Longest produced firearm

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  • Chazp89

    Active Member
    Sep 1, 2017
    283
    Time to pick some brains...

    What would be the longest produced firearm of any given design? I’ll break it down into a couple parts:

    Longest serving rifle, pistol and shotgun used continuously by a major military without massive design changes?

    Longest produced commercial rifle pistol and shotgun continuously available in mostly its original form?
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,234
    Carroll County
    Germans used the Mauser action for a long damn time


    Not just the Germans. Everybody. The Israelis were contracting new 98 Mausers into the 60s. But that's really only 60 plus years.

    Look at the AR 15. It's been in continuous production nearly that long.

    Geeze, hand me down my Geritol...
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    Not just the Germans. Everybody. The Israelis were contracting new 98 Mausers into the 60s. But that's really only 60 plus years.

    Look at the AR 15. It's been in continuous production nearly that long.

    Geeze, hand me down my Geritol...

    Well, by that count the Enfield action was in use prior to WWI through the Ishapores in the 60s as well. I guess the first Mauser would've been the 71? Still older.

    The AK is pretty damn old too
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,606
    White Marsh, MD
    Commercially I know you can commonly buy many varients of flintlock rifles dating back to the 1700s. I'd bet there is a company making matchlocks too
     

    metalman3006

    Gun Hoarder
    Sep 6, 2007
    2,305
    Church Hill, MD
    M2HB
     

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    Rambler

    Doing the best with the worst.
    Oct 22, 2011
    2,162
    A lot of the contenders posted are either evolutions of the original design concept (Mauser bolt action and even arguably 1911 vs 1911A1 and M16/AR-15/M4) or designs which are now being made/reproduced but which were not in continuous production (Colt SAA, Remington rolling block).

    So which models are/were produced the longest and/or were in longest continuous service?
     

    Jim12

    Let Freedom Ring
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2013
    33,871
    This is an interesting study. How about some actual dates and year calculations instead of just throwing out names? Maybe somebody will pull together a chart afterwards for comparison.
     

    capt14k

    Active Member
    Jul 27, 2015
    221
    I would have to say the M91 Mosin Nagant if you are counting the receiver as the firearm it has not changed. Production years would be 1891 for the M91 to 1985 for the TKIV85 with the Finnish TKIV85 still being used currently.

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
     

    GUNSnROTORS

    nude member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 7, 2013
    3,620
    hic sunt dracones
    I think Marlin's marketing department used to claim that distinction for their Model 39.

    Yes Sir, Marlin Model 1891, 92, 39, & 39A would be my commercial rifle pick too. Winchester Model 94 was in the running until production halted temporarily in 2006.

    I'd go with Colt SAA for commercial handgun.

    For commercial shotgun, The Auto-5 went 100 years without a break in production. You'd think some old breach action would take the record, but I can't think of any in production that long.


    Solid pick I think for "major military without major design changes". Been in constant US service since 1933. Mosins longer (world-wide), maybe Mausers too (like others have posted). The 1911 is king in the US though, and is "still" in service with the US military. Admittedly not widespread, but it remained in several SpecOps communities continuously since the M9 was adopted. The USMC procured >10,000 more (designated M45A1) just a few years ago.
     

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