A friend of mine....

[lonewolf]

This is not off topic, because it is general gun and equipment related, so I feel comfortable posting it here.....

This evening my beloved bride and I were visiting some friends. He's going to be 82 this year and she (I think) nearly 74. Anywho, he was giving ME the "How to me a man" lecture (I'm 46) and began reminiscing about the old days when he would go shooting and hunting with friends in school northwest of Oklahoma City. He got all glassy eyed as he remembered having to get gas stamps from his Dad (WWII was going on), and how he and his buddies alternated getting the stamps so they could go hunting and such. He remembered going up to ranch houses and asking if it was OK, and the rancher telling them it was fine, as long as they came up to the house first so he could let them know where the cattle were so they didn't shoot them by mistake. He remembered that if he went out on a date, his curfew was 10:30, but he could go banging around the countryside all night long with his buddies and never get in trouble.....

He said he and his buddies used to go to the ritzier areas and bow hunt for bull frogs because all those people had ponds on their land....

I asked if he remembered what he shot with, and he said, "Hell, I can SHOW you....." Off we went to his closet and he pulls out a Ruger Single Six .22, with original holster and belt with cartridge loops, and an old Remington Model 550 semi-auto .22 rifle, missing trigger guard and with a cracked stock. He said he really misses his old lever action .22 that he loaned one of his sons (who still has it), but the Remington was a lot of fun to shoot.

To make a long story short, the guns are now in my care, waiting to be cleaned and returned to him. It will be a pleasure to perform this task for him, as he has many wonderful memories of using them. I told him the next time I head to the range I'll give him a shout and he can come along and do some plinking, and it will be my pleasure to clean them again for him.

When we brought them out to the living room, his wife said "what are you doing with those?" I said I would clean them and get them back soon. She said OK. I asked if she was OK with guns, and she said they'd been there a long time, and she was OK with them as long as they were in the closet, on the shelf, and unloaded. I didn't tell her the gentleman had to unload the Ruger when he pulled it off the shelf. I wonder how old those shells are?

I'll get them all cleaned up and call my friend for a day at the range in the very near future. Just us and his memories. (Don't worry, we won't fire the rifle if I deem it unsafe, but I have a feeling the old feller put many hundreds, possibly thousands of rounds through it the way it is....)

I'll even pay his range fee......

[sookandy]

That's a good story. Made me think of one of my guns and the history behind it. It was given to my dad by his dad when he was 16. His dad died not longer after that. I put a lot of shells through it rabbit hunting and shooting trap as a kid. It's just an old Stevens Model 58 20ga bolt action. But I'd never let it go for anything.

[PBratton]

Great story! He needs to get interviewed so his stories can be saved.

I did a quick search and found several places that have parts for the 550. Looks like a stock can be had for under 75 bucks and a trigger guard for about 50.

[Texas10X]

Great story! What neat memories, and it's special what you are doing to help him continue to enjoy shooting.

[hirundo82]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

an old Remington Model 550 semi-auto .22 rifle, missing trigger guard and with a cracked stock.

Stocks can be repaired easily--I've done it on old milsurps and I'm not terribly mechanically inclined. For a .22, I'd just put Acraglas in the crack and clamp it until it sets.

[Vecco]

Very Cool,, Good job on your part..