As others have said, some of us have been blessed with lots of great firearms that we bonded with.
I think our appreciation for certain firearms changes with time and experience. We usually never forget firearms that were present in certain times of our lives...
I carried a Browning High Power on most the long motorcycle trips I took across the country. I'm not really a High Power fan like I am a fan of 1911s, but I got the High Power at a good price and I was accurate with it. It kept its value so when I sold it I didn't lose any money...
As for me:
- I miss the first 1896 Swedish Mauser(6.5) that I once had. It was accurate and low recoiling. I've come close to buying a 6.5 Creedmoor but realistically I know I'm more apt to shoot handguns more often than rifles. Plus I traded for a Mossberg MVP in 223 that uses AR magazines with a fellow Marine. I drove 5 hours to make the trade but it was worth the drive. He set up the MVP with a nice red dot and cerakoted the rifle. It's lightweight, accurate, and with AR magazines you can shoot for a while, one shot at a time. For me it's the perfect Texas truck rifle....
- I had a Para Ordinance LDA for a couple of years. It was an accurate and beautiful firearm but I was so used to the normal single action triggers on other 1911s that the LDA trigger just felt too different to me.
I sometimes miss that firearm because it did feel great in my hands. It had a balance to it that no other 1911 I ever owned had...
- I had a Kahr MK40. Very compact and accurate firearm. I loved how easy it was to conceal. As I got older the slide just got too hard for me to rack so it had to go.
- I have a S&W 638 Bodyguard that one of my nephews hopes gets left to him. I've had it for a few years. I carry it when I ride one of my recumbent trikes or go for walks. It's light and easy to conceal. When I lived in Arkansas I killed quite a few aggressive Water Moccassin snakes with it. I lived out in the country and near a creek, so they were plentiful. I added a Hogue grip to it. I carry 2 or 3 rounds of 38 special snake shot in it, 2 or 3 rounds of hollow points, and 2 speedloaders. I don't ever plan on selling or trading it. When my sisters who live next to me call me at night because of a noise, it's the first firearm I usually grab because it's so handy and reliable and with the different ammo I have in it I can deal a variety of different situations....
Nowadays the Beretta APX that's on my hip as I write this, is my favorite semi-auto because it fits in my hand almost as good as 1911s used to. The slide is easy for me to rack. I like the 17 and 20 round magazines I have for it. It's pretty easy to conceal. And it's not too heavy and not too light. I plan on keeping it for a long time, that's why I ordered a Muddy River Tactical outside the pants holster for it yesterday(and a spare magazine holder)...
I'm at the age where I like to look at other firearms and shoot some of them(I hope to shoot my cousin's Beretta 84 soon) but I doubt I'll buy many other firearms, even though 6.5 Creedmoors really temp me because as a former Marine I'll always be a rifleman.
I'd love to see how accurate I could be with a 6.5 at 200 - 300 yards...
I once had a H&R 223 single shot with bull barrel that was fun to hit targets at 200 yards...
I've owned AKs, SKSs, ARs, over the years but for me a bolt action is what I enjoy shooting most as far as rifles go...
