Some guns get all the glory, and some get left in the dust. Doesn’t matter how well they were built or how solid they performed—if they didn’t get the right hype, they faded into the background. Some were ahead of their time, some got steamrolled by newer designs, and some just never got the respect they deserved.
But here’s the thing: just because a gun isn’t talked about much doesn’t mean it isn’t worth owning. There are rifles, shotguns, and handguns out there that can still hold their own today, even if most people have forgotten about them. So, let’s fix that. These are 10 guns that deserve way more respect than they get.
Remington Model 8
The Remington Model 8 was ahead of its time and barely gets a mention these days. Designed by John Browning in 1906, this was America’s first successful semi-auto hunting rifle. It ran a long-recoil system that soaked up some of the kick, making it easier to keep on target for follow-ups—something bolt guns at the time couldn’t touch.
It was chambered in .25, .30, .32, and .35 Remington, making it a solid option for medium game. Hell, Frank Hamer used a modified version to put an end to Bonnie and Clyde. But despite its history and performance, most hunters today barely know it exists.
Savage 99
The Savage 99 was doing things bolt-actions still struggle with today. A rotary magazine let it safely fire spitzer bullets—something tube-fed lever guns couldn’t handle—giving it better range and accuracy. The action was smooth, the trigger was crisp, and it was chambered in hard-hitting rounds like .300 Savage and later .308 Win.
For a long time, this was a go-to deer rifle. But as bolt guns took over, the 99 started fading into the background. These days, most people don’t even realize lever actions were once serious contenders in the long-range game.
Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless
There was a time when the Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless was the carry pistol of choice. Designed by John Browning, this little .32 ACP was lightweight, smooth, and stupidly reliable. It rode in the pockets of military officers, lawmen, and gangsters alike, and for good reason—it pointed naturally and shot like a dream.
As .380s and compact 9mms took over, the 1903 got left behind. But if you’ve ever handled one, you know why it was so popular. It’s slim, comfortable, and still one of the most stylish carry pistols ever made.
Smith & Wesson Model 1917
When World War I kicked off, the U.S. military needed more .45s than Colt could crank out. Enter the Smith & Wesson Model 1917, a big, burly revolver chambered in .45 ACP. Using moon clips, it could load and eject rimless pistol rounds just as fast as a semi-auto.
After the war, it became a favorite among cops, ranchers, and anyone who needed a sidearm that could hit hard and keep going. It’s not flashy, but it was built to last. These days, it’s mostly a forgotten relic, but it’s still as reliable as the day it rolled off the assembly line.
Steyr M95
The Steyr M95 isn’t just another old bolt gun—it’s one of the fastest-cycling bolt-actions ever made. The straight-pull design let soldiers chamber a new round with a single pull and push, instead of having to rotate the bolt. That made a real difference in a gunfight.
Chambered in the bruising 8x56R, this thing kicks like a mule, but it hits just as hard. It saw action in both world wars, but because it never had the fame of the Mauser or Mosin-Nagant, it got left in the dust. If you ever get a chance to shoot one, you’ll appreciate just how fast a bolt gun can run.
Ruger Security-Six
Before the GP100, there was the Security-Six. This was Ruger’s answer to the Smith & Wesson Model 19—built tough, simple to maintain, and able to handle hot .357 Magnum loads without flinching. It was a favorite among cops and outdoorsmen in the ‘70s and ‘80s because it just flat-out worked.
When Ruger introduced the GP100, the Security-Six quietly disappeared. But anyone who’s ever owned one knows it was one of the best-built .357 revolvers out there. If you find one, grab it—it’s built like a tank and shoots like a dream.
Remington XP-100
The Remington XP-100 was a bolt-action pistol built for rifle-caliber accuracy. Chambered in rounds like .221 Fireball and .223 Rem, it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. With its center-grip stock and long barrel, it was made for precision handgun shooting long before that was even a thing.
It never caught on with the masses, mostly because it was too big for a carry gun and too different for most shooters. But those who appreciate long-range handgun accuracy still swear by it. It might be weird, but it works.
Ithaca 37
The Ithaca 37 is one of the smoothest pump-action shotguns ever made, yet it rarely gets mentioned alongside the big names like the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500. With its bottom-eject design, it’s fully ambidextrous—something left-handed shooters still struggle to find today.
This shotgun has seen action in police departments, the military, and the hunting fields. It’s tough, reliable, and cycles like butter. But for some reason, it never gets the attention it deserves. If you ever get your hands on one, you’ll wonder why more shotguns aren’t built like this.
FN49
The FN49 was one of the last great old-school battle rifles, but it had terrible timing. Designed before WWII, it arrived too late for that fight, and by the time the Cold War heated up, everyone had moved on to full-auto rifles like the FN FAL and M14.
Chambered in everything from .30-06 to 7mm Mauser, it was built like a tank and ran like a dream. But it never saw widespread adoption, and today it’s mostly forgotten. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of the best semi-auto battle rifles most people have never heard of.
*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.
