Firearm that brings back most memories of your father?

[tac]

I'm pretty certain I've posted this before, but I'm certain that you'll forgive me if I have. My dad bought this little .22 Walther in 1930, along with the 'scope on it, in a Cork gunsmiths. It is an oddball, to say the least - if you leave the bolt handle in the horizontal position, it's a 5-shot magazine-fed auto-loader. But you can turn the bolt down, and make it into a single-shot or repeater bolt action. It's called the Walther Sport Model 2, and has a slightly heavier barrel than its predecessor, the Model 1.

It also has a Mauser-style flag safety, and a pair of drilled and tapped holes in the tang in preparation for a nifty and very rare tang sight. The previous model had a shotgun-style safety there. The barrel has a heavier profile on my old rifle, too.



About twenty years ago I got the impression that the recoil spring was finally wearing out, after a gazillion shots. To my amazement a fine gentleman on gunboards.com, whose name is lost now, sent me a spare that he had acquired from Numrich - he had bought one for his own rifle. I fitted it, and found no difference at all - it was still sluggish and not wanting to operate every time. I changed the cartridge to another type from the same brand, and all was well. I later found out that the German company had mis-labelled a factory lot of around 100,000 rounds as 'standard' when they were, in fact, subsonics. This little gun eats high-speed stuff like a brand-new rifle. I learned to shoot with it back in 1952, when I was just six, with my dad teaching me, of course, and it's been around me ever since.

 

[DeanfromOregon]

What were the rifle rounds?

No idea. I just know it was waaaaay smaller than that BAR and that he was out. It's really a good story, it was outside of Valdez, Alaska, in the winter, my grandma was waiting in the boat with the dogs, and grandpa comes tumbling down 100' of cliff all tangled with the grizzly. Broke his pelvis and at least one leg? Ankle? His friends came back the next day and got the bear. I think I was 11 or 12 when it happened. He only told me the story once, Grandpa was a man of very few words.

 

[2DaMtns]

Remington 722 in .300 savage known as "Meat in the Pot." Grandpa bought it back in the 50's or 60's, gave it to dad. Took my first couple deer with it. It's been passed on to my oldest brother. I have a Winchester 100 in .308 he gave me, along with others. Dad's been gone almost ten years already. Think of him every day and would give anything to get to hunt with him one more time.

 

[Bobbygun]

Remington 722 in .300 savage known as "Meat in the Pot." Grandpa bought it back in the 50's or 60's, gave it to dad. Took my first couple deer with it. It's been passed on to my oldest brother. I have a Winchester 100 in .308 he gave me, along with others. Dad's been gone almost ten years already. Think of him every day and would give anything to get to hunt with him one more time.

Your comments really hit home with me. My dad died of lung cancer in October of 2011. A couple of his older hunting buddies referred to him as "Old Meat in the Pot". Like you say, think of him every day. I even eulogized at his service about getting together for one more hunt with him, along with my grandads, uncles and other hunting cronies who had passed before him.

 

[aasbra]

Probably a tie between my Dad's first gun, and also the first gun I ever shot, a JC Higgins (Marlin 101) single shot bolt action .22LR, and likely the 2nd gun he got, a Remington Model 742 Woodsmaster 30-06 semi-auto carbine. My Grandpa gave the JC Higgins to my Dad as a kid in the 1950s. I still remember shooting it for the first time, pulling the knob on the bolt to cock it, and making a tin can dance out in the woods. The Remington 742 brought home quite a few deer, and some elk also, to feed the family when I was young. Dad hunted with it exclusively back then, and later he acquired a number of other hunting rifles over time that he uses today.

In more recent years, I noticed the JC Higgins had a chip on the butt of the stock, and a broken buttplate. So 4-5 years ago I asked him if I could try to repair and refinish the stock, and clean the rifle up, as it probably hadn't been fired since my 34 year old brother was a kid, if not before then. It was a fun project, and turned out pretty nice. On Christmas morning 2-3 years ago, my Dad gave me that rifle, and gave my younger brother the Remington Woodsmaster. He has given me quite a few guns as gifts over the years, but this one, along with the rifle I shot my first deer with as a kid ( a Remington Model 7 in .243 that was my Mom's) are definitely the most special to me. Lots of great memories hunting and shooting with my Dad, and I still try to get out and shoot with him whenever we can.

 

[Justmoe]

Since it is the day we honor our fathers, I thought this might be an interesting "trip down memory lane" thread. Is there a firearm that brings back memories of your father? Say his favorite hunting rifle, or a firearm brought when teaching to shoot or hunt, or an heirloom passed down, etc.

Enjoy.

