Firearm that you hunted the longest

[1943]

I'M sure each of you have serched for a particular item to go in your collection.
Most of you are going to list some exotic S&W, Colt ,Winchester or other things that trip your trigger.
Here is the story that inspired my little quest for something that most of you will find trivial. In 1956 I bought my first gun with $s that I had earned the old fashion way ( work). I had spent the summer working various jobs on the farm and logging woods. After school clothes was bought I had about $ 25.00 left over. So like any good 12 year old outdoorsman, I set out to to buy myself a shotgun. With the funds that was leftover, I headed to a local hardware store and found that I could buy a new 94c Stevens 16 ga. (that i still have along with the original hanging tag), and a box of remington #6 shot.
So over the years I managed to pick up the other 94c Stevens ( 12 ga. , 20. ga, and a 410 to go along with the 16 ga., but the elusive 28 ga. was not to be had. I had only seen one for sale. An elderly gentleman from the southeast had one at a local gun show that had about 50% finish and he wanted $595.00 and he would not budge. So a few years passed and the old blind hog found his acorn. So I thought I,d share a pic or two.

This one is in pristeen condition. I found it on a table at a Fort Smith Ar. gun show, and the price was a very reasonable $ 200.00. And according to the circle stamp (K) this one was made in 1959.

____________
~~~Terry~~~

 

[brucev]

Congratulations! You have a beautiful single-shot shotgun that anyone would be proud of and it didn't cost you a fortune! Any possibility of a picture of the "family?"

For my part... I'm still looking. In 1979 I bought a nickle-plated 4" S&W 19-2. It was a pretty thing... TT, TH, TS, white outline rear sight, red ramp front sight. I gave it to my father in 1983 when I graduated from seminary. Some time before my father died (2007) my brother took the revolver and sold it. I still looking for a replacement.

 

[Muley Gil]

Back in the early '70s, I joined a gun club while in college. One of the members owned a post war 1926 .44 Special. I had already read Skeeter Skelton's articles and then bought Elmer's books.

In 1976 I had a M27 converted to .44 Special. That satisfied the shooting urge, but I still wanted a 1926. I found a few over the years, but never had the bucks (cops don't make much money, ya know).

In 2006, I was working in Afghanistan and had some gun money set aside. I came home on leave and went to the gunshow near Dulles Airport, outside of D.C. I was making my second round when I saw a nickel N frame in a display case. My little old heart went pitty pat when I saw the enclosed ejector rod and the ".44 Special" written on the tag. After a bit of talk, I walked away with it.

Doing some research, and getting a letter, I found out that my new toy was in the first shipment to Wolf & Klar in January 1927 AND it is the lowest known serial number in the SWCA's database.

It took me almost 35 years, but I finally got a 1926. 'Course, then, I bought a second one from David Carroll.

 

[madmikeb]

The gun I searched for the longest was a 16-4 .32 H&R Magnum, after several years I found one and bought it from an FFL dealer at a gunshow. Then I got a call from a PD saying that the gun had been stolen so I had to turn in.