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This is one is really tough to type out folks.
Winchester Super X Model 1.
Machined with quality metallurgy , Quality crafted. Metal deep blue and Nice Wood - on this Field Model.
It was early in 1975 and a Mentor and I were in a Mom & Pop gun store together.
I had a SX1, and mine and other Sx1s were proving themselves in clay games, defensive training/ defensive type shotgun events, hunting any and everything to do with shotgunning.
We went into this gun store to shoot the breeze, drink coffee and eat some of the do-nuts we had brought.
I knew, he knew, that I knew he was going to exit with a SX1 box with a Field Grade shotgun.
He did.
"Your fault young'un " he said with his gruff voice.
"Dang sure happy I got someone to blame, my blame card all filled up" - he cut loose with that smart-aleck voice and tone and just a beaming and grinning.
I had to drive, he was too busy holding the box in the cab of the truck like a kid messing with a new puppy.
Like me, and a few others, he bought the 28" barrel which back then was standard for a fixed Modified choked barrel.
He was going to order another barrel or barrels , might even get one done up in them newfangled screw in chokes...
No matter, he was a shotgunner. He was one of my Mentors. Modified barrel remember, after cleaning it, re-lube and visiting the Pattern Board - he ran 125/125 shooting skeet.
Next day ran 100/100 over at trap.
He used my Pattern Board experiences as a guide for him. He knows what something is marked, don't make it so.
Amazing how back then, how with the metallurgy , quality , craftsmanship, giving the customer quality for monies spent and all that...SX1s in the same run, (serial numbers) patterned that darn close - if not the same.
Gun never missed a beat. Never did, still don't. Name anything a shotgun can be used for, type of ammunition, and environment - the gun felled, performed
and kept running.
Family figures since he shot like I did and others, 300,000 and still counting.
I used this gun a few months back, it stayed running. Sentimental Memory Overload at the time and it was kinda a surprise to see this gun again, and to shoot it again.
What I did not know all these years, he bought another SX1 a few days later.
Now we were tight, like the bunch I run with was - still I never knew about this second gun.
~~
It is personal as to why he bought that second gun, I read the letter written so many years ago, in his handwriting addressed to me.
I am the only one still alive from this old bunch, though I was young, I was not the youngest, and all except me have passed on.
I was again asked to pass forward a firearm to someone because the one that was supposed to, wanted to, is no longer alive to do so.
I did pass forward this first SX1 as promised and it has been used and still runs.
Sentimental Value - no amount of money can buy.
One person was not able to attend this gathering we had and this gun and others were passed down to kinfolks.
I was invited down to visit this family again, of this Mentor. The person that could not attend the gathering I mentioned, was present.
Everyone was out to go run the roads and mess around, I was alone with one family member and -"got something to show you, you best sit down real good".
I am sitting in a chair in a walk in vault when I my gut was screaming I was going to lose it.
I did, big time. I moved down to the floor and read my letter with a 1974 NIB SX1 in my lap.
I traveled back 32 years in the blink of an eye. I could not believe what all was happening.
This gun has been inspected, maintained all these years - and never fired once.
I was not expecting this, the recipient for sure was not, and the rest of the bunch not either.
We went from teary and blubbery to laughter eventually with some stories tossed in.
Just shoot the damn gun.
Yeah, this Mentor said this, we all did - often. We cleaned it, lubed it and got it ready to shoot, yes, it was what this Mentor wanted as part of his letter to me, and the other letter he wrote that went with this gun.
Recipient wanted me to shoot it first , on this private skeet field. I couldn't. Recipient is going to have to grow into this gun, not big enough yet. So I set a clay target on a coat hanger stuck in the dirt, and with help from me, Recipient busted the first clay with this gun.
"No misses so far!" - and we gathered up orange dust and little pieces for a memento.
Just shoot the damn gun and run 'em ....Mentors and us again...just how we spoke, what we believed in...
Yeah, you stand there with a gun this heavy with sentimental value and see if you don't have gigantic butterflies in your stomach. Mentor must have coaching, or something, I was able to run 25/25 with a fixed modified barrel.
We shot this gun, taking turns, and somehow, I ran 100/100 with it.
Spare barrels, parts, Winchester and Browning Gun oil in tin cans and everything come with this gun.
It never missed a beat. Recipient knows what they have, and will shoot it when bigger. With family assisting, it will be shot. No it most likely will not be shot 300,000 rds or more, the gun can do this. Just a whole lot of sentimental value with this gun.
Truth is , many of us decided to slow down or retire our SX1s. I finally did with all these years of use, and 300,000 rds . Hard to believe Mentors, me , others run 25K rds or more out of these guns in a year- for years running...
Over the years too many times I have passed forward a firearm to someone because the person was no longer alive to do so themselves . It hurts, it is a honor, still it hurts. It hurts because of so many things about the whole deal.
Got something to pass forward to someone? - Please do so, there may not be a tomorrow. The person giving should enjoy the experience, the sharing, and everything.
I know I will pass forward again, it will be an honor to do so, to keep promises. I know it will hurt and be mixed feeling about the whole deal too.
These SX1s were very special to me, a part of my life. I am thankful, grateful I was able to pass them on.
Damn - I sure miss some Mentor a helluva more because of having done so.
It always does this to me, others say the same thing.
As long as the memory is alive - a person is never forgotten.
~~ Back in the day...
1975, Private skeet field, 4 older fellas and one Young'un, Five Winchester Super X Model 1s in the gun rack...
"Young'un you leading off, you gonna shoot or whistle Dixie?"
"Well you old fart, we still getting shells in pouches..."
"Who has the pull button?"
"Look at them out there, ain't that a sight?" <folks watching>
"Yeah damn near make fella go blind or wanna quit shooting...hehehe"
"Quit messing and spoiling my dog with them peppermints - and you gonna lead off or what?
"When one of you old farts finally plugs the damn cord in I will, y'all been shooting long or new at this (me).
"Got the cord..."
"Well punch the damn thing"
"He (me) ain't on station one".
"Just punch the damn button, he will figure it out soon enough...'sides, we shotgunners, not a bunch of damn programmed shooters, young'un gotta learn and he might as well learn right..."
"Kinda a nice rhythm the fellas got going , anyone missed yet ? "
"No, don't 'spect they will, now leave me be, I was about to nod off to the peaceful going ons out there..."
Five fellas each ran 100/100. When the shooting was done they each reached down and grabbed an empty hull and stuck a folded $1 bill inside.
Five kids were waiting for "go" back at the porch.
It did not take long to for hulls to be policed from the field at a penny a hull.
<big eyes>
"I got whole dollar in one of mine"
"Me too!
"Oh, oh I hope I got one in mine"
Five kids each getting a penny a hull and a bonus of a folding $1 bill each.
I miss some Mentors - but another circle remains unbroken.
Young 'un
