Sentimental Firearm Stories

[Sneakyhunter]

I can't be the only one that has a sentimental firearm or two right? Whether it was past down generations, your first firearm purchase, or part of a memorable hunt. I would like to hear everyone's sentimental firearm stories, share a picture and why the firearm has meaning to you.

 

[Scarey]

This Winchester 30-30 has been in my family since the day it was purchased brand new in 1929. There are too many stories to tell about this rifle. I guess my favorite one is the time my great grandfather took this 30-30 hunting and came across a heard of elk. He raised the rifle up to his shoulder and cycled round after round until the rifle was empty never having pulled the trigger once. that was probably my most memorable story about this rifle. I just recently have been placed in its care until another member of the family is ready to take on it's care. I plan to use it to harvest one deer in the near future and then put it away until my son is ready to have it.

 

[Werty]

Not a firearm, I have my grandfathers bear recurve bow. He gave it to me before he died. I watched him try to hunt rabbits with it at 94 years old. He was an amazing man.

 

[Werty]

I can't be the only one that has a sentimental firearm or two right? Whether it was past down generations, your first firearm purchase, or part of a memorable hunt. I would like to hear everyone's sentimental firearm stories, share a picture and why the firearm has meaning to you.

Whats yours?

 

[Big Fin]

My grandfather's Remington Model 14 "slide action" as they were called at the time. Chambered in a .30 Remington with the old UMC stamp on it. Just went downstairs and looked at the serial number 55,971, actually stamped as a Model 14C, which was considered "Special Grade." Puts it in the 1917 vintage.



Here is a picture of him posing with it in 1961 at the family homestead in Forbes, MN. He was stylin' guy in deer season, always fitted with his red wools. Wish I knew what year he bought it. It is over 100 years old and I wonder the stories it could tell.



It was 15 years later that I shot my first deer with this same rifle at about 80 yards. Wish my Dad had considered cameras a worthwhile investment, but no pics of me and that deer or me and that rifle. It now sits in my vault and will likely not have another round fired through it.

 

[Shortbowshot]

My dad's .50 cal Hawkins. I killed my first deer with it at 12. He passed a few years later before I was old enough to realize what it would mean to me. Not sure what became of it.

 

[Alpine01]

Mine is a Model 47, 22 single shot. My dad bought it new in 1948 right after he graduated high school. Used it to hunt rabbits and squirrels in South Dakota. I learned to shoot with it when I was 8 or 9, also in South Dakota. Dad ultimately passed it down to me when I came back from college in 1987 and I have had it ever since. It always had a very short, very narrow, front site and it wasn't until about six years ago I figured out it had originally had a bead on it but the bead had broken off sometime before I was born. Dad just taught me to shoot it the way is was although we had to adjust the rear sight at the end of its travel to get it to zero. I still take it out to the range every once in awhile just to have some fun. Still holds pretty true out to 100 yards or so. My Dad passed about a month ago now - I figure I need to take it out and find a rabbit or squirrel for one last hunt before it goes in the safe for good.

 

[BackofBeyond]

My grandpa bought a Winchester Model 94 fresh off his discharge papers from the Navy in 1945. Purchased somewhere between California and Minnesota where his dad lived. It bounced around with him until he landed a clerk job for the Great Northern RR in Big Sandy, MT. That’s where he met my grandmother, they married and started raising a family.

That rifle put a lot of venison on the table, and is what all 6 of his boys used to shoot their first deer with. My dad was the oldest, and I used it to shoot my first deer and elk. It’s in my safe now in good keeping for my boys. I’m not sure if either will hunt with it, but they sure will shoot it and learn about their great grandpa Roy. He was a hell of a guy.

 

[mtnkid85]

I can't be the only one that has a sentimental firearm or two right? Whether it was past down generations, your first firearm purchase, or part of a memorable hunt. I would like to hear everyone's sentimental firearm stories, share a picture and why the firearm has meaning to you.

My FIL gave me a really pretty Ruger #1 in 338win mag. He really wanted me to kill an elk with it, so I carried it for a season and harvested my bull with it that year. But I was terrified of beating it up so I haven't carried it since then. .

 

[HuntingHusband]

I’m fortunate to have a number of guns that are a generation or two old, all of which have stories that could go on for days. Most stay in the safe and only get pulled out occasionally to get oiled and reminisce. But a few I still take out as a way to keep my old man with me.

One is a Winchester Model 50 20 gauge. It was my first shotgun and I got my first sharptail grouse with it. After a few years I upgraded to a 12 gauge Remington 11-87 but my old man continued to use that little 20 gauge for sharptail until the day he passed. The first fall after he passed I took it out again and shot a limit of sharpies. Most rewarding limit of my life.

Since then, that shotgun goes out with me every fall for a token limit of sharpies. It has also traveled with me to AZ quail hunting and MN after ruffed grouse.

 

[belshawelk]

My best friend ( dad) died back in 2012. Living on a farm we kept all our guns loaded behind the door. We never had real expensive guns because they got stolen from time to time. Growing up my dad told me about his 1911 he brought back from the war and his 30-30. He says they either got stolen or lost. The house caught fire back in the 80's. He lived the rest of his life in the basement and tore down the upper story. Everything in the basement and house had severe water damage from the water putting out the fire. My dad lived like a hermit his whole life. Army cot, water from a spring, wood stoves and an outhouse. Anyways- he kept years and years of stuff like a hoarder in the basement. When he died ( I am the only son) I was was overwhelmed with all the garbage and just literally just shoveled the stuff out. BUT I did go through it. I found hidden in a long forgotten box the 1911 and buried in the back corner his 30-30. Rusty and in really bad shape from the water and fire. Neither action would open. The 1911 was loaded with a full magazine that I was able to break loose. I took them to a gun smith to get them cleaned to keep as wall hangers. Told him to keep them as original as possible in parts but go ahead a cerakote them. They were pitted in some areas. 1 year later I got a call from the gunsmith telling me they were ready AND I could shoot them. He test fired them both. I couldn't believe it, they were safe to shoot. I have yet to hunt with the 30-30 but plan to take it on a deer hunt just as it is. Just they way the ol' man last used it.

They may be pretty but they are the most beautiful memories to me.