I shoot more than most, I hunt more than anyone I know who isn’t a full-time guide, I teach with firearms here and OCONUS, and I’ve done it for a long while now. Because of my writing, I also get a chance to try out lots of different guns and gear. There’s a whole lot of great stuff out there, but there are a few things that last, and last, and last. Occasionally they’re expensive, but usually they aren’t.
No matter what they cost, these are things that are absolutely worth the money, new or used.
Russell Moccasins
Quite a few years ago a friend of mine struck it rich in the shale play of the west Texas oil fields. He did the only logical thing a young man does when that happens…he disappeared on a two-year long African safari.
He changed a lot during that time, but he didn’t change his boots. Those boots were a set of Russell moccasins and as soon as he told me about them, I had to have a pair. Back then, Russell didn’t have sizes for their boots, they were all made to your feet. I got mine measured at their booth at an NRA convention, paid what I thought was a ridiculous amount of money for a pair of leather boots, and then I waited.
They were worth the money and they were worth the wait. My Russells are now decades old. They’ve been re-soled and repaired many times. I clean and oil them religiously, and they’ve always rewarded my faithfulness.
They’ve been on five continents so far with hundreds of hunts under their soles. There’s nothing super technical about them. They just let my feet do what my feet are supposed to do, and they do it quietly. I like my Courtneys, I like my Salomons, but if I were to walk out of the house and know I wasn’t coming back, these would be on my feet.
Muck Apex Pro from the The Original Muck Boot Company
As much as I appreciate my Russels, they’re lousy in the wet-cold and the snow. For decades I tried just about every waterproof boot I could find, many of which were $500 and more, and never found a pair that held up year after year and were comfortable.
It was after my feet were aching cold and soaking wet on an early season bear hunt that I borrowed a pair of Muck boots from a friend of mine to complete the hunt. I’ve never gone back. If the snow is measured in feet, these boots are what’s on mine.
The Apex Pros by The Original Muck Boot Company are my favorite. They’ve have been awesome. They’ve kept my feet warm and dry without having to use thick socks that cause my feet to squish around or blister. They’re reinforced in the right spots, so there’s no gouging or tearing if I have to step on or climb over a fence. Really, they’re just ideal when it’s cold and wet, especially for spring in the mountains.
I spent this last April scouting for black bears just northwest of the Tetons. The temps were still freezing and the snow was still thick up high. It was actually still too thick for the bears, but I had no issues moving up and down the mountains.
The Vibram soles get a good grip, but also shed snow and stones as you move. As an added bonus, these are my go-to boots for impromptu fly fishing in the northern streams, as the 16″ version often gets me out off the riverbanks and into creeks enough to see the trout and cast without having to put on full waders, and the soles keep me from slipping on the rocks.
I really have no idea how durable they are because I’ve never worn a pair out, I just let my older boys borrow them for their own adventures and get myself another pair when they don’t bring them back.
Winkler Knives
Dan Winkler is a national treasure, a childhood hero, and a man I’m proud to call a friend. If you’ve ever seen the movie, Last of the Mohicans (and if you haven’t you need to reconsider the poor choices you’ve made in your life), you’ve seen his work.
Dan’s gotten some particular notoriety of late for his tomahawks and tools highlighted in Jack Carr’s “Terminal List” series and the TV show of the same name, but Dan’s been at this a long time. He’s made extremely high-quality knives and tools for discerning collectors at his shop in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is what he’s pretty well known for.
More unknown, until lately, was his work with US Special Operations teams, developing specialty tools for their work. I’ve carried Winkler knives and tools all over the world, and done just about everything you might need a knife to do with them. There’s really no telling how much camp firewood has been cut and split with my field knife (discontinued but it’s pretty close to the Lost Lake Camp Knife). An SD2 with some nice wood (above) from their local shop is my daily carry now. On a recent south Texas hog hunt we came across an errant Red Deer. The little fixed blade pocket knife helped gut, skin and butcher the entire animal. It also opens boxes from Amazon.
Any New Model Ruger Single Six, Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk
There’s no better value in a firearm than a Single Six, New Model Blackhawk, or Super Blackhawk (the ones with the transfer bar.) There were some years where they undersized the cylinder throats leading to poor accuracy (an easy DIY fix), but in general, these are all very solid guns.
