1858 Sharps Carbine handed down from my wifes father. Her great great great grandfather carried it from Tennessee to the 2nd Oklahoma Land Run, and used it to settled the section of land that is still in the family.
I've got 3.
First, is a Marlin 336, Lever-action, 30-30 rifle that my grandfather gave me when I was 21. This man was a legend in my mind and all his other grandchildren. He spent countless hours with all of us, teaching us how to fish, hunt and how to be men. He had 2 living sons and 8 grandsons that ALL wanted this rifle. One day, out of the blue, he asked me to go with him into the spare bedroom (where he kept his gun cabinet), reached inside and pulled it out. He then handed it to me and stated that I was the only one he could trust with his rifle and he knew I would not sell it or pawn it off. 22 years later, I still have that rifle and even though I don't shoot it or hunt with it much, I pull it out occasionally to handle it or clean it and think of that man...my grandfather. A man, my hero and someone I wish was still with us and that I could be more like! This gun is absolutely priceless to me and it will be one of the last guns that will be passed onto my daughters or one of their children someday when I'm close to going home to my maker. This gun reminds me of the song, "granddaddy's gun", just in the rifle version of course.
Second, is a Smith & Wesson model 621 revolver. It belonged to my other Grandpa. I was never as close to him as I was my other Grandpa and have learned a lot more about his history after he passed and I was a little older. This was his service gun carried during his career in law enforcement (California and then later in Oklahoma). He was a rough and tough man and just wasn't very good with kids...hence, why none of us "kids" were to keen on spending time with Papa Bill. He hurt us for fun! Looking back, I wish I'd spent more time with him, because I would like to have learned more about fighting from him than I did. He spent his teenage years as an Oklahoma "Smoker", Oklahoma's equivalent to California's golden gloves program. His older brothers took him from city to city to fight in the traveling circus rings across the tri-state area. They were much older and were his so-promoters. They took most of the winnings. At 16, he left the family cotton farm and hitch hiked from Oklahoma to San Francisco and paid a bum $5 to sign as his father and joined the navy. Fought in WW2 and in 1943 earned the title of "Light-Heavy weight Champion of the US Armed Forces". He fought the undisputed champion of the Marine core on a carrier stationed in Santa Barbara. The fight was refereed by "Joe Lewis" and my Grandpa knocked out his opponent in the 4th round!! Some of the stories from his law enforcement years and beyond are just fascinating to me and makes me very proud to be of his bloodline. He was a true warrior in many respects!
Last gun is also a Marlin, lever gun, but this one is a model 39-A, Mountie, 22 LR. My dad had for as long as I can remember as a child. Don't know what it was about that gun, but I was madly in love with it. I love the way it looks, the way it feels, the way it shoots, hell I even love the way it smells. Weird, I know, but it is what it is.....I just love this little gun. As a kid, I used to sneak it out of the house and into the woods. I've killed just about everything one can imagine as a young boy in the Oklahoma woods: birds, squirrel, rabbits, stray dogs, cats, mice, rodents, cans, you name it...I've probably shot it with this little rifle! I even got so good with it, that I could shoot a clay pigeon out of the air when we would skeet shoot with the family. Turned a lot of heads that day! Fast forward many years, my dad finally broke down and gave it to me for Christmas (about 10 years ago). It is the gun I used to teach my girls how to shoot. I will never sell it, I would never trade it and someday it will be passed onto one of my daughters or one of their sons (hopefully) one day!!
First, is a Marlin 336, Lever-action, 30-30 rifle that my grandfather gave me when I was 21. This man was a legend in my mind and all his other grandchildren. He spent countless hours with all of us, teaching us how to fish, hunt and how to be men. He had 2 living sons and 8 grandsons that ALL wanted this rifle. One day, out of the blue, he asked me to go with him into the spare bedroom (where he kept his gun cabinet), reached inside and pulled it out. He then handed it to me and stated that I was the only one he could trust with his rifle and he knew I would not sell it or pawn it off. 22 years later, I still have that rifle and even though I don't shoot it or hunt with it much, I pull it out occasionally to handle it or clean it and think of that man...my grandfather. A man, my hero and someone I wish was still with us and that I could be more like! This gun is absolutely priceless to me and it will be one of the last guns that will be passed onto my daughters or one of their children someday when I'm close to going home to my maker. This gun reminds me of the song, "granddaddy's gun", just in the rifle version of course.
