You probably already know this, but that can be changed very easily with a change in the ejector or even just the recoil spring. Of course, that would detract from the nostalgic experience.
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Some guns I'll always keep, no matter what.
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
You probably already know this, but that can be changed very easily with a change in the ejector or even just the recoil spring. Of course, that would detract from the nostalgic experience.
Inland7-45
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Guns I will never sell
From the late 60's through early 70's my father bought a number of guns. For a time my father had given up hunting and actually owned no guns for awhile. When he got back into hunting he bought a used Model 94 in .32spl that was made in the mid 50's. This was followed by a used Ruger Super Blackhawk. Both of these guns were taken on many hunting trips to New Hampshire and hold a lot of fond memories. Later on a brand new S&W Model 36 2" RB Blued and a custom 98 Mauser with a Mannlicher stock, claw mount scope, double set triggers and full engraving on the receiver, floor plate and trigger guard were added. There were many other guns he picked up during this time but these are the ones that stayed.
For Christmas one year I received a new Ruger 10/22. When I showed an interest in learning to shoot handguns I received as a gift a used Colt Officers .38 that was made just before Colt discontinued this model. This is the gun that got me into reloading.
I later received as gifts a Colt .22 Peacemaker, S&W Model 18 and for a graduation present a 6" Nickeled Model 27.
The Model 18 is the .22 handgun that I shoot the most. I still enjoy occasionally shooting the rest of them. While there are other guns that I shoot much more, these are the guns that I will never sell. The sentimental value that they have far exceeds any dollar amount.
From the late 60's through early 70's my father bought a number of guns. For a time my father had given up hunting and actually owned no guns for awhile. When he got back into hunting he bought a used Model 94 in .32spl that was made in the mid 50's. This was followed by a used Ruger Super Blackhawk. Both of these guns were taken on many hunting trips to New Hampshire and hold a lot of fond memories. Later on a brand new S&W Model 36 2" RB Blued and a custom 98 Mauser with a Mannlicher stock, claw mount scope, double set triggers and full engraving on the receiver, floor plate and trigger guard were added. There were many other guns he picked up during this time but these are the ones that stayed.
For Christmas one year I received a new Ruger 10/22. When I showed an interest in learning to shoot handguns I received as a gift a used Colt Officers .38 that was made just before Colt discontinued this model. This is the gun that got me into reloading.
I later received as gifts a Colt .22 Peacemaker, S&W Model 18 and for a graduation present a 6" Nickeled Model 27.
The Model 18 is the .22 handgun that I shoot the most. I still enjoy occasionally shooting the rest of them. While there are other guns that I shoot much more, these are the guns that I will never sell. The sentimental value that they have far exceeds any dollar amount.
12 years since last post, gotta be a record of some kind. Surprised it wasn't bumped before today. I have zero guns with sentimental value, my family were all "pacifists." My dad was WWII vet and was not interested in guns. I'll keep 'em or sell 'em, they're just things. The "thrill of the hunt/acquisition" has passed for me. Joe
Yep, just things. I have none in the 'gotta keep' category.
Ole Joe Clark
Absent Comrade
The first is a Winchester Model 69A .22 rifle, highly "customized" by me in my youth. At the age of 10, I was pestering my parents for a .22 rifle. My dad said I could have one when I turned 11, but I'd have to pay for half of it. Now at that time, a brand new Winchester Model 69A cost $24, so I had to raise $12. I mowed lawns, did chores, saved my 50 cents a week allowance, and finally had the dough. My dad and I went down to Pinney & Robinson's Sporting Goods store in downtown Phoenix to pick it out. I remember it was dark inside and smelled of walnut wood and gun oil. And it was packed with guns. We picked out a 69A that seemed to have the nicest stock, and the guy at the counter said he'd sight it in for 50 yards for us.
On my 11th birthday, Jan. 6, 1950, we went down to pick it up. It came broken down into the barrel and receiver and the stock groups, in a box with a heavy wire cleaning rod. Still have that cleaning rod, but the box (now worth hundreds) is long gone, thrown out by my mother (thanks Mom). I still remember retrieving the boxed gun from the back of my dad's 1947 Studebaker when we got home.
That Saturday, I fired my first shot ever with a gun. There was a high wind that day, but it didn't deter me. With the rifle's long barrel, there was way less noise than I expected. And I hit the target in spite of the wind!
Over the years I did some experimenting with the stock, modifying it from its original configuration. Although the gun has no serial number, I remember scratching "1952" under the buttplate a couple of years after I got it.
Here's a pic of me shooting that rifle at about age 15:
And here's a pic of the rifle as it appears today:
In later years when I was an adult and getting to be fairly knowledgeable on guns, my dad asked me what type of firearm he should get for home defense. I already had a Smith Model 28-2 6" which I enjoyed for its utility and ruggedness, and I suggested he might want to get the same model, but with a 4" barrel for handiness. He commissioned me to find one, and I did, selecting from among several at Bohm's Sporting Goods in Phoenix. This was in 1968. I purchased a set of target stocks and a trigger shoe (stylish in those days), and added them to the gun. My dad and I used to take these Model 28s out to the desert north of Phoenix and shoot them regularly.
