Rifle Obsolesence

Greetings All,
I have been having trouble updating my computer to Windows 11 and have just been told that my it is too old to be updated. My phone is the same. Last month I took my M38 Swedish Mauser to the range to check its zero. Two shots close togetherabout 50mm above point of aim at 100 metres. This with an eighty year old rifle firing a cartridge almost 50 years older than that. Granted the rifle has had some inprovements including a slimmed down stock, a Pecar 6 power scope (also about 50 years old), an updated bolt handle and a Dayton Traister cock on opening and trigger kit. It is not a modern rifle by any standard but is servicable and would do the job.
In spite of new cartidges being introduced almost weekly planned obsolesence does not seem to have invaded the firearms industry at least for us old fudds. I dont remember for sure the last time my M38 was taken out for a walk but have resolved to do it soon. It is just a pity it is so heavy.
Regards Grandpamac.

Another reason why shooting sports is superior to all others by far.

Planned obsolesence is all too common in this 'consumable' era. Not only are perfectly good items that have been in production for a couple of years (in China) suddenly phased out in favour of the new 'double cheese' version that offers the ability to sync your (soon to be outdated) phone to your (soon to be outdated) computer so you can send irrelevant personal details to a whole bunch of strangers on (soon to be outdated) social media, but the grasping bastards also stop making spare parts. The good thing about firearms is that they are still mostly made out of metal and will last many years with a bit of kindness. I have a few 100 year plus firearms that are still giving excellent service (and the animals never complain)!

Yeah but primers and powder are becoming obsolete after a fashion :pacman:

I love shooting my 1900 Oberndorf, 1916 m96 and my ‘41 Husqvarna m38; all in unmolested state. They are quality rifles. Having just read Beevor’s ‘Arnhem, the Battle for the Bridges, 1944’ I noted that some German defenders were issued with similar vintage rifles as their usual arms were in short supply.

no offence but your a manufactures nightmare ( and people like me ) we buy something and nurse it along . . . for decades or longer.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

I dont remember for sure the last time my M38 was taken out for a walk but have resolved to do it soon. It is just a pity it is so heavy.

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That's cause you forgot to download the ultralight update :yaeh am not durnk:

@grandpamac You'll like this.... "Gevär M/96 [Swedish Mauser] 1,000yds: Practical Accuracy" I really like 9-hole reviews; he can sure shoot iron sights! Here in their most recent shoot they use a 122 year-old Gevär M/96 out to 1000 yards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StQ_AcgCnag&t=689s

Just wait till the handheld railguns come.

Planned obsolescence usually only applies to products which the manufacture still has some control over after the sale. the concept applies to electronics almost exclusively because: A, they need battery and battery is a perishable consumable. by choosing not to make replacement batteries the product is rendered obsolete eventually; B, software this the product runs are upgraded and improved overtime and eventually becomes incompatible with the hardware; C, Even without A and B, overall performance improves enough over certain period of time it makes it counter productive to continue using the old product. Who still uses Win95 even if Word97 still works on it?

Gun makes rarely have control over guns after they are made. almost nothing on the gun itself is a consumable. Ammo can be made by anyone and even at home.

Greetings everyone,
Thanks for all your likes and replies. The closest to control by the manufacturer were the proprietary cartridges of the English gun makers. The cartridges for your rifle were only available from the maker. Today a handloader can easily bypass this for most cartridges and cases are available for more cartridges now than any time in recent history. Or would be without the mindless panic buying of the last year or so. Double rifles were regulated for one specific cartridge and load bu even here the handloader can often produce a usable result. The only double rifle I remember seeing in the flesh was a side by side .303 regulated for 215 grain projectiles. Even these are still manufactured in Oz.
Regards Grandpamac.

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Originally Posted by Konev

Just wait till the handheld railguns come.

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Forgotten weapons just put out a video of Ian shooting one....

Guns never become truly obosolete. They just need new friends to play with. @grandpamac a 303 double rifle would be mint.
I do have to say I have joined the Africa hunting forum and see a couple of people from here on there so they will deffo know what i am talking about.
some of the older (including double rifles) firearms on there are just exquisite. I have almost found a hankering for a 318 Westly Richards.
Just because. No one really needs another one (especially me with all my little unfinished projects) but by crikey it is sometimes nice to have something different.

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Originally Posted by 40mm

Forgotten weapons just put out a video of Ian shooting one....

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CLose but being nit picky here, it was a Gauss gun. Rails need a lot more power.

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Originally Posted by Konev

Just wait till the handheld railguns come.

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If you are after non-obsolescence, you had better get the version that runs on Linux. ;)

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Originally Posted by 40mm

Forgotten weapons just put out a video of Ian shooting one....

