Which gun do you choose? -Long post-
My Grandpa is giving away these guns to us Grandkids and we are going to pick 1 at a time until they are gone. I will get at least 2 of them. He has a really cool write up with them and most prices he bought them for which I thought everyone would find interesting. None really have sentimental value to me. Which would you pick and why?
The dates are when he bought them. Not necessarily when they were made.
1954-30 Cal. Carbine #909608, made by underwood typewriter co, 11-1943, bought from NRA. I was too young to order a gun so Andy G, a NRA member ordered it. Andy wanted a M1 Girand and I wanted one also but he could only buy one so I had him order me the carbine. Cost $18.50.
1954-Ruger Blackhawk .357 cal. This gun was for sale at a Roswell gun shop for $87. I was underage so I went to my brother Howard’s electric shop and asked him to sign for it. I had the money from chopping cotton. After I bought it I went to the Pecos River bridge where I threw a piece of wood into the river then shot it. I ‘like to went deaf, it was so loud’! I helped my little brother Jim go deaf too. We were in a pickup , there were 2 people in the front and I was in the back. We were out in the boonies when we saw a rattlesnake. I shot the snake out of the window right by Jim’s left ear. I hit the snake. The gun is dangerous, if you carried a shell under the hammer and dropped the gun it might go off. The company revised a safety kit for the gun and owners were supposed to send the gun in to get it fixed. I did not do that, so it has not had the aftermarket safety installed. It is worth twice as much in original condition.
1957-Stevens Gallery #80. My dad bought this gun when he was a young man. This was the first gun my dad bought as a teen 1906-08. It was shot so much it wore the rifling so it doesn’t shoot accurate. This gun goes to Keith H's son.
1959-Winchester Model 12, 20 gauge #1886094. I bought this gun when I was working at White’s in Las Cruces. I bought it and took it dove hunting. The first time out I killed 20 dove in 21 shots. I was proud of myself and the gun. The second time I used 29 shots and knocked the feathers out of one dove.
1961-High Standard Flight King 22 cal. #433071, 2 barrels, 22 short & 22 LR. I took this gun to Mexico on a fishing trip. You were not supposed to take guns to Mexico so I wrapped it in a rag and hid it in Pat Phillip’s boat. It got salt water on the 22 short barrel and corroded the outside of the barrel but still shoots good.
1963 300 Savage Model 99, cal 300 savage, #293125. This gun belonged to my dad. He bought it about 1940-41. We were hunting one time and the front sight fell off. Dad got a penny and built a new sight and continued to hunt. The sight is still on the gun.
1968-36 cal Navy Colt reproduction. #11781. This was the first muzzle loader I owned. I killed a bobcat with it. I shot him right in the eye, didn’t break the eyelid, the bullet came out of the back of the head. Jim’s college roommate mounted the bobcat. My mother didn’t like the mount, she would put a dish towel over the cat when she visited.
1969-Navy Arms 58 cal Zuave, #7424. I killed several elk with this muzzle loader.
1975-Thompson Center, cap lock with a 45 and a 50 cal barrel, #22448. I killed several elk with this gun. The 50 cal barrel would shoot a good pattern, then the next time it would shoot a good pattern but in a different area. I sent it to a guy in new Hampshire “Frishoot’s Shop”. He put a button rifling in it and deepened the rifling. It shot good from there on. It was pretty new when Alton and I took it elk hunting in Colorado. I killed an elk way up on a mountain. We got the elk on horseback and decided to take it to the pickup. Just before we got to the pickup, we into big timber. We got off the horses and hung the elk. We heard a noise while we were hanging the elk, we got back to the pickup to spend the night. I pulled the scabbard off the saddle to clean the gun and the stock fell off. The horse had rolled over and broke the stock and tang and trigger guard. When I got back to Farmington I took the gun to Ross’s Sporting Goods and he sent it in to Thompson Center and they repaired it for free with free shipping.
1976-45 cal Flintlock muzzleloader was homemade I put together from a kit. I had to work on the stock and smooth it out, it shoots good.
1980-Winchester Model 9422-XTR, 22 cal #F424367. A gun shop in Bloomfield was selling their business to someone else, so I got a good deal on this Winchester. I still have the box it came in.
1982-Smith and Wesson model 30-2, 9MM #A121809 pistol. I bought this because I thought I needed a 9 mm.
1983-Remington 700 7MM Remington Mag. A guy had an estate sale north of Bayard in Hanover. I went with Alton to buy an upright freezer. I had $80 with me, so I bid $80 on the gun. A guy went to $90 so I borrowed $20 from Alton, bid $100 and got it. It had never been shot. Alton didn’t buy the freezer, he thought it was too expensive.
1999-Interarms w/P.O. Ackely Barrel, 22/250cal #A26419. This was the barrel to have at the time. I had a 300 Weatherby that I traded for the gun. It has a thumbhole stock.
2006-Remington model 34, 22 cal #7338 from D.A. L. It shoots good.
2006-L.O. Smith. 12 Gauge Damascus Steel barrel. From D.A. L. Black powder, hand made. Do not shoot, wallhanger. Took a rod, wrapped steel around it, hit, beat it, wrap it, after several runs. Smokeless powder will blow it up.
2008-Japanese Army Rifle brought home by D.A. L from Saipan, South Pacific. Wallhanger, do not shoot.