Dad is gone now, and I inherited his revolver when he passed away in December, 1987. I have never shot it, preferring to think that the last time it was fired, my dad pulled the trigger. Here's a shot of that fine old revolver:
And finally, my grandfather's old beat-up Smith Model 1902. He carried it in a shoulder holster when he was a country storekeeper in Crittenden, Kentucky in the early part of the 20th Century. I inherited from his wife, my grandmother, when she passed away in 1975. It shows much use and at least one re-nickeling, and that's the way I'll keep it. Here's a pic of that gun and the holster my grandfather carried it in:
I will own these guns, no matter what, until my death. At that time, I hope one or more of my descendants will keep them and treasure them as I have.
Perhaps some of you have "keepers" such as these that stir memories of times gone by. Share them with us!
What a beautiful story, and Precious Memories.
I am so blessed,
Leon
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Dad bought me this the year I was born to give me when I reached the appropriate age. It will eventually go to my son. And it shoots great.
Model 19,-3, first handgun I purchased, Colt 1903 given to me by my uncle, M1 Garand, same uncle....My Remington 760, and my Simson Suhl 16 ga sxs....I'm sure there are others.
Well , yes, I have some that I won't sell, period.
The Marlin 781 my late brother gave me for Christmas 1979. My 1st gun, that started me down the road of a lifelong appreciation of firearms.
The 629-1 8-3/8" and the 36 my Dad bought at Sugerman's back in the early 80's. I was with him for both purchases. I never did get that Colt AR15 SP1 I drooled over LOL.
The 586 ND NS 4" my late brother gave to me, my 1st handgun.
And the Winchester M1 Garand that my Dad bought from the CMP (he was a WWII vet) that he gave to me.
Yes, they are just inanimate objects. They are just tools.
But my looking at them, holding them, and shooting them, the memories come back and remain.
The Marlin 781 my late brother gave me for Christmas 1979. My 1st gun, that started me down the road of a lifelong appreciation of firearms.
The 629-1 8-3/8" and the 36 my Dad bought at Sugerman's back in the early 80's. I was with him for both purchases. I never did get that Colt AR15 SP1 I drooled over LOL.
The 586 ND NS 4" my late brother gave to me, my 1st handgun.
And the Winchester M1 Garand that my Dad bought from the CMP (he was a WWII vet) that he gave to me.
Yes, they are just inanimate objects. They are just tools.
But my looking at them, holding them, and shooting them, the memories come back and remain.
I am not an age discriminator when it comes to old threads, particularly if they are John’s. I enjoy his stories, and, with my pitiful memory, sometimes reading an old one is like new, to me. 
Though I am not an especially sentimental type, I have a few I wouldn’t sell. I have my Dad’s Sako .222 and his K22, and my first S&W .44 Magnum revolver that he was kind enough to allow me to “buy” under his name when I was way too young to buy it myself. Those are three that I don’t plan to part with when the inevitable downsizing campaign begins.
I learned to shoot a revolver with the K22, and I learned quite a lot about handloading while shooting his .222. The barrel on that rifle could almost certainly benefit from being set back a few threads and rechambered, but it still shoots well enough with certain loads, so I guess I’ll leave it alone, for now.
And I still have Dad’s Browning BDA (SIG 220) .45 Auto, which he was never fond of, but never bothered to replace. I bought it for him when he decided he wanted a bigger handgun for protection. (He was a leftie.) I should have just looked around until I could find him a Model 19, but they were nearly impossible to find at that time.
Though I am not an especially sentimental type, I have a few I wouldn’t sell. I have my Dad’s Sako .222 and his K22, and my first S&W .44 Magnum revolver that he was kind enough to allow me to “buy” under his name when I was way too young to buy it myself. Those are three that I don’t plan to part with when the inevitable downsizing campaign begins.
I learned to shoot a revolver with the K22, and I learned quite a lot about handloading while shooting his .222. The barrel on that rifle could almost certainly benefit from being set back a few threads and rechambered, but it still shoots well enough with certain loads, so I guess I’ll leave it alone, for now.
And I still have Dad’s Browning BDA (SIG 220) .45 Auto, which he was never fond of, but never bothered to replace. I bought it for him when he decided he wanted a bigger handgun for protection. (He was a leftie.) I should have just looked around until I could find him a Model 19, but they were nearly impossible to find at that time.
My dad's K22 Masterpiece with his belt & holster. The gun is much nicer-looking than the pictures and shoots even better. I suppose he got it early '50s, as it was built in 1950 according to the Serial number.
The Marlin 39A was from '47, D ser. no. It's a lousy picture, but it's still a nice shooter. It was the one I used when we went out & ambushed groundhogs!
It's something about that belt/holster set up. I think it was his when he was in the So. Pacific, the belt. It's adjusted where he wore it rabbit hunting, etc. I've lost weight, down two waist sizes, and it still won't go all the way around my waist. I'm 5'11". Dad was 6'3", shoulders very wide, and it fit him fine as long as I remember hunting together into my teens. He was a big guy! I still don't know how he got that belt on!
