Were older guns made better than modern ones?

[Alan]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, were older firearms really made with better craftsmanship and longevity or do today’s materials and machining actually win out?

 

[critterpicker]

My opinion for what it's worth is, years ago the tooling they had could only get so close,the fine tuning was done by craftsmen and hand fitted and fine tuned with stones and other hand tools. Now days all the parts get machined on CNC equipment capable of great accuracy and can be assembled by robots. So the tolerances are closer but they don't have the fine tuning that only a skilled individual can do.

 

[Robin1]

@critterpickerhit the nail on the head. Old guns were made by hand, so each one has its own thing going on. Can't get that with new CNC stuff.

 

[white eagle]

Differently, better I don't think so
there are some of the most expansive guns made that have been made the same way for a long long time

 

[Tabby]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, were older firearms really made with better craftsmanship and longevity or do today’s materials and machining actually win out?

This is somewhat of a loaded question. Personally while I own a few older firearms, if needing repair parts are not always available, parts that are available do not just drop in and require fitting by a talented gunsmith and in some cases parts need to be fabricated by even more talented gunsmiths.
Within the last year a close friend had the operating rod on a vintage 22 semi auto crack. Made of pot metal it could not be repaired and required the talents of a highly skilled gunsmith with a very well equipped machine shop. He manufactured a new part, made from high grade aircraft quality aluminum the new part fits and it works flawlessly.

Newer firearms, as one has pointed out are made on CNC equipment, for the most part untouched by human hands, I'm sure in some cases from Billet metal to the box. This is probably causing much of the angst among the complainers of the world about quality control. If a part breaks or wears out, which is not really all that uncommon the new part will usually drop right in without any fitting. The metals used in new firearms are of much higher quality providing that a real base metal is used and not a part made by injecting metal into a mold and thus subjected to any variety of issues due to differences in molds, temperatures and composition of the metals used not to mention differences in cooling rates which can affect metal hardness and durability.

In essence are older firearms made better than new ones? Yes and no. The materials used in older firearms are most likely not as durable as in newer firearms. but newer firearms do not get the attention to detail once lavished on every firearm. So from strictly my point of view, they are about the same, but for different reasons.

 

[Alan]

Differently, better I don't think so
there are some of the most expansive guns made that have been made the same way for a long long time

I totally agree, many classic designs have stood the test of time. It’s impressive how long some firearms have maintained their functionality and reliability across decades.

 

[Alan]

This is somewhat of a loaded question. Personally while I own a few older firearms, if needing repair parts are not always available, parts that are available do not just drop in and require fitting by a talented gunsmith and in some cases parts need to be fabricated by even more talented gunsmiths.
Within the last year a close friend had the operating rod on a vintage 22 semi auto crack. Made of pot metal it could not be repaired and required the talents of a highly skilled gunsmith with a very well equipped machine shop. He manufactured a new part, made from high grade aircraft quality aluminum the new part fits and it works flawlessly.

Newer firearms, as one has pointed out are made on CNC equipment, for the most part untouched by human hands, I'm sure in some cases from Billet metal to the box. This is probably causing much of the angst among the complainers of the world about quality control. If a part breaks or wears out, which is not really all that uncommon the new part will usually drop right in without any fitting. The metals used in new firearms are of much higher quality providing that a real base metal is used and not a part made by injecting metal into a mold and thus subjected to any variety of issues due to differences in molds, temperatures and composition of the metals used not to mention differences in cooling rates which can affect metal hardness and durability.

In essence are older firearms made better than new ones? Yes and no. The materials used in older firearms are most likely not as durable as in newer firearms. but newer firearms do not get the attention to detail once lavished on every firearm. So from strictly my point of view, they are about the same, but for different reasons.

The balance between older craftsmanship and modern materials is fascinating, each has strengths and it’s clear both have their place depending on the situation.

 

[OlSmokePole]

In my opinion, no. Modern guns are made to better tolerances, they use better materials, and are more technologically advanced in a good way. However on the other hand, simplicity is a savior. I have a shotgun that was made between 1853 and 1877. It's in very nice shape and works great, however I attribute that to the type of gun it is. It's a percussion ignition Muzzleloader, the only moving parts are the internals of the locks. A modern, especially semi auto gun, I don't expect to see be in usable condition in 160 years unless it had been meticulously cared for and not shot every day, although it would be very interesting to see. But then again, I've seen break barrel shotguns from the nearer half of the 20th century with loose lockups due to wear, and then Ive seen them from the further half of the 20th century, even into the late 1800s that had very good lockups.

 

[Tabby]

In my opinion, no. Modern guns are made to better tolerances, they use better materials, and are more technologically advanced in a good way. However on the other hand, simplicity is a savior. I have a shotgun that was made between 1853 and 1877. It's in very nice shape and works great, however I attribute that to the type of gun it is. It's a percussion ignition Muzzleloader, the only moving parts are the internals of the locks. A modern, especially semi auto gun, I don't expect to see be in usable condition in 160 years unless it had been meticulously cared for and not shot every day, although it would be very interesting to see. But then again, I've seen break barrel shotguns from the nearer half of the 20th century with loose lockups due to wear, and then Ive seen them from the further half of the 20th century, even into the late 1800s that had very good lockups.

It is truly amazing what a drop of oil here and there will do to keep all kinds of machinery running well over its lifetime.