Importance of gun fit/handling/balance to you?

[North Country Gal]

Seems like the older I get, the more I appreciate a rifle that comes to the shoulder, naturally, with little effort; one that balances to the point where the sights (or scope crosshairs) just seem to line up on target by themselves and, lastly, one that is a joy to carry.

To be sure, this is a subjective thing, a personal taste thing and also a functional thing, based on the shooting position you use, but as rifle features go, it really doesn't get much discussion or attention, these days. Accuracy? Try to find a discussion about a rifle where that one doesn't come up. Reliability, cycling, smoothness of action? Same. Handling, balance, fit, though? Not that often.

I don't think it's a coincidence that some of the older guns designs were built with that handling thing in mind. How smooth and how quick a rifle came to your shoulder and how it balanced for you were important features in the old days. It sold rifles. Of course, shooting styles were different in the old days. Sitting at a comfy bench with a fancy rest, trying to shoot tiny groups on paper and measuring them down to the last tenth of an inch? That would have been considered odd and, for some, not even real shooting.

So, given that this whole fuzzy "hate to post this one down" or "can't stop shooting it" rifle feature, let's show some of our favorites. Here's some of mine.

My Browning semi-auto 22, the (SA-22). This one is a featherweight of a gun, yet it shoulders, perfectly, sights right on target and it holds with great steadiness, despite it's lack of weight. Great design. It should be, after all, it was designed by John Browning. This really is a jewel of a little gun to pick up and shoot. Made in Belgium, 1973, 22 LR


Here's my favorite offhand shooting rifle of all time, one I could carry all day in the squirrel woods and, in fact, I did that very thing, many times, back in the day. The Marlin 39A is proof that the way a rifle handles is more than the sum of it's technical measurements. 1946 vintage 39A, 22 LR


And here's what I consider to be the greatest 30-30 to carry and shoot ever made. Although I love my Marlin centerfire lever guns and consider the Marlin to be the superior action, I've never found a 30-30 lever gun that beats the way a Model 94 feels in the hand or at the shoulder. Model 94 Winchester, made in 1952



Oh, lots more for me to include, here, but now it's your turn. Let's see some of your "can't put it down, once I start to shoot it" rifle choices (and rifles, only, please). Time for fun, here. Go for it.

[Cofisher]

I do not own, or have handled enough rifles to be very good at this. I do find that those that I have and like, fit me

[CT_Shooter]

I do not own, or have handled enough rifles to be very good at this. I do find that those that I have and like, fit me.

I'm in the same end of the pool as Cofisher. Both of my Henry's "fit", but I'm too new at shooting and with too little exposure to other rifles to have a different response. Nonetheless, I'm confident that others will be much more discerning, and I look forward to reading the "what and why" of it.

[RanchRoper]

You knew I'd chime in on this one!
All I can say is; from the first minute I shouldered this rifle, I believed in a past life. I cannot describe how comfortable it is for me. As you know I do 80% of my shooting from a standing position, the rest is down on 1 knee for longer shots. But it comes up balanced, and fits nice and tight even with 24" of 1-piece barrel/magazine hanging out there. And cowboy eye-candy to boot...

150+ years later, and this design still rocks.

[Mistered]

Seems like the older I get, the more I appreciate a rifle that comes to the shoulder, naturally, with little effort; one that balances to the point where the sights (or scope crosshairs) just seem to line up on target by themselves and, lastly, one that is a joy to carry.

I couldn't agree more and 'appreciated' this long before 'age' came along! I am a tall, long ape armed dude who has a hard time finding rifles that fit but the one rifle that fits me like a glove, and comes to my shoulder like a Stradivarius is a 26" Octagon barreled Mod 94 and I own two of them. The shorter ones fit equally as well and my Henry BB is a close 2nd but a Mod 94 is a 'part' of me when shouldered. My Marlin Golden 39A is right in there also. Sorry, these short stocked, weird 'black' rifles and many others need not apply - give me wood, weight and balance and ANY DAY!

[NoFlyZone]

Great looking rifles ya-all!

I have to throw my Remington Speedmaster 552's into the ring for a great feeling rifle. At least for me it feels better than most of my 22's.

[Mistered]

I have often suspected some cases of poor accuracy reported by people with certain guns is due to poor or improper fit when handled. Unfortunately this might sometimes be hard to nail down unless seen by others or actually experienced and recognized by the owner. A while back on another forum a member was reporting poor accuracy from his AR 15. When he posted a picture it was immediately evident what was wrong. He lived in a state that severely regulated the design features of an 'assault rifle' to the point it could not have a full pistol grip style stock and was so designed to eliminate this the grip was so small a complete hand could not grip it resulting in a very poor handling (and potentially dangerous) rifle.

