Do the old rifles shoot as well as the new ones?

[wv109323]

Firearms are made to meet the market requirements or price points. So guns of similar marketing or quality should be equally accurate back till about 1920. Before 1920 or so barrel metals were substandard to todays materials.
Winchester 52, Remington 37 and Remington 40x have been replaced by custom made rifles or imports like Anshultz. I think todays machine work is more consistent and accurate than yesteryears but that precise machining is not in mass produced firearms.
The Remington 700 action is common in custom riflrs but it is usually trued and blueprinted before use in a custom rifle.
The market has changed over time. Remington guns and rimfire ammo was top of the line . Remington is bankrupt and Rem. rimfire ammo is bottom shelf.

[Chev. William]

My experience with old Stevens "favorite" single shot 'boys rifles' is that even 'sewer pipe' looking bores may shoot good enough for use out to 50 or 100 yards and hit in a 2" inch circle, fine for small varmints if needed. The ones with just pitting shoot even better.

!00 plus year old barrels that were shot and left uncleaned is what most have experienced but they still will shoot after thorough Cleaning.

Chev. William