Warrigul wrote:It is all very well to get the rose coloured glasses on for a sentimental favourite but when it is all boiled down they were mass produced to a price and were of an acceptable accuracy/finsh standard at best(who could ever forget the spliced-to save costs- stocks?). Any Brno, remington, winchester etc of the same period was, usually, a far better rifle and has lasted just as well.
The post-WWII Slazengers weren't fancy, sure, but I'd debate the notion that the were cut-rate budget offerings.
Firstly, they weren't
that cheap. Cheaper than almost-non-existent imports, yes, but still several weeks wages for the average blue collar worker. A .303 could be had for half the money, or less, of a Model 12 repeater.
Secondly, while the designs were unashamedly Winchester 67/69 ripoffs with the original 1930s adornments removed (even Winchester pared down the bling during and after the war), neither the materials used nor the machining/production processes were compromised. As most people know the barrelled actions were made from surplus .303 blanks.... 45t proved steel rated a mile beyond anything a 22LR could possibly generate.
Stock timber was, I'll admit, where aesthetics and fine craftsmanship were pushed aside for practicality.... basic timber and a functional varnished finish. Still, it was the same timber earmarked for No. 1 Mk III* production, so it wasn't crappy wood.
Compare a Slazenger Model 1B with a Sportco Model 40, which came about 10 years later, and you can soon tell that even though the Sportco is 'dressier' and prettier with nicer timber and nickel plating on the bolt, the Slazengers are better engineered.... the bolt feels much more precise and smooth, dual claw extractors versus the single on the Sportco, and the trigger is much better too. Still rather heavy, but less creepy and more precise than the toyish trigger on the Sportco.
Mind you, we are talking 50+ year old rifles, so your mileage may vary between particular examples. This is just what I've found from the ones I own myself.
I'll agree that the typical Brno Model 2 will outshoot the typical Slaz Model 12. You can get some tight groups out of the latter with a bit of work though.
"Accuracy" in benchrest and hunting are 2 different things.
