as a basic wish book for every gun guy and gal in America to use as a guide in buying another gun. Or, better yet, a couple or more. And, if you happen to own one or more of the rifles, pistols, and shotguns included in my “Fabulous Fifty” list, well, there’s nothing like seeing your favorite firearm in print, then showing that page to family and friends and saying, “I’ve got one like that.” Thus, you’ll be on the way to completing your own bucket list to hand on down through the generations, thereby keeping our American tradition of private firearms ownership alive.
—Rick Hacker