None of this stuff will go away as long as I'm alive unless I give it to my grandson while I'm living. I promised the Marlin to my daughter.
The Marlin 39A was from '47, D ser. no. It's a lousy picture, but it's still a nice shooter. It was the one I used when we went out & ambushed groundhogs!
It's something about that belt/holster set up. I think it was his when he was in the So. Pacific, the belt. It's adjusted where he wore it rabbit hunting, etc. I've lost weight, down two waist sizes, and it still won't go all the way around my waist. I'm 5'11". Dad was 6'3", shoulders very wide, and it fit him fine as long as I remember hunting together into my teens. He was a big guy! I still don't know how he got that belt on!
None of this stuff will go away as long as I'm alive unless I give it to my grandson while I'm living. I promised the Marlin to my daughter.
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Valmet
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I always enjoy threads like these. I’m very fortunate to have a few heirlooms that have come down to me across the years. Two of them came from my paternal grandfather who was an officer in the European Theater from 1944-45.
Sometime in March 1945 they were moving from Belgium into Germany and he was walking to HQ one evening and he passed by some empty oil drums that had been filled with gear- webbing, bayonets, helmets, holsters, canteens, you name it...poking out of the last one, he noticed the butt of a revolver and he decided to fish it out. Turned out to be a S&W Victory Model .38 Spl. While my grandfather respected the power of the .45ACP he was never a fan of the 1911 as he said it was bulky and hard to shoot well. He decided to put his 1911 in his footlocker and carry the S&W. At one point he had a German POW make a set of grips with his initials in them (which are still with the gun). He carried it until he came home in 1946 and it was his nightstand gun until he gave it to my father in July 2000. In 2014 my dad got a Jinks letter for it and turns out it was one of 250 shipped to Naval Strategic Service, Norfolk VA on Aug 22, 1944. In Jan 2015 he gave it to me and I relish the gun and it’s history. Once or twice a year I’ll take it out and put a few cylinders thru it then clean it thoroughly and put it back in the safe.
Upon his return stateside, his grandfather bought him a 16 Ga A-5 that he hunted with for years. That shotgun came to me in 2007 and I’ve since had it professionally reblued and I carry it in the dove fields in September.
I also have my great-grandfathers 20 Ga Merkel 203E he ordered in 1954. While I never met the man as he died long before I was born, it is an amazingly nice shotgun that is light as a feather.
Have a S&W K22 my dad gave me on my 17th bday. It’s actually a “17-3” though it’s marked “17-2” so it’s a very early iteration of the “-3”. 1968 mfg that’s had a zillion rounds thru it.
Lastly I have my same grandfathers Winchester Model 1906 .22. Growing up on a farm in Indiana during the Depression they didn’t have much and he saved and saved for an LC Smith shotgun. When he went to get one he didn’t have quite enough so he settled for the Winchester. He used it to help put food on the table and kept it until he passed it along to my dad (then to me).
Sometime in March 1945 they were moving from Belgium into Germany and he was walking to HQ one evening and he passed by some empty oil drums that had been filled with gear- webbing, bayonets, helmets, holsters, canteens, you name it...poking out of the last one, he noticed the butt of a revolver and he decided to fish it out. Turned out to be a S&W Victory Model .38 Spl. While my grandfather respected the power of the .45ACP he was never a fan of the 1911 as he said it was bulky and hard to shoot well. He decided to put his 1911 in his footlocker and carry the S&W. At one point he had a German POW make a set of grips with his initials in them (which are still with the gun). He carried it until he came home in 1946 and it was his nightstand gun until he gave it to my father in July 2000. In 2014 my dad got a Jinks letter for it and turns out it was one of 250 shipped to Naval Strategic Service, Norfolk VA on Aug 22, 1944. In Jan 2015 he gave it to me and I relish the gun and it’s history. Once or twice a year I’ll take it out and put a few cylinders thru it then clean it thoroughly and put it back in the safe.
Upon his return stateside, his grandfather bought him a 16 Ga A-5 that he hunted with for years. That shotgun came to me in 2007 and I’ve since had it professionally reblued and I carry it in the dove fields in September.
I also have my great-grandfathers 20 Ga Merkel 203E he ordered in 1954. While I never met the man as he died long before I was born, it is an amazingly nice shotgun that is light as a feather.
Have a S&W K22 my dad gave me on my 17th bday. It’s actually a “17-3” though it’s marked “17-2” so it’s a very early iteration of the “-3”. 1968 mfg that’s had a zillion rounds thru it.
Lastly I have my same grandfathers Winchester Model 1906 .22. Growing up on a farm in Indiana during the Depression they didn’t have much and he saved and saved for an LC Smith shotgun. When he went to get one he didn’t have quite enough so he settled for the Winchester. He used it to help put food on the table and kept it until he passed it along to my dad (then to me).
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I wouldn’t sell anything that I have. I don’t really buy any gun on an impulse. Once I buy it, it’s in it forever home, at least for my lifetime. I still have my first air rifle from the early 1970’s. Of course I don’t have a huge number of guns like some people.
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