That got me to thinking.
What was you first 3 centerfire guns?
I lucked out. Big time. My father in law gave me a rifle that his father probably bought surplus. A 1942 armory rebarrelled Springfield 03. In pretty sweet condition. It was in a ratty old sheepskin sleeve in the rafter of the basement. I replaces that disintegrating old leather cover with something new and whole. He noticed I cared enough to do that, I might as well be the custodian for it.
Not bad, huh?
I might have been real jealous of Tam's first rifle, the Enfield, ifn this one wasn't so good. So good for both of us.
After that it was a S&W 686, and then a 7.62x51mm 'Navy' Garand.
| M1E14 | Mk 2 Mod 0 | M1 Garand variant; rechambered in .30 T65/7.62x51mm NATO with press-in chamber insert |
After that I started this blog and things got a bit jumbled... Still. A babe-in-the-woods, rank n00b, those are a good set of 3 to start with. And one was totally accidental.
13 comments:
My first centerfire was a Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk IV, FTR 1948. Saw action in the War, although I don't know where.
Mine was a Savage 30.06 in '83.
Mine was a Lee-Enfield, a 1968 Ishapore in 7.62 NATO. Second was a 1899 Mosin M91 rebarelled by SA.
A 1903A high serial number Springfield, with a Pederson cut, that some idiot had attached an old Bauch and Laumb cradle scope.
I immediately removed that awful scope, filled the drilled holes with blind nipples and blue locktite, and scrounged up a proper volley sight to replace the missing one on the receiver.
And shot the bloody hell out of that rifle.
1962 model 94 in 30-30, 1968 Python, 1911.
My first three were: '96 Swedish Mauser, '98 Krag-Jorgensen, 1903 Springfield (High-numbered RIA).
1. K98 German Mauser $40.00
2. Us Carbine, 30. cal $65.00
3. 1898 Krag $55.00
I bought all 3 of them from the gun store in 29 Palms Ca. When I was in the Marines in 1975. I sure wish I had all 3 of them back.
Mine was a Carcano, came with a car I traded for. Shot 11 antelope with it, none from a book depository. My cousin has it now-it's art of her JFK "collection".
It was sure fun to watch people act like I was a crazy man for owning it.
PART of her JFK collection.
A low SN Winchester 1885 .45-70 (mfg in 1888). Inherited it from my grandfather.
I also got a Winchester 52 Sporting from him at the same time.
Us grandkids got to pick 2 from his collection. He also had a boatload of other high-quality rifles, but my grandmother sold them. I just cringe at the thought of what she sold.
I still own two of them forty years later.
Winchester 30.06 - sitting in my gun cabinet
Winchester 30-30, model 96, pre 1900 - stolen after a hunting trip
16 GA break action shotgun - also in cabinet
M94 Winchester, .30-30 of course.
Then a Winchester Model 1400 scattergun.
Then the S&W Model 65 Dad had carried on duty for years.
1st: Savage .243 bought for me by my father when I was 11.
2nd: 4" S&W model 28.
3rd: 1911
I still have the 243. I miss the other two.
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