I love Ralphie and the Red Rider BB gun Christmas Story movie, I even have a 1944 Red Rider BB gun.

As I have been sitting here today looking out at the snow I decided to polish guns. When I came to this one, clearly my favorite, I began to riminess so I thought I would share it's story with you guys.

It's Christmas 1979, my wife and I have been married for 5 months (41 1/2 years later and we're still married). But back to 1979, we had spent almost all the money that we had between us getting set up with a place to live, furniture etc.. So we agreed to only buy token gifts for each other this first year, we would have plenty of Christmases to get each other something nice. Great idea, right.

Now she knew I loved handguns and that S&W's were what I wanted to collect one day when we might have the money but she knew nothing about models or calibers. I would NEVER trust her to go buy a gun, but I really didn't think about it because we had never had a detailed discussion about guns.

Then Christmas came, naturally I couldn't let Christmas go with just a token gift for her so I got her a piece of jewelry that cleaned us out. I didn't expect or want an expensive gift and now we certainly couldn't afford it. But she apparently had the same idea, she didn't care about herself but wanted me to have something nice. I don't know what made her select this revolver, a M29-2 with a 4 inch barrel and I don't remember how we paid for that Christmas but it was unbelievable. To give her a nice gift when she didn't expect it and to get a Model 29 when I didn't expect it. Boy we were on cloud 9. I was a lot like Ralphie as I opened my BB gun and yes I took it out and shot it in the snow in my PJ's.

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EXCELLENT !!.. Thank you for sharing your story. I am a big fan of personal accounts of other's special memories. I am glad it didn't turn out like the O. Henry story along those lines ....

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Y. B. Ord & A. Ree

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

Great story, thank you for sharing that.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

Outstanding! You are a lucky man.

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No baby we aint

I got married to "The Wife of My Life" a month before you (5/13/78). While she has never bought me a gun, she has allowed me to buy all I could pay for. And she usually goes to the NRA annual meetings with me for vacation!

I think you and I both really lucked out!

Ivan

Congratulations, and I agree with you. After our first Christmas went so well my wife continued to get me a handgun for many years. Nothing ever meant as much to me as that first M29 though.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

What's the story behind your screen name and avatar? I like both.

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Wrangler of stray Chiefs
Bob

Great story, Thanks.

She your collection advisor now?

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Mr. Two Bit Cowboy, I restored cars on the side until I was disabled. I had collected several cool cars but sold most since I can't care for them anymore. But I have 2 that I will keep until!!

I bought the 1941 Buick Roadmaster out of a large Buick collection, it's about 90 original. It was kept inside all of it's life. It had gas ration cards in the glove box, presidential buttons on the visor. It has a straight 8 motor and 3 speed manual with dual carbs. with fairly loud dual exhaust. It has Fender skirts and WWW Tires. Because of gas rationing in WWII most people took one carb off to save gas so it's a little difficult to find the dual carb.. I bought white magnetic sheets used in sign making and made large stars for the rear doors, small numbers for the hood etc. so I could make it resemble an army staff car for parades. (We live in a military town, Ft Campbell is the military base.) You should see the WWII veterans when they see it dressed up as a staff car, tears will run down their cheeks. It makes me remember how much we owe to the WWII, and of course ALL Veterans!

Thanks for asking.

Yes sir. Now she advises me to stop buying guns.