That would have to be a rather battered 1911, dated back to 1918 and was always tucked behind his hip. He never was without that pistol, a tradition I continued after his death for almost 20 years until I was shamed into buying a wonder 9.

 

[fstdraw]

As silly as it sounds, my father often expressed his fondness for "twin 40's". During his time in the Navy in South Pacific he really developed a respect for the sound they made and the their destructive power. Needles to say when I watch WWII movies, I too enjoy the function and think about my dad.

 

[orygun]

Dad passed away in April of 16. I have all of the guns that were his and his dad's from before so any/all of them make me think of Dad, but two stand out.
His sporterized No4MK1T that he had since before I was born. He always hunted with the Williams peep sight as he thought the scope was too heavy and not that good. Until we wanted to put a modern scope on it (in his late 70's) it was all he ever hunted with. I ended up buying a Marlin MR7 and gave it as a Fathers Day/Birthday present. That one I passed along to his oldest grandson, but the Smelly won't be going anywhere for quite a while.

Then the Marlin. Dad used it in his teens as a Forest Service lookout at Bedford Point LO. It's the first "real" gun I ever shot. I can still remember sitting "indian" style with him wrapped around me teaching me proper trigger pull. This one, too, will be hanging around for a long time. I still have the ol Weaver 6x it came with, but I upgraded the scope several years ago.

@Andy54Hawken , I have a Wingmaster identical to your's that came from a dear family friend. I had Velzey chop it back to 20" and rebead it. It's for my sister to have at her place once she moves out to the sticks. Great little gun.

 

[Heywood]

Ghost gun.....

 

[2A Patriot LLC]

German made Weatherby Mark V 340 WBY Mag. I grew up and spent 33 years in Alaska. My dad is a retired Air Force officer that spent a lot of his career at Eielson AFB in Alaska. His go to gun for Dall Sheep, grizzly, brown and black bears, moose and caribou was his 340. He used it for almost too many Alaskan hunts to count. Dad is 83 and still doing great, but that rifle is mine now. I know every little nick has a story, and just holding it is special for me.

 

[snarlingdog]

Remington 870. Trap shooting with him and my grandpa and uncle. Memories o wish I could make again.

 

[Tomahawk67]

My Dad's Dan Wesson Monson Mass 15-2 he bought brand new. When I was a kid I always loved shooting it with him and he would tell me "make sure you hold onto it good kidd"
It was a little weathered from the South Florida humidity and years of use, and the sight insert had been lost , so I had it tuned up and cerakoted gray and armor black with a new sight. I made sure and kept the pachmyer grip he was so fond of. He would certainly tell me that I hot rodded it if he could.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

The well kinda unknown FN-49 in 30/06 like a SKS but more refined and a bigger balls

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

The well kinda unknown FN-49 in 30/06 like a SKS but more refined and a bigger balls View attachment 1080493

I loved that thing and would love to have another !

 

[Ura-Ki]

The well kinda unknown FN-49 in 30/06 like a SKS but more refined and a bigger balls View attachment 1080493

Yup, my unicorn! I would sell Anything/Everything to get my hands on one,
Sexiest fighting Rifle of all time!

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Yup, my unicorn! I would sell Anything/Everything to get my hands on one,
Sexiest fighting Rifle of all time!

You are in the know !!!!!!!!!!

 

[3MTA3]

My Dad's hunting rifle comes to mind, now one of my older brothers since his passing. It is a Carl Gustov 6.5x55 Swede which as what he could afford as a mill worker supporting a family with at the time six kids (I came along post rifle). He did some inlay work on the stock and really spent time refinishing it.

It inspired my fondness for all things 6.5 and was the first rifle I reloaded for at the ripe old age of 12.

 

[HotRodGuy]

Colt 1911. First firearm I was ever exposed to and first one I ever shot.

 

[Member 38805]

The one firearm that brings me closest to my late dad is my little Remington #4 .22 single shot rifle. His dad died when he was 10 years old, and being the oldest son it was his responsibility to bring home the meat, and any other money he could to support his family. He and his younger brother would go rabbit hunting every day, and bring home rabbits to eat, but also skin and dress the rest to sell to the little butcher shop in town.
So when I look at #4 Remington; the same version he used as a young boy, it reminds me of my dad. I'm sure mine is a lot nicer, since it's a fancy engraved version. But it's close enough for me.

 

[Bubba Smith]

Sears Roebuck m300 slug gun. I'm not sure why but that was a gun he made sure to never let go. We were poor growing up and he had to hawk or sell more then a couple of guns through the years and he's even lost some to hawk. Hell or high-water he'd get this one back. He never really discussed the significance of it, he never spoke much of his past in general. I now keep it clean in the safe and shoot it on occasion.