A number of years ago, I received a phone call from a distant relative who had found my number and called thinking that he was calling my father. He started talking about that he had a shotgun that belonged to my Grandfather and wanted to know if I wanted it. I said Yes before I realized that he thought that I was my Dad. When he brought it over, it was an LL Smith (not a LC Smith) double barrel muzzle loader which was built in London in the 1850's and my Great Grandfather brought it to this country with him. Four generations and counting.
What is the most interesting gun you've had your hands on?
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JJEH
Member
Not really an interesting gun, but I remember shooting the MG3 when I was in the Army. The trigger pull was so hard (felt like 30lbs.) that I never qualified for the Schuetzenschnur (German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). P1 and HK G3 weren't a problem, but MG3... no way.
We had ~1100 soldiers in our regiment and from these ~1100 only 4 could shoot the MG3 in single fire. One of them was my Motorpool SGT. I didn't believe him until I witnessed him one day. I was 1 of 8 people in charge of the shooting range and he shot probably 9 rounds in single fire until he accidently shot a 3rnd burst, followed by more single fire. I was truly impressend...
Rheinmetall MG3 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We had ~1100 soldiers in our regiment and from these ~1100 only 4 could shoot the MG3 in single fire. One of them was my Motorpool SGT. I didn't believe him until I witnessed him one day. I was 1 of 8 people in charge of the shooting range and he shot probably 9 rounds in single fire until he accidently shot a 3rnd burst, followed by more single fire. I was truly impressend...
Rheinmetall MG3 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nice. I used to believe the conspiracy theories until I realized the longest shot Oswald made that day was still under 90 yards. He could've killed JFK with a squirrel gun.
gjamison
Member
I have handled some of the most valuable military arms ever. My best friend and mentor has probably the largest military 45 collection in the country. Last year we shot some of the rearest, Colt serial number 136 condition of this gun is 95%, also a Singer,North American and a Ithaca IG gun witch where presentation gun's very high end. Savage trials 45acp, this gun was from the 1910 military trials very rear. We also shot a very rear Remington model 720 in 257 roberts. There where so many 45's it was unreal, shot everyone that had a military contract. This was one of the best day's of my life, now that sounds funny but it was.
rburg
Member
They only made a couple of hundred of them. Only about 10 are known to still exist.
My story: My long time gun running pal John was an undertaker and coroner. Everyone in the county knew him well. So one old guy up and died. Of course John handled the arrangements for the widow. Afterwards, she asked him if he'd help her with selling off some of his stuff, including all the old guns up in the attic. He was an easy going guy and this was right up his alley. So it was summer and the old folks didn't even have any AC. The attic was a furnace, and John wasn't in all that good shape. He'd had heart surgery before and was feeling the heat. So he called his deputy coroner who also happened to be his brother and someone he could trust.
They went upstairs and then to the attic. They figured the best way was just for John to hand down the guns one at a time. When they got downstairs they did the inspection. It seems the old man's father had been a junk dealer during the depression. That old guy had pulled a handcart around, buying up junk to sell for scrap. But he never broke down the guns. He'd only offer a dime or so for them because he'd have to burn the wood off to get the metal. So down came a couple of hundred old guns. To the old woman (and his brother) they all looked like junk. But John was sorting. 3 piles. One were really junk and held no value at all. The next and largest pile were also junk, but were going to his favorite gun shop for parts. Old screws, bands, and even stocks are valuable. And the third pile held one gun. A malleable iron Henry. One of the 10 known.
I came onto the play as we were setting up in Lexington. We had a system. He'd pull up in his hearse (a ferd Expedition) and we'd unload onto the cart. Then he'd park the car and I'd push the cart inside to our tables. Worked really well, except this time. He said he had another rifle in the back seat he had to hand carry in. Whatever, I had a cart to push.
But his wife insisted on staying with the cart at the tables and wanted me to go help John. I was confused because he was a bit wimpy at times, but more than capable of carrying a darn gun. When I saw him he had it all wrapped up in a blanket, and had it across his arms. So I held the door for him. He was being overly careful. So word went out in front of us. When we got to the table, our greeting committee was arriving, too.
