The P-F Grail Guns Thread

[RevolverRob]

It's windy and starting to get cold here in Chiraq, and I miss Texas and shooting and I want to be reminded of the things in life that are good.

So - provide your list(s) of grail guns. You can define the criteria, but examples are the guns you plan to buy in your lifetime, guns you probably could never afford but want, and the guns you'd buy if you hit the Powerball.

I'm going with the Top 10 I intend to buy in my lifetime.

1) Original Registered Magnum
2) Royal Blue Python
3) 2.5" Diamondback
4) Bowen Custom SA Ruger Bisley
5) SAKO TRG (thinking 6.5CM)
6) 1878 Colt Lightning Revolver
7) Mauser 1896 Select-Fire M712 "Schnellfeuer"
8) SxS in .357 Maximum
9) SxS in .375 H&H Mag
10) Winchester 21 (I'd love a Superlight in 20, but a 12 would be fine)

I'm sure there are others out there, but this is what I'm coveting and looking at GB for a lot of the time. I've already acquired two earlier grail guns on my list (and soon a third). A 3" Colt Detective Special (2nd Issue), a 3913LS, and soon a 2.5" airweight J-Frame (638). I can think of dozens of others I'd love to "have". But the list above, is what I hope to have before I'm dead.

PS: Grail guns can also be crazy things you'd build or customize within your lifetime/if money were no object. Example: Taking a Browning A5 and mounting a Nydar 47 sight on top and attaching a Cutts compensated adjustable choke on the end, after you cut the barrel back to 15" or so (welding that comp on to bring it back up to 18"). Or an M1 Carbine with an Ultimak rail and an Elcan Spectre on top - or whatever.

[TC215]

Mine:

- 3.5” S&W Model 27
- 3” S&W Model 625
- Some sort of suppressed SBR, like a Mk18 or similar
- 4” blued Python

The “grail guns” that I’ve been able to buy so far:

- 3” S&W 686 CS-1
- Springfield Professional 1911

[JRB]

Rob, your #1 and #2 are damn good and worthy, that's for sure. Not that I'd kick any of the rest out of my safe for eating crackers (how's that for a malaphor?)

Mine, I think, are something like this:

NFA: (aka not really likely or even possible)
HK MP5/10 (set up as an A2 variant in full 80's style SEF lower with a custom three-lug 10mm suppressor)
Beretta 93R
AS-VAL
Vollmer HK51B
M240B
Remington Defense CSR (SBR bolt gun w/suppressor - it's a god damn shame they don't just sell this publicly with 16in barrels and a sane price tag)
AAC M9-QD suppressor. My first suppressor experience and I absolutely loved it - I'd take mine with a matching Langdon M9 set up for it of course

Non-NFA: (somewhat less unlikely)
The old .22LR Martini-Henry Cadet set up for 50ft indoor smallbore that I shot as a young'n. It was club-owned and sold, never to be found again.
Wilson Combat CQB Elite or Classic 1911 in .45 of course
Beretta 92G SD with a full-boat trip to Wilson Combat (Or a Wilson Brig Tac, or a Langdon 92G Elite LTT)
Sauer Model 80 in .308 or .375 H&H.
S&W Mod 29 P&R round butt with high polish bluing and a 3 to 4in barrel, with a proper custom leather belt & holster worthy of such a piece
HK MR762 w/SPUHR lower set up for Pmags
.408 Chey-Tac M200 complete with NF scope, Kestrel, ABC, etc. (might as well be in the 'not happening' category, but it sure would be cool)

[HCountyGuy]

Mine aren’t necessarily grail guns rather just some wantsies to use and abuse. Save one in particular:

- P226 NSW edition (Serial NSW 0911). I remember Todd posting about it on Facebook and I’d love to find it to maybe donate it to an appropriate museum or something worthwhile.