They are overbuilt, particularly in the case of the .45 Colt models. There are certainly no more customized and modified revolvers, and that’s a heck of a feat considering how much longer the Colt Single Action Army has been around. I’ve bought dozens over the years, and one particular .357 Magnum is on its third generation, with no reason to believe it won’t be in shape to hand down to a fourth.
I’ve hunted with these guns in the US and on the Dark Continent. They’ve been truck guns, tractor guns, farm and ranch guns, bear defense, plinkers, and legit hunting guns for me for 40 years now. I never hesitate to buy a used model, even if it shows signs of rust or misuse. They are easy to fix and customize, and any gunsmith who can’t work on them isn’t a gunsmith. Really, you just can’t go wrong.
Literally Anything made by Cole-Tac
Last year I had the pleasure of going on a dove and pig hunt with Dustin Coleman, the owner Cole-Tac. When he arrived, I’ve no doubt he was surprised to see that I had brought more Cole-Tac gear than he did.
Cole-Tac makes a wide variety of gear, and I think I own just about all of it. I’ve got their suppressor covers, shooting mats, shooting bags, rifle bags, tripod leggings, notebook covers, holsters, binoculars case, probably 10 of their ammunition wallets and novels, their backbone bags (above) just tons of it. I’ve never had an issue with any of it. It’s all extremely well designed and well-made right here in America.
Seriously, it’s rare that I don’t have some kind of Cole-Tac gear with me, and I don’t think I’ve been on a course, taught or course, or been on a hunt without something of theirs for many years now. It’s all great stuff.
The Mossberg 500
When people ask me what I’ve hunted the most with, they’re often surprised to find out it’s a decades old Mossberg 500. That’s not necessarily by choice, it’s just that there’s always been one in my truck, under the seat or in the toolbox, so that’s what I grabbed when I saw a pig, deer, bird, or varmint.
My oldest boy got one of my well-used models passed down a couple years ago, one that was passed down to me decades before that. I have one I use for duck hunting that’s gotten completely soaked in the salt water of the Gulf of Mexico dozens of times. Washed and oiled, it’s just fine. I’ve run a lot of courses with these guns over the years, modified and unmodified them many times, and generally just used the heck out of them.
When I started teaching anti-poaching tactics in southern Africa, I wasn’t too terribly surprised to find Mossberg 500 and Maverick pumps as the guns of choice for the local teams. They get carried every day through the bush, with almost no access to replacement tools or even proper lube….and they run just fine. I’d have zero issues buying a used 500 for a dove or duck season, personal protection, or bear defense. If anything goes wrong with it, parts are cheap and plentiful and there’s not much a competent individual can’t repair or replace with common tools.
Leave us a comment below on what guns and gear have lasted you decades and are still going strong.
*Gulf of America. 😉
+100 on the Ruger revolvers and the Mossberg pumps. I’ve spent a lot more on other guns but they will not outlast Rugers and Mossbergs.
Thanks for the reviews. From a gun owner who is still learning.
Russell Moccasins *used* to be absolutely great — I have two pairs of custom RM shoes that I have had for 20 and 25 years (resoled many times) that are damn near perfect, and with care will probably outlive me. They had my last (the custom foot mold) on file, and I should have had more made.
Unfortunately, few years ago they had a change in ownership, and quit making truly custom / bespoke shoes / boots. When I last called to order, they informed me that they had trashed all the old lasts, and so it was just off the rack sizes. (My feet are weirdly shaped, so that’s just noise.)
Jesus…we used to be a nation.
But in the spirit of “what works,” I’ll give a shout-out for an old Marlin .22 levergun.
Still have my old 1973 Xmas present, and have shot the heck out of it for decades . . . and it still is a tack driver,
Many years ago a friend of mine bought a new house and found a Model 39A in the attic. He didn’t want it so he gave it to me. A little cleaning an oiling it ran like a champ for years. I eventually gave it to that same man’s son.
my ’70 s’blackhawk was my first firearm purchase. po had sent it in for the xfer bar (and magna- porting).
much later i got a single six. the bearcat is my favorite.
the ithaca pumps hold up too.