They were oohing and ahing like it was something other than a rusty old junker. It looked for all the world like it had spent the prior 140 years in a rain barrel, full of water. One of the guys made a mad dash back to their tables for a set of screwdrivers. I think it was number 141. They pulled the rear action screw to confirm it was stamped with the same number! Even the screws were numbered! So the gun went with the other guys. And eventually to the Shot Show in January. Then they brought back the cash. Not a check, not a money order, cash money.
And they stopped at John's on the way back. And handed him the bag of money. They counted it, and it was $33,000 cash in hundred dollar bills. And the bag was a McDonalds bag that they'd gotten their Egg McMuffins in one day.
The old lady had never even see a $100 bill before, but after the 15% sales commission, she had $28,500 in them! And she had no idea what to do with it. So John helped her with that part, too. He drove her to her bank and they deposited about $9,000 in her checking account. Then to his one bank for a similar deposit, then to another bank he dealt with for still another. Then of course he wrote her checks to cover the amount. A complex deal if there ever was one. But to me it was still a rusty old gun.
Some of you younger folks will not recognise the name of Major George C. Nonte Jr. He was an expert in small arms in the Army Ordinance Corps during and after WWII. He got in some sort of trouble in the early 1960s and was associated with providing arms to the anti-Castro folks during/before the Bay of Pigs.........sort of like the more modern day Lt Col Oliver North. He wrote in a number of gun mags and also authored several books. While driving to the CO State Fair rodeo in the presence of my ex and my brand new Daughter-in-Law I was espousing he as one of my favorite gun scribes (My D-I-L is a died in the wool gun nut). After my description of what an expert he was my D-i-L informed me that he was her Grand-Father.........her Mother's Father. She still laughs about how it nearly wrecked the pickup looking back into the back seat. She has his Remington M-760 in .30-06. It is nothing special other than a good basic rifle, but it gives a charge to holdit and shoot it. Look up Major Nonte, he was espousing semi-autos when most of us were still satisifed with rotators.
Iggy, I never got to shoot it but I did once-upon-a-time hold an original Hawken........it had a Leman lock. It belonged to an old timer in our AF&AM Lodge in CO........the interesting modification was a Square and Compass in silver inlaid on the right side of the butt stock. By the time I returned home from the service the owner's son had taken possession of it and I have no idea of the present location. Keep shootin' and check 6
Iggy, I never got to shoot it but I did once-upon-a-time hold an original Hawken........it had a Leman lock. It belonged to an old timer in our AF&AM Lodge in CO........the interesting modification was a Square and Compass in silver inlaid on the right side of the butt stock. By the time I returned home from the service the owner's son had taken possession of it and I have no idea of the present location. Keep shootin' and check 6
Squarebutt
Member
A friend of a friend brought a 1903 with a Pedersen device to our club one day. We all though it was for "Show & Tell", but he said he fired it often, and if we could scare up some tarps to catch his brass, we were welcome to try it. We all got to fire off one magazine. Later I learned how rare it was.
Another club member was shooting a S&W Model 76 9mm. subgun one day, and I was given a magazine to try it out. When he turned around and saw the looks on my 9 and 11 YO sons' faces, he asked me if it was OK for them to shoot it, too. With an adult on each elbow, they each fired a mag full, in short bursts as they had been told. Those smiles lasted quite a while.
Another club member was shooting a S&W Model 76 9mm. subgun one day, and I was given a magazine to try it out. When he turned around and saw the looks on my 9 and 11 YO sons' faces, he asked me if it was OK for them to shoot it, too. With an adult on each elbow, they each fired a mag full, in short bursts as they had been told. Those smiles lasted quite a while.
smithnframe
Member
A Webley-Fosbury automatic revolver in my dads collection.
olcop
Member
Twin 40MM's on a M-19 Tracked Vehicle, I was a loader, but got to shoot every now and then. mid 50's
olcop
olcop
johnsonl
Member
My great grandfather had an 1875 Colt SAA in .38-44. He bought it with his first paycheck from the railroad in the Arizona territories when he was 15. I heard a lot of stories about the turn of the century western frontier.
I worked on Prince Andrews Westley Richards SxS shotgun.
One of a pair that were given the Royal couple at their wedding.
My job was much later and to remove the loving couple's engraved images from the receiver.
Beautiful engraving by the Brown Bros IIRC.