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I like the part where he reminds the viewer, twice, not to stick a fork in your commercially available Gauss rifle. What a time to be alive

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Originally Posted by rossi.45

no offence but your a manufactures nightmare ( and people like me ) we buy something and nurse it along . . . for decades or longer.

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I’m the same - I buy something and expect it to last forever (possibly with maintenance from time to time).
The 1955 truck I bought in 1974 is still going on the above principle:D

Hell, if my Mk3, 303 crapped out I’d be gutted!

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Originally Posted by csmiffy

Guns never become truly obosolete. They just need new friends to play with. @grandpamac a 303 double rifle would be mint.
I do have to say I have joined the Africa hunting forum and see a couple of people from here on there so they will deffo know what i am talking about.
some of the older (including double rifles) firearms on there are just exquisite. I have almost found a hankering for a 318 Westly Richards.
Just because. No one really needs another one (especially me with all my little unfinished projects) but by crikey it is sometimes nice to have something different.

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Greetings @csmiffy,
The .318 Westley Richards is a fascinating rifle with a distinguished history, just obscure enough but with components easily made or purhased. I believe that Eddie Herrick used one to shoot the first two moose shot in New Zealand. The odd groove size makes having one built very very difficult. We can still dream though.
Regards Grandpamac.

What about the fad rifles which blazed onto the scene and then disappeared eg 204.Sorta makes a 223wssm sound a true oddity. Recent years everyone has slagged off the 270 because it does not have long range projectiles but boy can it kill if you like the recoil. 7mm STW? and all the various 7mm hybrids.

Dear @grandpamac you forgot to mention the age of the said person firing the said rifle with scope......come on we need a total age of the complete set up to fully understand the op post;):XD:

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

Dear @grandpamac you forgot to mention the age of the said person firing the said rifle with scope......come on we need a total age of the complete set up to fully understand the op post;):XD:

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Greetings @Sideshow,
Thankyou for pointing that out. Total age of rifle and rifleman is currently 152 years increasing to 153 years in April. This is just a pup compared to my Martini Krag which shoots almost as well. Combined age here is 213 years increasing as before. I have been thinking of using some of my old soldiers in some of the shoots this year. I have mentioned before that I no longer compete in shoots, rather I participate. I am of to a shoot tomorrow and am using my old .308, aggregate age 117 years but will use the Martini and Krag in later events. If nothing else it will give me some more handloading to do.
Regards Grandpamac.

Well there’s your problem right from the get go! @grandpamac 1 which I also well understand as I also suffer from the same affection.

Your an Aries there’s your trouble :P

Look no further problem solved:ORLY:;) only took 152 years to solve:wtfsmilie::O_O::thumbsup:

First, you have to say “obsolete for what purpose ?”

For collectors nothing is obsolete - the older the better !
Same goes for sentimental value of a special rifle to you.

For practical use, tikka T3 has more or less made many pre 2000 hunting rifles obsolete. They are more reliable, more accurate have better triggrs, easier to maintain and more durable than most wood blue rifles like the SMLE, Mauser based BSA, Ruger M77, even Weatherby and Brno for instance.

Of course, rifles can be durable and fully functional for over a hundred years if properly looked after and there are very few devices that can do that.

it could be well argued/debated the 4 to the pound black powder muzzle loaders are now,past usefulness date...the days of creaping up on elephants and unleashing big soft round balls of lead from close range then reaching back for 2nd gun from bearer are all but over...the likes of the 375 are much more effective and arguably safer to use,more humaine at both ends.....but having a 4 to the pound rifle either single or double would still be nice. and being thick as two short planks I would just have to go shoot something with it just to say I had....

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

it could be well argued/debated the 4 to the pound black powder muzzle loaders are now,past usefulness date...the days of creaping up on elephants and unleashing big soft round balls of lead from close range then reaching back for 2nd gun from bearer are all but over...the likes of the 375 are much more effective and arguably safer to use,more humaine at both ends.....but having a 4 to the pound rifle either single or double would still be nice. and being thick as two short planks I would just have to go shoot something with it just to say I had....

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Having a recoil fetish does not make you thick as two planks. Knowing what is coming and doing it anyway is more courage than thick....:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

it could be well argued/debated the 4 to the pound black powder muzzle loaders are now,past usefulness date...the days of creaping up on elephants and unleashing big soft round balls of lead from close range then reaching back for 2nd gun from bearer are all but over...the likes of the 375 are much more effective and arguably safer to use,more humaine at both ends.....but having a 4 to the pound rifle either single or double would still be nice. and being thick as two short planks I would just have to go shoot something with it just to say I had....

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Reaching back for the second gun only to find the bearer has scarpered......