There's no prettier firearm than a "honey and smoke" stocked over/under with tasteful engraving. That said, I have never owned one. All of my shotguns are hunting guns and I would be eternally miserable if I scratched up a beautiful gun like that so both of my over/under shotguns have synthetic stocks. I am biased but the Browning Cynergy is the prettiest synthetic stocked over/under on the market. I bought a Marlin .357 carbine a few years ago and within an hour of owning it my god-son scraped it on a concrete step permanently scaring the wood stock. I figured that just meant that I didn't have to worry about scratching it because it was already done. If that had happened to a wood o/u stock I'd still be crying.

I like Browning X Bolt Medallions for pretty, I have one.

I can sure relate to that aversion to beating up a nice piece of wood. That said, I've put enough scars on rifles through careless handling and plain ol' accidents and those really suck. I think it's a little different when it happens during a hunt, but it still bugs me. On the other hand, I have rifles that acquired dings before I owned them and I don't think they're so bad (obviously---I bought the rifles!). We're humans and humans are funny critters. I will admit though, when I know I am going to use my rifle to beat my way through heavy brush I take one with a synthetic stock.

I can sure relate to that aversion to beating up a nice piece of wood. That said, I've put enough scars on rifles through careless handling and plain ol' accidents and those really suck. I think it's a little different when it happens during a hunt, but it still bugs me. On the other hand, I have rifles that acquired dings before I owned them and I don't think they're so bad (obviously---I bought the rifles!). We're humans and humans are funny critters. I will admit though, when I know I am going to use my rifle to beat my way through heavy brush I take one with a synthetic stock.

It's odd because the X-Bolt Medallion basically violates every rule I *think* I have for what makes a rifle aesthetically pleasing, but I like the looks of them anyway. Like I am so fond of saying: humans are funny critters.

Okay, maybe it's just me then.

First trip out with a browning abolt m1000 stainless eclipse I had the sling swivel break and it hit the ground flat on its side. In ETX that would've been fine, since it happened in Rocksprings it has a craters in it. Makes me sick all over again just thinking about it.

As many know I'm a fan of the old Tang Safety Ruger's (hate the stock triggers)to me they have the cleanest lines out there, nice wood, deep bluing and a great feel to them. They ain't fancy just functional old meat and potato's rifles. I have several that are far nicer but nothing catches my eye like the old Tang Safety's.

Bought a White Gold Medallion 7 years ago.Most beautiful rifle I ve ever seen.I cant bring myself to hunt with it.I grab my synthetic stocks aand abuse them.(brush/rain/stalking)

This is an interesting thread. I was always taught that Beauty is in eye of the beholder. Like most folks who came of age in the 1950's & 1960's, a well hand crafted firearm is what I respect most, and is usually constructed of finely polished deeply blued metal & highly figured wood with a deep rich oil finish and finely hand cut checkering.

Back when I was repping firearms in the 1980's, I was at a customer's in Enid, Oklahoma for my annual booking order of SAKO Safari grade 375H&H's and whatever else I could tempt my customer with. The customer, who also owned a small line of uniquely styled high grade producution rifles and catered exclusively to the Travelling Hunter segment of the rilfe business - this was not your local LGS schlepping Rem'Chesters, was tied up on the phone talking to a client in Europe, leaving me to wander his showroom for almost 2 hours.

After more than an hour of inspecting every last item on display, I gravitated to a particular older unique looking double rifle from a very prominent English maker, that had scars all over it from decades heavy use. The styling was not current with it small splinter forearm, folding leaf sights in meters & funny looking trigger guard with an extended finger grip holding a very plain looking double trigger setup and no recoil pad, but the craftsmanship was superb and more finely detailed than the same gun in new condition, sitting next to it.

When my customer, George Caswell at Champlin Arms, got off the phone, he asked if I was interested in purchasing the old styled early 1920's 375H&H Holland double gun, since I had shown so much interest I was in the process of indicating a solid YES, but after my surprise that I'd misread the price tag, shorting the price by a digit with my fat finger covering the bottom of the ticket, and not $3,750 but really $37,500 I begged off completely embarrassed.

The New Gun in the same model, with little or no "character & obvious history" had taken over 3 years to recieve from the initial order date and was priced at $75,000...and had no desirability to me at all even at my intial $3,750 price supposition.

Again beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the old gun's horn trigger guard and horn shadow butt plate, case hardening on the reciever, the quiet solid sounding snick on closing with the hand crafted perfect lockup etc, and reeked of the long history of being hand carried on Safari in Africa chasing Dangerous Game...and still has me by the heart....30 years later.
JMHO & YMMV
Ron

Bought a White Gold Medallion 7 years ago.Most beautiful rifle I ve ever seen.I cant bring myself to hunt with it.I grab my synthetic stocks aand abuse them.(brush/rain/stalking)