But when they're out of your life,, they're really out of your life aren't they!.
Made up a new trigger guard for Clark Gable's Parker 20ga 'D' grade Skeet gun.
The gun was supposedly a gift from his wife Carole Lombard.
The shotgun was being restored,,something which it absolutely did NOT need.
Aside from a bit of handling wear, it was in beautiful condition.
Unfortunetly ,,the big money could be squeezed from the last few % of case color & blue finish,,something there's always someone around willing to do.
The original trigger guard was lost during it's re-blue. Thrown out with the char waste from the process is all I could figure.
They were always in a hurry....
Anyway, my job was to take a VH grade trigger guard,,fit it to the now re-finished gun. Polish it out, engrave it to a 'D' grade & number it to that Parker.
That was blued and installed.
I figured I deserved at least a few rounds out of Clarky's Parker for my savings effort,,but the boss and the customer said the gun was worth more listed as 'original new condition/looks unfired'.
Lots of other great firearms. Got a chance to handle and work on a lot doing restoration work for so long.
One of a pair that were given the Royal couple at their wedding.
My job was much later and to remove the loving couple's engraved images from the receiver.
Beautiful engraving by the Brown Bros IIRC.
But when they're out of your life,, they're really out of your life aren't they!.
Made up a new trigger guard for Clark Gable's Parker 20ga 'D' grade Skeet gun.
The gun was supposedly a gift from his wife Carole Lombard.
The shotgun was being restored,,something which it absolutely did NOT need.
Aside from a bit of handling wear, it was in beautiful condition.
Unfortunetly ,,the big money could be squeezed from the last few % of case color & blue finish,,something there's always someone around willing to do.
The original trigger guard was lost during it's re-blue. Thrown out with the char waste from the process is all I could figure.
They were always in a hurry....
Anyway, my job was to take a VH grade trigger guard,,fit it to the now re-finished gun. Polish it out, engrave it to a 'D' grade & number it to that Parker.
That was blued and installed.
I figured I deserved at least a few rounds out of Clarky's Parker for my savings effort,,but the boss and the customer said the gun was worth more listed as 'original new condition/looks unfired'.
Lots of other great firearms. Got a chance to handle and work on a lot doing restoration work for so long.
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CptCurl
Member
I sense more to that story.......
sw44spl
Member
I got to handle a burnside carbine one time that was great. it was one of the civil war guns I havent held.my friend had a gun shop and he had a G41 I got to play with. and a 30cal johnson rifle.
OP
Thanks everyone for sharing! I am amazed by the history told through firearms. I have always held that the development of firearms is directly associated with the civilization of the world.
In the 1970's at a sales demonstration of weapons for police S.W.A.T. teams I handled a Military Armament Corp. MAC-10 sub -machine gun equipped with supressor. Was also allowed to fire a 30 round magazine in full auto. Fairly contollable considering it fired 45 ACP at over 1100 FPS and with supressor it had a surprisingly mild report.
Cooter Brown
Member
I remember when the Gable gun sold. That right there is kind of an "ouch" story, although I'm sure your work was wonderful.
I have nothing to compare with most of this thread, and I've thought about it a bit (especially Feralmerrill's post), but I do have this; I've posted this picture--not a very good photograph--before--my father found the Nambu in a cave on Luzon, and was issued the knife in New Guinea:
He gave them to me a few years ago.
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kentuckycowboy2
Member
I love reading these post & seeing these guns many of them bring back so many memories .
Although I have nothing that compares to any of these I was was introduced to guns & shooting as a young child by my grandfather that was always my hero & felt more like my dad than my father has . He had given me several old revolvers , war rifles & pieces of war rifles that I put back together over the years & will never let go .
We lost him after a long illness on January 10 2010 & I had hoped that granny would let my have the old Luger clone he would let me shot as a child with him , & about three weeks ago she said she had one that was torn up she wanted to give me & luck be it was it . The old Erma Werks KGP69 not a costly gun not even a good gun by most peoples standards but one that holds a special place in my heart life.
After looking it over & a good cleaning only conclusion I can come to from where he was messing with it was it was after he became ill & he just couldn't remember how to eject the mag.
Sorry for rambling guys .