2012-Ruger model P345, 45 cal #665-04359
2012-Ruger model LCP, 380 cal #378-72650
The dates are when he bought them. Not necessarily when they were made.
1954-30 Cal. Carbine #909608, made by underwood typewriter co, 11-1943, bought from NRA. I was too young to order a gun so Andy G, a NRA member ordered it. Andy wanted a M1 Girand and I wanted one also but he could only buy one so I had him order me the carbine. Cost $18.50.
1954-Ruger Blackhawk .357 cal. This gun was for sale at a Roswell gun shop for $87. I was underage so I went to my brother Howard’s electric shop and asked him to sign for it. I had the money from chopping cotton. After I bought it I went to the Pecos River bridge where I threw a piece of wood into the river then shot it. I ‘like to went deaf, it was so loud’! I helped my little brother Jim go deaf too. We were in a pickup , there were 2 people in the front and I was in the back. We were out in the boonies when we saw a rattlesnake. I shot the snake out of the window right by Jim’s left ear. I hit the snake. The gun is dangerous, if you carried a shell under the hammer and dropped the gun it might go off. The company revised a safety kit for the gun and owners were supposed to send the gun in to get it fixed. I did not do that, so it has not had the aftermarket safety installed. It is worth twice as much in original condition.
1957-Stevens Gallery #80. My dad bought this gun when he was a young man. This was the first gun my dad bought as a teen 1906-08. It was shot so much it wore the rifling so it doesn’t shoot accurate. This gun goes to Keith H's son.
1959-Winchester Model 12, 20 gauge #1886094. I bought this gun when I was working at White’s in Las Cruces. I bought it and took it dove hunting. The first time out I killed 20 dove in 21 shots. I was proud of myself and the gun. The second time I used 29 shots and knocked the feathers out of one dove.
1961-High Standard Flight King 22 cal. #433071, 2 barrels, 22 short & 22 LR. I took this gun to Mexico on a fishing trip. You were not supposed to take guns to Mexico so I wrapped it in a rag and hid it in Pat Phillip’s boat. It got salt water on the 22 short barrel and corroded the outside of the barrel but still shoots good.
1963 300 Savage Model 99, cal 300 savage, #293125. This gun belonged to my dad. He bought it about 1940-41. We were hunting one time and the front sight fell off. Dad got a penny and built a new sight and continued to hunt. The sight is still on the gun.
1968-36 cal Navy Colt reproduction. #11781. This was the first muzzle loader I owned. I killed a bobcat with it. I shot him right in the eye, didn’t break the eyelid, the bullet came out of the back of the head. Jim’s college roommate mounted the bobcat. My mother didn’t like the mount, she would put a dish towel over the cat when she visited.
1969-Navy Arms 58 cal Zuave, #7424. I killed several elk with this muzzle loader.
1975-Thompson Center, cap lock with a 45 and a 50 cal barrel, #22448. I killed several elk with this gun. The 50 cal barrel would shoot a good pattern, then the next time it would shoot a good pattern but in a different area. I sent it to a guy in new Hampshire “Frishoot’s Shop”. He put a button rifling in it and deepened the rifling. It shot good from there on. It was pretty new when Alton and I took it elk hunting in Colorado. I killed an elk way up on a mountain. We got the elk on horseback and decided to take it to the pickup. Just before we got to the pickup, we into big timber. We got off the horses and hung the elk. We heard a noise while we were hanging the elk, we got back to the pickup to spend the night. I pulled the scabbard off the saddle to clean the gun and the stock fell off. The horse had rolled over and broke the stock and tang and trigger guard. When I got back to Farmington I took the gun to Ross’s Sporting Goods and he sent it in to Thompson Center and they repaired it for free with free shipping.
1976-45 cal Flintlock muzzleloader was homemade I put together from a kit. I had to work on the stock and smooth it out, it shoots good.
1980-Winchester Model 9422-XTR, 22 cal #F424367. A gun shop in Bloomfield was selling their business to someone else, so I got a good deal on this Winchester. I still have the box it came in.
1982-Smith and Wesson model 30-2, 9MM #A121809 pistol. I bought this because I thought I needed a 9 mm.
1983-Remington 700 7MM Remington Mag. A guy had an estate sale north of Bayard in Hanover. I went with Alton to buy an upright freezer. I had $80 with me, so I bid $80 on the gun. A guy went to $90 so I borrowed $20 from Alton, bid $100 and got it. It had never been shot. Alton didn’t buy the freezer, he thought it was too expensive.
1999-Interarms w/P.O. Ackely Barrel, 22/250cal #A26419. This was the barrel to have at the time. I had a 300 Weatherby that I traded for the gun. It has a thumbhole stock.
2006-Remington model 34, 22 cal #7338 from D.A. L. It shoots good.
2006-L.O. Smith. 12 Gauge Damascus Steel barrel. From D.A. L. Black powder, hand made. Do not shoot, wallhanger. Took a rod, wrapped steel around it, hit, beat it, wrap it, after several runs. Smokeless powder will blow it up.
2008-Japanese Army Rifle brought home by D.A. L from Saipan, South Pacific. Wallhanger, do not shoot.
2012-Ruger model P345, 45 cal #665-04359
2012-Ruger model LCP, 380 cal #378-72650
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