I wish this gun could talk

[SWTIM255]

I have said that phrase 100 times over the years.
A guy was recounting a story on Twitter about a family hand me down model 19, and the verbal stories he got with it and it made me think
I had bought some guns in the past, that had paper under the grips or in the stock with a story about the gun, who owned it, or why it had a "chip" on the wood or such.
I got to thinkin, we have the tech now, that you could write the stories you have, and put it on a Micro SD card, and attach it under the grips or buttplate of a long gun.
What a find that would be for a relative or new owner in years to come.
There is always a way to retrieve "old media" so even though the Micro's will be outdated, they can still tell the story.
Your thoughts?

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the 1990's the local letter carrier retired and took his H&R 22 to the gun store where he bought it. It had 7 notches filed in the grip frame! Everybody knew where there were seven dogs that wouldn't chase/bite the mailman anymore! (Our family's business was on the northern most end of his route!)

The gun was bought back by the store owner, and never resold to a customer. It is just a treasure from the way things used to be!

Ivan

 

[Golddollar]

How can I fold up a floppy disk to get it under the grips?

 

[walnutred]

Back when former Soviet block rifles were cheap I accumulated quite a few. More than one of the non-rebuilds had a slip of paper with a name and other writing in the cleaning kit trap in the buttstock.

 

[mikerjf]

Seriously, write something on the history you know of the things you love and keep it with your will. Especially with things that have family connections, it's too easy for this info to disappear. Even if it's just your stuff, your kids or grandkids would like to know.

Write it on your computer but print a couple hard copies and keep them with your family papers.

 

[AJ]

The problem with trying to record the history of things (such as a pistol/revolver) is that the history record and the item often get separated. Then the item gets sold or given away and the history is left in a drawer or something.

 

[JohnRippert]

One of the things I always liked about the Swiss K31 rifles I picked up when they were dirt cheap at AIM Surplus. Many of them had tags under the buttplate with the info of the man who had it assigned to them. Both my remaining K31's have them.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I'm glad my shotguns can't talk. They would probably cuss me out for missing doves and clays.

....Seriously. If my mdl 12 from 1918 and my mdl 1897 from 1917 could talk I could sit in reverence and listen.

 

[NewLiberty]

There are a lot of guns in my collection I wish could talk. Particularly some of the old military surplus rifles.

That being said, I would never put a SD card, or thumb drive, or similar device from an unknown source into one of my devices. That is an exploit waiting to happen.

 

[Grayfox]

When I was a kid, it was a common practice for hunters to put their name, address, etc on a piece of paper and put that under the butt plate of rifles and shotguns. I was told that this was in case the gun was stolen, you could prove it was your's.

I have a 2nd Model .44 HE that lettered as going to the Police Dept of Joplin, MO in 1924. I've often wondered what stories that gun could tell.

 

[CA Escapee]

When I was a kid, it was a common practice for hunters to put their name, address, etc on a piece of paper and put that under the butt plate of rifles and shotguns. I was told that this was in case the gun was stolen, you could prove it was your's.

I have a 2nd Model .44 HE that lettered as going to the Police Dept of Joplin, MO in 1924. I've often wondered what stories that gun could tell.

Years ago I bought a Model of 1905 that had probably led a rough life. It had a pitted bore with pitted charge holes. It had been refinished with the trigger and hammer engine turned.

Penciled on the inside of the right grip was, "F.L.Jobes Xmas 1924."

 

[fiasconva]

WW II 1922 Browning 32 ACP with Nazi markings. One of the many stories for it I've gotten is that it was taken off a dead German soldier and brought back and used for the veteran to defend the general store he opened after the war.

 

[ajgunner]

Between reading Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton, I know there are a bunch of old guns out there I would love to listen to the stories they could tell.

 

[Baxter6551]

Like John, my K-31 came with the soldiers tag under the butt plate. I copied down the info, put it inside a baggie and put it back. One day I was on the forum and saw a posting from CLASSIC12 (Oliver) from Switzerland. I messaged and asked if he could interpret the writing on the tag which he graciously did identifying the soldier, his unit, and his town. He even located the soldiers obituary and sent me a copy which will stay with the rifle - which btw is an incredible shooter.

 

[smoothshooter]

Back when former Soviet block rifles were cheap I accumulated quite a few. More than one of the non-rebuilds had a slip of paper with a name and other writing in the cleaning kit trap in the buttstock.

You left out the best part of the story.
What info was on the papers?

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

All my old firearms invite speculation as to when, where and by whom they were bought or first issued to. The old Winchesters and S&Ws are especially intriguing.
One of my old 32-20 Hand ejectors had the name Fred Carter crudely engraved on the back strap. It also had another set of initials written on the inside of the grips. I added my own before selling the gun. Future inquiring minds may want to know... but they may never find out.

John

 

[NOTREDAME]

If this gun could talk

This post made me go down to the safe and pull out an old model 14-1 that I had bought years ago. I bought it because it was cut down to 3" barrel ( I collect modified guns) when I got it it the first thing I noticed was the front of the frame was cut, most likely to fit Fuzzy Farrent grips, which she is wearing in the pictures. It also has a cockeyed hammer. I just wonder if he was a competition shooter and had the barrel cut when he retired to carry it. Anyhow, the back story was interesting. See picture 3

 

[22lrfan]

I found this all matching 1927 Model of 1905, 4th Change at a pawn shop years ago. I would love to know the story of Doll and Barney.

 

[sheepdawg]

I have a few Mausers, Mosins and a Luger I wish could talk.

In English would be nice.