Why Any Gun Except Semiauto?

[Halo]

What's your favorite gun loading action?  I respect all gun loading actions that have survived the test of time, but semiautomatics seem to rule everywhere.  

Bolts and breech are supposed to be the most accurate and reliable, cylinders and pump the next most reliable, muzzle the most historic and maybe the most customizable with load variation, full auto the most awesome, and lever ... dunno, maybe the most revealing with that elaborate cocking mechanism.  

But in handgun or long-gun, bullet or pellets, for sheer fun and firepower, fast smooth feed, fast reloading of preloaded magazines, muzzle time on target and perceived recoil reduction, the semiauto seems king.  Tough to find any gun in any military or law enforcement that isn't semiautomatic.  They even seem to dominate many aspects of shotgun shooting.

Aside from needing a little cleaner mechanism than others (sometimes a challenge), a slightly longer barrel compared to some other loading mechanisms, and being a bit more ammo particular, semiautos don't seem to have many disadvantages.  

With all that loaded prelude, do any of you have or yearn for any guns with other loading actions that you prefer over comparable semiautomatics?

[Blooz]

I yearn for a muzzle loading Whitworth rifle.

[lazs2]

why limit yourself... I have semi autos and wheelguns and pumps and bolts.. slide action rifles..  lever guns have been fun at times.

semi autos can be problematic in the trigger and accuracy dept... for battle rifles only the M1 family has good triggers and accuracy...  

I have a Garand and a Kimber 45 that I like but I have a 98k and a host of magnum wheelguns that I like too..    

Why limit yourself?  It's still a free country...  kinda..

lazs

[Chairboy]

Some folks have shared the opinion that a bolt-action rifle has the potential to be more accurate than a semi-auto because of jitter the mechamism introduces, but I don't have enough personal experience in that regard to verify it for myself.  Seems logical, anyone else have a thought?

[VOR]

Yes Chairboy, bolt guns tend to have better harmonics than semis which potentially means better accuracy. However, it depends on the particular make/model as always. A Walther PSG-1 will be inherently more accurate than say an Arisaka, for example.

[Maverick]

Chairboy,

I would gusee that the concensus is that a bolt is the epitome of long gun accuracy. Look what the folks who depend on an accurate gun for their lives use. When it comes to ultra accuracy they use a bolt action.

Reliability also would likely go to the bolt as if nothing else you could single feed the sucker. I don't think you'll find any military groups switching over as fire superiority can swing an engagement more often than not.

I like all of the actions. I don't have an over all "favorite" as each one has it's own character and is enjoyable to shoot. It depends on what kind of mood I am in as to which one I'll take out to the range. I've used both revolvers and semi's for serious purposes. I like both bolt and semi for rifles as well. Almost all of my deer hunting was done with a muzzle loader as it got me a different season and required a larger amount of stalking skill than a sscoped cartridge rifle. It also was a challenge knowing there was only one shot.

The only time I have a firm bias is in shotguns. I used pumps, tried a semi but still favor an over under for all my scatter gun shooting. If I can't get it done in 2 it gets away. I could very easily get by with only one shotgun if it werte an over under with removable chokes.

[john9001]

just how accurate does a gun have to be? Most guns are more accurate than the people shooting them anyway.

BTW my shotgun is a 12 gauge single that my daddy bought me when a was a kid, he didn't want me to waste ammo so he didn't get me a double barrel, one shot , one kill.

[VOR]

John's right, especially with regard to military shooters. I'd say a standard issue military rifle need not be any more accurate than an AK-47.  

[Ghosth]

Well I prefer pump shotguns to autofeeders.

They are lighter weight, have many fewer moving parts with less to go wrong.
I don't think any of my Rem 870's has ever failed me yet. I have 3, 1 each in 12.16, and 20 ga.

[Masherbrum]

Out of 3500+ rounds fired through my USP 45, I have only had 2 fail-to-fires.   Both due to cheap ammo bought at the range I frequent.  

I carried a revolver when I was an armed guard at the Michigan National Bank Cash Vault.   I watched a buddy who carried a .357 pull the trigger and nothing.   He'd have to pull the trigger and slam the hammer home, he still qualified.  

So, I've seen "unreliable" revolvers.   I've also seen my shooting buddy's Model 19 in action.   He can shoot .38 special all day long, but he'll shoot .357, and needs to get the brass out with a cleaning rod I bring along in my range bag.   He has now "retired" the gun from shooting and leaves it loaded with .357 at home.  

His pre-ban Sig P226 had over 15,000 rounds through it and the frame cracked (He bought it new).    He bought another P226 off of a buddy that had used it during the Police Academy, and now uses the pre-ban as a "parts gun".    

He has been shooting over 30 years.   He will take his Glock 23C over any other gun in his possession.

[eskimo2]

If I could only have one gun, I’d want it to be an auto; they are the best, all things considered.  I like the feel, operation, look and history of all of the actions, however.  If I had a big budget for a gun collection and a place to shoot, I’d want at least one of every action made and probably a second in .22 cal.

[Dago]

I don't like Glocks on a asthetics basis.  I think they are ugly, and I don't like the concept of plastic guns.  I am a little too "old school" I guess.  Not so old school though to think revolvers are better than semi-autos.  

[eagl]

My browning a-bolt 7mm rem mag is the most accurate gun I've ever shot.  Removing any moving parts from the firing process can dramatically simplify the dynamics involved in getting a bullet on target.  Add the barrel tuning "BOSS" system, and it's possible to get hand-load accuracy out of non-match factory ammo.

The more complexity you add to the system, as you get with a semi-auto action, the harder it is to get consistent performance shot-to-shot.  I have shot many rifles that are less accurate than I am, and it is frustrating to hold the same sight picture and have the rounds scatter around the point of aim.  There is no reason why a rifle should be less accurate than I am.

That said, my Browning Buckmark semi-auto .22 pistol is more accurate than I am, so in that situation a more accurate or consistent weapon wouldn't help.

[Halo]

Yeah, that Browning Buck Mark .22 is a classic.  Bought one years ago mainly on looks and feel.  Has never disappointed me.  Hard to go wrong with Brownings, I think.  The Browning Semiauto .22 may be as good as .22 rifles get.

[Dago]

My Buckmark hits where I point it.  Probably the most accurate pistol I have ever shot.  

Mine is a Buckmark Bullseye.