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?

 

[ButchA]

The legendary 1911 immediately comes to mind!

 

[foxfirerodandgun]

When it comes to .22 rimfire rifles, I would say a resounding YES! I collected the older Mossberg .22 caliber rifles (pre-1965), and they were built better (blue steel & walnut), and will shoot better than most all of the off the shelf .22 rifles today. They had much better iron sights, triggers and other options. The 144 series are "tack drivers". The U.S. Military used these rifles as trainers. In fact, the pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 is another prime example of a much better-made bolt-action rifle than the current Model 70 offerings of today. Quality, workmanship, and accuracy have given way to profit margins.