[North Country Gal]

Good work, folks. Keep them coming.

RR, I would have been shocked if you hadn't responded about your 1860. That rifle and you have a partnership like few I've seen.

Nofly, have always thought highly of those 552 and 572 series Remingtons. Those have stood the test of time like few 22s have.

Mistered, absolutely right on the issue of gun fit and how it can affect performance. For those of us who like to shoot without a rest, it becomes a critical issue.

[RanchRoper]

I keep experimenting with leather stock cover on/off, and it shoulders faster without it. No doubt. More accurate with or without? Jury is still out. I don't think it's locked into me any better with the leather on the stock.

[North Country Gal]

I have added some slip on leather recoil pads on some of our hard kicking lever guns. Even that changes the handling via changing the LOP.

[bandit1250]

A gun that don't fit me especially if it is a hunting gun is like wearing shoes that don't fit. You may get by with it but it doesn't feel good and it is not to much fun.

[Jdl447]

I shoot shot guns way more than anything. So yeah fit and balance is pretty much it for successful shooting.

image.jpeg

This is probably the easiest shouldering gun I own. Another John Browning design.

[North Country Gal]

A-5? Oh, yeah, another great classic. Beautiful wood on that one.

[Twotone]

Wow, some nice rifles there. The way a rifle ‘fits’ is crucial in my opinion. The first rifle I bought was a Henry BBB in .357. I bought it blind on reputation I guess but for whatever reason it does not in my case have that mojo that my old 94’s have. They just ‘feel’ right and I am sure mistered is right about the influence that has on accuracy.
There is something indefinable about those old rifles to me. My 39 is the same, an absolute joy to carry and shoot and all those classic rifles are the keepers in my cabinet while the others are just passing through.

[North Country Gal]

I've had a lot of those rifles that are "passing through". Some of them were really high end rifles, too, but just lacked that certain something when you picked them up.

[tractortad]

Great thread that NCG started here - the perfect fit rifle for me is our Henry Color Cased 45/70. It just feels so natural to hold and point this big rifle - and the Skinner/Lyman globe combo makes it quick and easy to get on target. Definitely my favorite shootin iron. I could shoot this gun all day (if I could afford that much 45/70)....

DSC00116.JPG

DSC00114.JPG

[Squatch]

Once a year the day after Thanksgiving my family gets together for a little backyard clay shooting on my cousins farm. There are some very nice shotguns there. A few costing big bucks. Semi auto's, pumps, One fine O+U.

The last couple of years I've brought my old 16 gauge single shot. It's an old H+R beater from the 40's. Has the $ value of a box of shells. It ain't real purdy. But it come to the shoulder nice and I usually hit what I'm aiming at. It really the only time this gun gets used.

Compared to this svelte old gun most of the modern shotguns feel like a 1 ton pickup at a sports car rally. Most shoot very nice. But they are huge with massive fore stocks and actions.

I thought it was just me as I'm not a shotgunner. But several of the young bloods have shot my old beater. 3 Shots and they turn around smiling and say man this feels really good. So light and easy to shoot. Must be something to it!

I'll bet the new Henry single shot shot guns are very similar!

[North Country Gal]

Great story, Squatch. Amazing that's there's still a place for the good old single shot shotgun in this high-tech, tacticool shooting world. Over the generations, the ss shotgun brought home a lot of meat. Had one from Sears as my first bird gun. Lots of memories.

[Mistered]

Amazing that's there's still a place for the good old single shot shotgun in this high-tech, tacticool shooting world.

SS rifles too! Maybe it's just my hopeful anticipation but I firmly believe there IS a return to more traditional shooting sports and guns. The market doesn't lie and if you look at the interest and sales of used (quality) lever action, revolvers etc. there is a definite uptick in this area.

[North Country Gal]

Amazing that's there's still a place for the good old single shot shotgun in this high-tech, tacticool shooting world.

SS rifles too! Maybe it's just my hopeful anticipation but I firmly believe there IS a return to more traditional shooting sports and guns. The market doesn't lie and if you look at the interest and sales of used (quality) lever action, revolvers etc. there is a definite uptick in this area.

I agree. A lot of shooters are learning the value of these old schools guns, given the way they were made.