John
Although I have nothing that compares to any of these I was was introduced to guns & shooting as a young child by my grandfather that was always my hero & felt more like my dad than my father has . He had given me several old revolvers , war rifles & pieces of war rifles that I put back together over the years & will never let go .
We lost him after a long illness on January 10 2010 & I had hoped that granny would let my have the old Luger clone he would let me shot as a child with him , & about three weeks ago she said she had one that was torn up she wanted to give me & luck be it was it . The old Erma Werks KGP69 not a costly gun not even a good gun by most peoples standards but one that holds a special place in my heart life.
After looking it over & a good cleaning only conclusion I can come to from where he was messing with it was it was after he became ill & he just couldn't remember how to eject the mag.
Sorry for rambling guys .
John
My Colt SSA ser.#143xxx that went to the Klondike and back.
COL Jagdog
Member
In Germany, I had the chance to see a Walther carried by Gen Erwin Rommel and a Luger carried by Gen Heinz Guderian (the actual source of the "blitzkreig" warfare doctrine). In Iraq, I saw the pistol carried by Saddam Hussein when he was captured (when he was being held at Camp Slayer) and saw several of the gold AK-47's and gold Browning pistols at the Republican Palace (Saddam's presidential palace on the banks of the Tigris river) -- that he would give as gifts to favored heads of state.
Peter M. Eick
Member
Rburg,
Here is the rest of the story on the iron framed Henry. At the time I did not know much about the iron framed but I did know what a Henry was. This was about 15 odd years ago and I was working a project in western Colorado. The ranch I was working on was a very large spread that few outsiders ever entered. I had a legal right to be there and met with the owner who was in his 80's at the time to get his final permit and permission. He set the stipulations for working on the land I said (as company rep) that I would be there and make sure it was done right. To me it was just doing my job. So times goes on and I am out there keeping the crew on the straight an narrow. He sees me there but never waves nor anything. Mostly just scowls, but since I was not messing with things I did not worry about it. After about 3 weeks, one day he stops me on the dirt road and asks me to drop by at the end of the day. I figure I screwed up so I dreaded it all day but show up and he has a couple of ranch hands working the grill and served up some great steaks. Over dinner he explains that his lands were homesteaded by his great great....(Not sure how many) grandfather who served in the civil war. He got fed up with the killing, mustered out and went west with his wife (married during the war) and found this spot of land and homesteaded it. What he carried in the war was this iron framed henry he bought with his own money. I said I was a shooter, but had never seen nor handled a Henry in real life. I had only read about them. The owner then takes me in and shows me the rifle.
The henry was in nice shape. Not rusty, not beat upon but worn. The sights worked, the lever and action were nice and worked well. It was a 44 rimfire and the owner said that had bought cases of the ammo during the late depression when it was getting hard to get. He used to shoot the rifle during the 50's and into the late 60's around the ranch for fun until all of the ammo was used up. The gun felt great and handled beautifully. I talked to him about it and explained what I knew about the history. He did not think the gun was worth much because you could not get ammo for it so it was just a wall hanger. I told him that a nice Henry was worth a fair amount of money but to me they were just a classic part of history which is why I wanted one someday.
Over the next few weeks we started grabbing lunch or dinner together and he explained his situation. His son and daughter did not want to stay on the ranch and went to the big city. One to Denver and the other to LA or something like that. Both wanted him to sell the ranch and send them the money because they did not want to stay there. He said I was the first person to come along and talk to him that did not want something from him and actually took care of the place. So he made me an offer. I could buy a square mile of land from him if I wanted and when he died I could have the Henry since I liked it and I had taken care of the place. I thanked him but at the time could not come up with the finances having just bought a house in west texas and finances were not good. He said no problem but I could still have the rifle. He just wanted to keep it around since it reminded him of the good times on the ranch as a kid.
So we parted ways and I kept up with an occasional letter and card back and forth. About 6 years later things went dark on his end and after a few months I called up and found out he had died. The wife remembered the promise but during the confusion right after he died the Henry along with a bunch of other things just sort of disappeared. I tried to follow up with the kids but I was not so politely told take a hike and with nothing written it did not matter. Since I was an outsider, I just let the whole thing drop after a the wife died and when I figured out that someone got the rifle and no one was talking to the outsider. That was about 10 years back now and I have never seen the gun on an auction site or available for sale. My presumption is some private collector has it squirreled away and it is the centerpiece of their collection.
