Gatofeo
Member
What's the best deal you've ever got on a gun or guns, given to you?
You cannot have traded for it (or them), or purchased them. You must have received it or them as a gift.
I'll start ...
Years ago, I wrote a humor and human interest column for a mid-sized publication in Seattle, where I once lived. When I moved to Idaho, to be a reporter on a newspaper, I retained my column there.
One column concerned my love of firearms, a side of me few knew. I faxed it from Idaho and basically forgot about it.
A week after publication, an old guy in Seattle called me at my Idaho newspaper office.
"I'm 70 years old, I'm never going hunting again, and I've got a bunch of guns I'd like you to have. Come on over to Seattle, and they're yours."
Well, at first I thought it was a prank. But I realized it wasn't. As luck would have it, I had plans that weekend to drive over and visit my father in Tacoma.
I made arrangements with my benefactor to meet him, and his wife, at their Seattle home at 7 a.m. They had plans to begin a drive to Iowa that day, and wanted an early start.
Well, the guy was on the up and up! Ultimately, he gave me the following guns, along with hundreds of rounds of ammo, gun cases and a 94-pound block of lead! (I weighed it later).
Here's what he gave me:
Browning A-5 12 gauge, 3" chamber, "goose gun" with full-choke 30-inch barrel. Like new.
Husqvarna featherweight .30-06 bolt-action. Like new. At 6-1/2 pounds, it thumps your shoulder pretty good, but it's sure nice to carry.
Marlin Model 1892 lever-action, in .32 Long Colt. Pretty rough, but it cleaned up fine. I later had the bore relined and now reload for it, with home-cast heeled bullets.
Winchester Model 1894 .30-30, full length rifle, takedown model. It had been professionally refinished, but it was a wonderful job. All marks still clear and crisp. Alas, the bore is badly pitted. Serial number indicates it was made in 1899.
Remington Model 512 bolt-action, tube-fed .22 rifle. It was the old man's high school graduation gift in the 1940s. Almost like new.
Remington 510 single-shot .22 rifle. A little worn, but functions fine.
Marlin Model 410 lever-action .410 shotgun. This was model was made from 1929 to 1932. Its three-digit serial number would indicate first year of manufacture. Refinished, and some of the markings blurred by the polishing wheel, but functionally like-new.
I seem to have an invisible sign on my head that flashes, "Give Gatofeo A Gun."
Through the years I've been given a Walther P-38, Colt Single Action Army .45 made in 1874, an old Jansen Sons 12 gauge double-barreled shotgun (with damascus barrels), an Iver Johnson PT-22 semi-auto (a copy of the Walther PPK, basically) and a few other guns.
I have every gun I've owned, except for the single-shot .22 the old guy gave me. I gave it to a friend, for his 8-year-old son to learn basic marksmanship and safety. Kid loves it.
Soooooooooooo ... got any guns ya wanna give me? Heh heh heh ...
You cannot have traded for it (or them), or purchased them. You must have received it or them as a gift.
I'll start ...
Years ago, I wrote a humor and human interest column for a mid-sized publication in Seattle, where I once lived. When I moved to Idaho, to be a reporter on a newspaper, I retained my column there.
One column concerned my love of firearms, a side of me few knew. I faxed it from Idaho and basically forgot about it.
A week after publication, an old guy in Seattle called me at my Idaho newspaper office.
"I'm 70 years old, I'm never going hunting again, and I've got a bunch of guns I'd like you to have. Come on over to Seattle, and they're yours."
Well, at first I thought it was a prank. But I realized it wasn't. As luck would have it, I had plans that weekend to drive over and visit my father in Tacoma.
I made arrangements with my benefactor to meet him, and his wife, at their Seattle home at 7 a.m. They had plans to begin a drive to Iowa that day, and wanted an early start.
Well, the guy was on the up and up! Ultimately, he gave me the following guns, along with hundreds of rounds of ammo, gun cases and a 94-pound block of lead! (I weighed it later).
Here's what he gave me:
Browning A-5 12 gauge, 3" chamber, "goose gun" with full-choke 30-inch barrel. Like new.
Husqvarna featherweight .30-06 bolt-action. Like new. At 6-1/2 pounds, it thumps your shoulder pretty good, but it's sure nice to carry.
Marlin Model 1892 lever-action, in .32 Long Colt. Pretty rough, but it cleaned up fine. I later had the bore relined and now reload for it, with home-cast heeled bullets.
Winchester Model 1894 .30-30, full length rifle, takedown model. It had been professionally refinished, but it was a wonderful job. All marks still clear and crisp. Alas, the bore is badly pitted. Serial number indicates it was made in 1899.
Remington Model 512 bolt-action, tube-fed .22 rifle. It was the old man's high school graduation gift in the 1940s. Almost like new.
Remington 510 single-shot .22 rifle. A little worn, but functions fine.
Marlin Model 410 lever-action .410 shotgun. This was model was made from 1929 to 1932. Its three-digit serial number would indicate first year of manufacture. Refinished, and some of the markings blurred by the polishing wheel, but functionally like-new.
I seem to have an invisible sign on my head that flashes, "Give Gatofeo A Gun."
Through the years I've been given a Walther P-38, Colt Single Action Army .45 made in 1874, an old Jansen Sons 12 gauge double-barreled shotgun (with damascus barrels), an Iver Johnson PT-22 semi-auto (a copy of the Walther PPK, basically) and a few other guns.
I have every gun I've owned, except for the single-shot .22 the old guy gave me. I gave it to a friend, for his 8-year-old son to learn basic marksmanship and safety. Kid loves it.
Soooooooooooo ... got any guns ya wanna give me? Heh heh heh ...
