The next 5!

This is the nextinstallment of a countdown of the 50 greatest classic firearms of all time. I have eliminated guns that are not generally available to the American public, such as the select fire Soviet AK-47 and World War II German STG-44 assault rifles. To make this list, the firearm in question has to be available to the public, made a significant contribution to the shooting sports or the national defense.


26. The Desert Eagle Pistol. This is the king of auto pistols. The most powerful and the most visually striking auto pistol ever made. It’s been featured in more movies and TV shows than I can count. The great thing about the Desert Eagle is that it works and that it is deadly accurate and powerful. All of that performance comes with a price of weight and exclusive use of jacketed bullets for its gas system and polygon rifling. It is the auto pistol for hand gun hunters. The DE is rugged and simple to operate and maintain. Over the years it’s been offered in a variety of calibers, most famously, the 50 Action Express. The 50 AE was the first commercial mass produced 50 Caliber handgun cartridge. Finishes come from a stealthy black oxide to a wild gold titanium tiger stripe.

27. The CZ-75 Pistol. The Cz-75 sent shivers up peoples spines in the 1970s. How could a bunch of communists come up with such a simple, robust, and effective design? They were smart, that’s how. By taking some great design elements from the Browning Hi Power, the Sig 210, and the Walther P.38 , they created one the best pistol designs of the late 20th century. Pistol legends such as Jeff Cooper and Chuck Taylor extolled it virtues. The CZ-75 is still considered excellent and agree.

28. The Walther P.38 Pistol. The Walther P.38 was the first large double action service pistol adopted for military use. It has set the trend for all modern pistols that are carried with a round in the chamber. The P.38 is also a movie star, being seen in nearly every WWII movie. It functioned well with blanks and has a modern, sinister appearance. So many were brought back by returning servicemen at the end of WW II, that for years the P.38 could be had inexpensively on the used gun market. The post war versions of the P.38 were used by the German Government until the early 1990s, and have since been on the U.S. civilian gun market.

29. The Walther PP & PPK Pistols. These pistols introduced the shooting public to practical, sleek and concealable double action pocket pistols. They a just exude coolness and sophistication, even James Bond used one. The German police and military used them until the 1980s. Discriminating shooters and undercover law enforcement agents have carried the PPK and PPK/s (stateside version) for decades. The PP and PPK are the pocket pistols by which all others are judged.

30. Remington 870 Shotgun. This was the shotgun for the 2nd half of the 20th century. Both police and civilian flocked to this gun and made it exceedingly popular. It may be the most produced American shotgun. The 870 has a unique blend of quality, reliability and affordability that makes it a classic.