Second, is a Smith & Wesson model 621 revolver. It belonged to my other Grandpa. I was never as close to him as I was my other Grandpa and have learned a lot more about his history after he passed and I was a little older. This was his service gun carried during his career in law enforcement (California and then later in Oklahoma). He was a rough and tough man and just wasn't very good with kids...hence, why none of us "kids" were to keen on spending time with Papa Bill. He hurt us for fun! Looking back, I wish I'd spent more time with him, because I would like to have learned more about fighting from him than I did. He spent his teenage years as an Oklahoma "Smoker", Oklahoma's equivalent to California's golden gloves program. His older brothers took him from city to city to fight in the traveling circus rings across the tri-state area. They were much older and were his so-promoters. They took most of the winnings. At 16, he left the family cotton farm and hitch hiked from Oklahoma to San Francisco and paid a bum $5 to sign as his father and joined the navy. Fought in WW2 and in 1943 earned the title of "Light-Heavy weight Champion of the US Armed Forces". He fought the undisputed champion of the Marine core on a carrier stationed in Santa Barbara. The fight was refereed by "Joe Lewis" and my Grandpa knocked out his opponent in the 4th round!! Some of the stories from his law enforcement years and beyond are just fascinating to me and makes me very proud to be of his bloodline. He was a true warrior in many respects!
Last gun is also a Marlin, lever gun, but this one is a model 39-A, Mountie, 22 LR. My dad had for as long as I can remember as a child. Don't know what it was about that gun, but I was madly in love with it. I love the way it looks, the way it feels, the way it shoots, hell I even love the way it smells. Weird, I know, but it is what it is.....I just love this little gun. As a kid, I used to sneak it out of the house and into the woods. I've killed just about everything one can imagine as a young boy in the Oklahoma woods: birds, squirrel, rabbits, stray dogs, cats, mice, rodents, cans, you name it...I've probably shot it with this little rifle! I even got so good with it, that I could shoot a clay pigeon out of the air when we would skeet shoot with the family. Turned a lot of heads that day! Fast forward many years, my dad finally broke down and gave it to me for Christmas (about 10 years ago). It is the gun I used to teach my girls how to shoot. I will never sell it, I would never trade it and someday it will be passed onto one of my daughters or one of their sons (hopefully) one day!!
#1 Rem Model 11, looks like a humpback Browning, recoil operated, kicks like PO'd mule. Papa bought it in 1919 with money made fro picking cotton. Still take it out once a year.
#2 Dad's 870 16ga. He traded an Austin Healey for it and $100. That car is worth $60k now, the shotgun is worth more, to me.
#3 Win Model 61 pump .22LR. Dad bought it from Papa's boyhood friend and gave it to me for my birthday. He passed before my next b'day. Papa and his friend from school each bought a .22 with their cotton picking money. Papa a model 62 and Tommy the Model 61. My Uncle has the Model 62, I will get one day, hopefully not too soon though.
#4 Pretty much everything I own has some special meaning for me. Only a couple would I consider selling.
#2 Dad's 870 16ga. He traded an Austin Healey for it and $100. That car is worth $60k now, the shotgun is worth more, to me.
#3 Win Model 61 pump .22LR. Dad bought it from Papa's boyhood friend and gave it to me for my birthday. He passed before my next b'day. Papa and his friend from school each bought a .22 with their cotton picking money. Papa a model 62 and Tommy the Model 61. My Uncle has the Model 62, I will get one day, hopefully not too soon though.
#4 Pretty much everything I own has some special meaning for me. Only a couple would I consider selling.
Colt Combat Commander Nickel
That model 12 in 16 ga is a treasure. Good to see you got it.
Ruger 10/22 manufactured in 1982. Given to me by my uncle when I was around 12. It is bone stock and has had countless thousands of rounds through it. Recently I have been toying with the thought of replacing the stock and barrel. I will probably just buy another 22 and stop putting wear on this one though. Keep it forever.
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Damn good.
Mine is a Mark IV/series 80 in the Nickel finish. Bought it at a pawn shop in the late 80's. Finish had been abused then, and has not gotten any better. I could most likely drive a few nails with it and no one would be able to tell the difference. I do not have to be concerned about bumping it against anything and scratching the fine finish. I treat it like the crowbar it is and it seems to like it.
It apparently had been accuratized by those days standards, not sure what all was done to it, and had target sites put on it. Those sites are almost too big and annoying for my everyday carry, but have gotten use to them over the years. Trigger is butter smooth predictable. Not something I would pull out to show as a BBQ gun, but is the baddest dog on the porch I own when it is pulled out. I thought my accuracy might be the fault of the firearm until I clamped it down and did some testing, I have no excuses now.
Still have my Daisy Dad gave me for Christmas when I was seven, mom was not happy. (I could shoot my eye out.) He gave me all kinds of tips of how to shoot consistent 1" bulls eyes at 30 ft in a couple of weeks from many positions, but would never shoot it himself. After he passed away, I found out not only was he a classified as a "truck driver" in the war as he had claimed, but looking through his things, he had several medals and paperwork for appreciation of being an "Expert Marksman in the field" as part of his duties in service to our country. I guess he had shot all he had wanted to in life by 1955. I never saw him touch any firearm, even my Daisy after it was out of the box.
