Do you have a gun you think of as an old, loyal friend?
Question Of The Month (July 2023) (Old Friend)
- Thread starter carbinemike
- Start date
Certainly not the oldest gun I own but in 1972 I bought a brand new Ted Williams Model 200 12 gauge which was the same as a Winchester 1200 but engraved in Ted Williams style of that day. While I had traded for and owned many guns before this purchase this was the first "new" gun I ever bought. Can't remember what I paid for it but in that day it was expensive for a hard working guy. Over the years I took it out thinking I might shoot it but 50 plus years later it remains unshot and in brand new condition. So I guess it certainly qualifies as an old, loyal friend.
cmcdonald
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My loyal friend has to be my short barrel 12ga 870. Anytime I'm heading into the mountains or the bush (hunting, hiking or otherwise) that gun is never far. When I'm hunting I often bring my 870 along as a camp gun or backup for real thick brush. I'll carry the 870 while my partner carries a rifle when we're stalking through the thick stuff.
My Dad nearly stepped on a sleeping bear once while hiking through thick saplings and under-growth. He didn't hike in typical, grizzly country like what we hunt in. That story is always at the top of mind when we're in that stuff.
My Dad nearly stepped on a sleeping bear once while hiking through thick saplings and under-growth. He didn't hike in typical, grizzly country like what we hunt in. That story is always at the top of mind when we're in that stuff.
Mine is my .243 Winchester I bought new in '73. 50 years it's been with me and has had perhaps 100 rounds fired.
Bobster
.30-06
I had a college house-mate that was into guns. We would go to the local "free" shooting range run by Dept. of Environmental Management. A friend of mine was an FFL and he got us both Colt 1991s. They were similar but not consecutive serial numbers. We shot a lot in-between classes as the range was near the university. He ended up not returning the next year and we fell out of contact. Looked him up recently to discover he had passed a few years ago... 
Unrelated to this topic, but just yesterday I thought of a childhood buddy I hadn't seen in a while and looked him up. He too, passed a couple years ago. I'm afraid to look anybody else up as it would seem I am the Grim Reaper...
Anyhow, I shot the 1991 on a regular basis and started reloading for it. I was using lightly loaded .45ACP 185gr SWCs with a lighter recoil spring. I guess I missed a powder charge and didn't notice the bullet hadn't exited the barrel (quib load) and sent another into it. Bulged the barrel so I replaced it with a Nowlin and Wilson's bushing. Also got a Wilson's trigger and extended mag and slide releases. A set of Pachmayr wraparound grips and curved mainspring housing completed the work done over 40 years ago... Oh, and the Shok-buff was just replaced last year and I put a stronger recoil spring so I can start burning up some of the ball ammo I seem to have a LOT of. Back when I was shooting more regularly, at 50' I was getting all the SWCs into the black of a NRA 50' target one-handed and often a smaller group than that.
Unrelated to this topic, but just yesterday I thought of a childhood buddy I hadn't seen in a while and looked him up. He too, passed a couple years ago. I'm afraid to look anybody else up as it would seem I am the Grim Reaper... Anyhow, I shot the 1991 on a regular basis and started reloading for it. I was using lightly loaded .45ACP 185gr SWCs with a lighter recoil spring. I guess I missed a powder charge and didn't notice the bullet hadn't exited the barrel (quib load) and sent another into it.
Bulged the barrel so I replaced it with a Nowlin and Wilson's bushing. Also got a Wilson's trigger and extended mag and slide releases. A set of Pachmayr wraparound grips and curved mainspring housing completed the work done over 40 years ago... Oh, and the Shok-buff was just replaced last year and I put a stronger recoil spring so I can start burning up some of the ball ammo I seem to have a LOT of. Back when I was shooting more regularly, at 50' I was getting all the SWCs into the black of a NRA 50' target one-handed and often a smaller group than that. 
Daryll
.270 WIN
Marlin 1894CS in .357...
I was a pistol shooter, but in 1997 all handguns were confiscated by the Uk Government after the Dunblane massacre.
They did give us compensation for them, so as soon as the compo money arrived I was down to the LGS and bought the Marlin... I had kept all the .38/.357 reloading bits...
I've no idea how many rounds that Marlin has had through it, into the 10's of thousands, but its my keeper, my SHTF gun...
I was a pistol shooter, but in 1997 all handguns were confiscated by the Uk Government after the Dunblane massacre.
They did give us compensation for them, so as soon as the compo money arrived I was down to the LGS and bought the Marlin... I had kept all the .38/.357 reloading bits...
I've no idea how many rounds that Marlin has had through it, into the 10's of thousands, but its my keeper, my SHTF gun...