So a few years back on a whim, while thinking of the old guy I bought this:
Not the same as an original, but it is sure fun a the range and every time I pick it up and handle it I think of the old Rancher. I am sure I think more about him than his kids do. By the way, the ranch was parted out quickly after his wife's death. Now other than my memories and a few slides I took there is little to show for the pristene nature of his ranch. It is now a bunch of ranchettes and over run with trailer trash.
So long story and off the topic but fun to tell. Just remember, "buy the gun, not the story" I believe you once posted. Now if I could just find that iron framed.
Here is the rest of the story on the iron framed Henry. At the time I did not know much about the iron framed but I did know what a Henry was. This was about 15 odd years ago and I was working a project in western Colorado. The ranch I was working on was a very large spread that few outsiders ever entered. I had a legal right to be there and met with the owner who was in his 80's at the time to get his final permit and permission. He set the stipulations for working on the land I said (as company rep) that I would be there and make sure it was done right. To me it was just doing my job. So times goes on and I am out there keeping the crew on the straight an narrow. He sees me there but never waves nor anything. Mostly just scowls, but since I was not messing with things I did not worry about it. After about 3 weeks, one day he stops me on the dirt road and asks me to drop by at the end of the day. I figure I screwed up so I dreaded it all day but show up and he has a couple of ranch hands working the grill and served up some great steaks. Over dinner he explains that his lands were homesteaded by his great great....(Not sure how many) grandfather who served in the civil war. He got fed up with the killing, mustered out and went west with his wife (married during the war) and found this spot of land and homesteaded it. What he carried in the war was this iron framed henry he bought with his own money. I said I was a shooter, but had never seen nor handled a Henry in real life. I had only read about them. The owner then takes me in and shows me the rifle.
The henry was in nice shape. Not rusty, not beat upon but worn. The sights worked, the lever and action were nice and worked well. It was a 44 rimfire and the owner said that had bought cases of the ammo during the late depression when it was getting hard to get. He used to shoot the rifle during the 50's and into the late 60's around the ranch for fun until all of the ammo was used up. The gun felt great and handled beautifully. I talked to him about it and explained what I knew about the history. He did not think the gun was worth much because you could not get ammo for it so it was just a wall hanger. I told him that a nice Henry was worth a fair amount of money but to me they were just a classic part of history which is why I wanted one someday.
Over the next few weeks we started grabbing lunch or dinner together and he explained his situation. His son and daughter did not want to stay on the ranch and went to the big city. One to Denver and the other to LA or something like that. Both wanted him to sell the ranch and send them the money because they did not want to stay there. He said I was the first person to come along and talk to him that did not want something from him and actually took care of the place. So he made me an offer. I could buy a square mile of land from him if I wanted and when he died I could have the Henry since I liked it and I had taken care of the place. I thanked him but at the time could not come up with the finances having just bought a house in west texas and finances were not good. He said no problem but I could still have the rifle. He just wanted to keep it around since it reminded him of the good times on the ranch as a kid.
So we parted ways and I kept up with an occasional letter and card back and forth. About 6 years later things went dark on his end and after a few months I called up and found out he had died. The wife remembered the promise but during the confusion right after he died the Henry along with a bunch of other things just sort of disappeared. I tried to follow up with the kids but I was not so politely told take a hike and with nothing written it did not matter. Since I was an outsider, I just let the whole thing drop after a the wife died and when I figured out that someone got the rifle and no one was talking to the outsider. That was about 10 years back now and I have never seen the gun on an auction site or available for sale. My presumption is some private collector has it squirreled away and it is the centerpiece of their collection.
So a few years back on a whim, while thinking of the old guy I bought this:
Not the same as an original, but it is sure fun a the range and every time I pick it up and handle it I think of the old Rancher. I am sure I think more about him than his kids do. By the way, the ranch was parted out quickly after his wife's death. Now other than my memories and a few slides I took there is little to show for the pristene nature of his ranch. It is now a bunch of ranchettes and over run with trailer trash.
So long story and off the topic but fun to tell. Just remember, "buy the gun, not the story" I believe you once posted. Now if I could just find that iron framed.
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