Birth Year Gun. What to Buy?

[Big Green]

I want a firearm manufactured in the year I was born but don’t know what I should get. Bolt, revolver, semi pistol, shotgun, who knows?

Not tied to any of these but a few things that crossed my mind. Colt AR, over/under, nice wood stocked bolt in a caliber I don’t yet own.

I’m generally a MSR guy but have some other things too.

So, what should I buy from the year Reagan was ELECTED President the first time?

 

[RobertTheTexan]

Elected to what? The presidency or the governorship?


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[Big Green]

Elected to what? The presidency or the governorship?


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POTUS. Good catch, his time as governor was before me, not the one I usually think of.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Sorry, but not the best year to choose ANY product.

I say Colt Python.

 

[Moonpie]

S&W Model 41
S&W Model 19
44 Auto Mag
Browning Auto-5
Browning Hi-Power

 

[Bozz10mm]

S&W Model 19

That would be my choice

 

[Geezer]

Yep, from that list, the S&W Model 19.

 

[Hoji]

Sorry, but not the best year to choose ANY product.

I say Colt Python.

This as well.

 

[Jarine88]

Interesting idea. I might do the same (recall bad influence thread).

Now to find an antique cap and ball musket.

Actually, I have a Winchester Model 94 30-30 from the year I was born.

 

[IXLR8]

HK firearms all have a two letter date code. It would be easy to determine the date of manufacture.
Be careful, HK’s tend to multiply once one gets in the house.

 

[Geezer]

I am still waiting on my birth year gun to ship. They have my guy's FFL and my credit card info. I called to ask because it hadn't hit my credit card yet. The young lady said that they had the FFL and they didn't charge the card until the gun actually ships. I've waited 67 years, a few more days shouldn't hurt.

 

[Glenn B]

I realize you asked for suggestions for a gun to buy that was made in 1980; however, I am going to mention my reminisces of Smith & Wesson from around that year. S&W Revolvers made in the early 1980s were junk in my experience and opinion. When I was in the Border Patrol, I bought a Model 66 4" that pinged twice each time the hammer went back. It was also very gritty in the trigger travel department. An examination of it revealed it had a amazing amount of metal shavings inside of it. Getting that out helped the trigger some but it still made pinging noises when the hammer went back. I also know quite a few others who bought them then, we bought them as a group, and almost every one had problems with them. I read somewhere that S&W recommended shooting 38 Special ammo through their K-Frame 357 revolvers for practice and using 357 only for carry because a steady diet of 357 rounds would damage the guns. They were bad times for S&W as I remember. I sold mine and was and remain happy to be rid of it.

 

[Big Green]

So I decided to just put 1980 into the search bar on Gun Broker and see what comes up. Actually quite a few items that are interesting. Some different 10/22s, a really nice over/under and some Colt ARs. Also some Pythons and such. I’d heard y’all talk about how expensive those are, y’all weren’t kidding. A really pretty Remington 700 in .243 is also listed.

I don’t own a O/U or a good semi shotgun so those could be good candidates. 10/22 was the first type of gun I was given so some history there.

 

[Glenn B]

I guess I might as well make a recommendation too: any Ruger, a Colt revolver, a Marlin rifle or Remington rifle or shotgun.

 

[Jarine88]

I realize you asked for suggestions for a gun to buy that was made in 1980; however, I am going to mention my reminisces of Smith & Wesson from around that year. S&W Revolvers made in the early 1980s were junk in my experience and opinion. When I was in the Border Patrol, I bought a Model 66 4" that pinged twice each time the hammer went back. It was also very gritty in the trigger travel department. An examination of it revealed it had a amazing amount of metal shavings inside of it. Getting that out helped the trigger some but it still made pinging noises when the hammer went back. I also know quite a few others who bought them then, we bought them as a group, and almost every one had problems with them. I read somewhere that S&W recommended shooting 38 Special ammo through their K-Frame 357 revolvers for practice and using 357 only for carry because a steady diet of 357 rounds would damage the guns. They were bad times for S&W as I remember. I sold mine and was and remain happy to be rid of it.

I had a 4” Model 66 that I carried as a police officer back in the early ‘90’s, and never once had a problem with it. The trigger on that thing was outstanding. I was shooting 38 +P, so maybe that had something to do with it. I sold it when I bought a Glock 17 to carry, but wish I still had it.

 

[Big Green]

This is really nice.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/831233178

 

[Inspector43]

I bought a 1943 Winchester M1 Garand. Then a 1943 US&S 1911A1. Then a 1943 P38. Then ######. Etc. It's fun to have guns from your birth year.

 

[gll]

I did a slightly different take and looked instead for what guns were released in the year of my birth... it was a pretty good year!

S&W Model 39
S&W Model 29
Colt Python

 

[Glenn B]

I had a 4” Model 66 that I carried as a police officer back in the early ‘90’s, and never once had a problem with it. The trigger on that thing was outstanding. I was shooting 38 +P, so maybe that had something to do with it. I sold it when I bought a Glock 17 to carry, but wish I still had it.

Early 90s and early 80s made quite the difference in their revolvers. I had a 2.5" Model 66 in the early to mid nineties that was an excellent revolver. Sold it but kind of regret that one.

 

[avvidclif]

So I decided to just put 1980 into the search bar on Gun Broker and see what comes up. Actually quite a few items that are interesting. Some different 10/22s, a really nice over/under and some Colt ARs. Also some Pythons and such. I’d heard y’all talk about how expensive those are, y’all weren’t kidding. A really pretty Remington 700 in .243 is also listed.

I don’t own a O/U or a good semi shotgun so those could be good candidates. 10/22 was the first type of gun I was given so some history there.

A good O/U would be a nice present and investment. Remember Browning is the cheapest I would consider. A notch up would be Beretta. Winchester 101's are nice. Then you get into the serious ones. There's a nice Purdy 28ga starting at $94,000