Smyth Busters: We Found the PERFECT Rifle.

"What's the 'perfect" rifle?" is one of those perennial questions kickin' around on the Internet. Is there one all-around rifle that - if you really HAD to - you could use for all your shooting needs? Brownells Gun Techs™ Steve and Caleb, our intrepid Smith Busters, are bold enough to take on the question. Steve suggests the lever action rifle. A lever action is ambidextrous, has an exposed hammer, comes chambered in cartridges powerful enough to take a deer (maybe even a small bear), and it's compact and comfortable to carry. Caleb is thinking something more modern, like his gnarly gray AR-15. Does the AR-15's modularity enable you to assemble some "perfect" combination of components? Nope. You CAN find or build a rifle that's ideal for a particular shooter in a particular situation. But ONE rifle that does it ALL just doesn't exist. Brownells Gun Techs get calls from customers asking, "What's the best _____ [fill in the blank]?" Their answer is always a follow up question: "What are you going to use it for? What's your price range?" AR-15 shooters can't even agree on what dust cover is best! So the myth that there's a perfect all-purpose rifle is BUSTED.