[mtnbkr]

While there are a number of guns I wouldn't mind owning, I don't think I have any "grail" guns that would make me sell plasma or dig into savings to buy. I've got a pretty decent collection of revolvers. I have bolt or SS rifles to cover any hunting need I'm likely to encounter, and multiple shotguns. What I'm lacking is time to shoot and a place to shoot where I don't have a Fudd rangemaster staring over my shoulder. I want a place to shoot like Hickok45 and time to enjoy the facilities, not more guns taking up room in a safe.

Chris

[Robinson]

Back when I shot revolvers I already owned a couple of my "grail" guns but that stage is way behind me now.

A Winchester 1886 .45-70 was a grail gun for me way back when but my hearing problems have ruled that out.

Already owned a CZ bolt gun with full forestock and classic ghost ring sight. That was a bit of a grail gun before I attained it.

I still love 1911s so I will limit my short list to those.

A gun I would realistically like to own in the next decade is an Alchemy Prime. It checks so many of my boxes and is currently not priced way out there. Still hard for me to justify the cost right now when I already have nice 1911s that work. It would not be a safe queen (don't have any of those).

A gun I would love to own but never will is a Jason Burton 1911 patterned after the Pachmayr Combat Special. Colt base gun, blue over hard chrome, Bomar style rear sight, regular slide cuts, 25 LPI checkering. Yes I would shoot it. A lot. Ain't gonna happen though.

[Screwball]

A .45 Luger from Lugerman... really the only grail gun I have.

I am likely going to do a CZ Scorpion/SIG MPX/PTR MP5 as a SBR, and hopefully a suppressor. Wouldn’t consider it a grail purchase, definitely something NJ residents can only dream of (braced pistols tend to be over the weight that turns it into an “assault weapon.”

[Trooper224]

I'm well set for working guns, so no grails there. As I'm getting older and moving out of LEO work I find myself thinking more and more on pleasure guns. For me that really means vintage revolvers of one kind or another. As such, my list would contain the following, some of which I once owned and wish I had back.


Nice, minty blued, 6.5" S&W 29 from at least the early 70's. Had one but it was well used before me with a bit too much finish wear for my liking.
Stainless, 4" S&W 629, just to round out the finish options.
An S&W triple lock in .44 Special.
S&W 4" 25-5 in .45 Colt, because I never should have sold that 625 Mountain gun back in '97.
Colt Python, any finish or barrel length, just because I feel stupid for getting rid of the one I had years ago.
6" Colt Diamondback in .22lr, because I should have kept the one I had. (see a trend here?)
S$W 1006 in 10mm, for no other reason than just because.

Anymore, the high end, modern custom stuff really doesn't appeal to me for some reason.

[Baldanders]

Top 20 firearms if I switch bodies with Jeff Bezos:

1) 5" Registered Magnum

2) 5.25" MR-73

3) 5" Blued Korth .357

4) 6" Stainless Python

5) "Artillery" Luger with buttstock/holster

6) EM-2 with plenty of .280 ammo and spare mags

7) M16A1 with 1st gen Starlight scope just like Dad had in Camh Ranh Bay

8) Chinook-mounted Minigun just like Dad got to use to chop trees in the jungle

9) M1 carbine with M3 infrared scope

10) Automag in .44AMP

11) P7M13, ah heck make that a P7M7

12) Korth 9mm Semiauto

13) MP5

14) P90

15) Glock 18

16) Holland and Holland double in .275 Rigby, fitted for me

17) Freedom Arms .454

18) Early model Thompson with drum mags

19) Insane, bespoke, engraved to Jack O'Connor's standards, with a lighter colored wood my color-blind ass can appreciate boltgun in .25-06 Ackley Improved with the best scope made

20) Smith m39 with ASP conversion

[Screwball]

S$W 1006 in 10mm, for no other reason than just because.

They are nice... but parts are scarce, and magazines are crazy priced now.

I had mine converted to decock-only by a gunsmith on S&W Forum. Milled the cut found on TSW slides, and installed the assembly with the return spring. Can always go back, if I wanted. But that took all of my guns with slide mounted controls and removed the safeties...

Add in the 15 round FBI magazine and a custom extended slide release (another guy on S&W Forum used to put them out)... only other things I’d want would be conversion barrels for it in .40 and .357 SIG.