Carrying Dad's gun, in memoriam..

Status
Not open for further replies.

MedWheeler

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
8,284
Location
SouthEastern FL
December 19th marks the six anniversary of the day on which my father was found deceased in his isolated home, high in the New Mexico desert. He likely had passed a day before. I had been trying to reach him for two days, as had a neighbor of his (who lived about three miles away) That neighbor had been kept away by a heavy snowfall, but managed to finally get to the property to make the discovery and contact me.

My father and I did not know each other as I was growing up, my parents having divorced when I was very young, and living in different parts of the country. I did spend a few months with him when I was eleven, but did not re-establish a relationship with him until around 1998, when I was 32. One of the things I learned about/from him was that, during the same period in which I worked in law enforcement in Florida (late 80's-early 90s), he had also done so as a deputy in a rural, mountainous county in Colorado.

During the last years of his life, I managed to visit him twice. Though he had owned many before, he was down to two firearms, both of which had served him in that duty. One was a Ruger Police Service Six (circa 1975), and the other a Charter Arms Undercover, circa 1966.

My last trip out there was to bury him, along with his mother, who had died in 2008 and whose ashes had remained in the home, during the Christmas season of 2010. Of course, those two guns are now mine. Today and tomorrow, I set aside the 9mm pistol normally carried and stowed bedside for the Charter on the hip, and the Ruger on the nightstand...
 
When I get over my rotator cuff surgery I will hunt with my dad's Browning A5 again . It is my favorite shotgun and fits me the best also . I just kind of semi retired it after 58 years and me using it for 44 years , so I wouldn't put any more wear on it . Since I have gotten older every time I carried it , it made me think of my dad .
 
My sympathy for the loss of your father. What an interesting life story.
Many of the guns that I have are from family and friends that have left them to me. They are my most prized possessions. Some of them have very little value but , like yours, they are priceless to me.

It would be cool to send that ruger to someone like Gemini customs for a makeover.
 
Today and tomorrow, I set aside the 9mm pistol normally carried and stowed bedside for the Charter on the hip, and the Ruger on the nightstand...

A very fine tribute.

Belated condolences.
 
I'm there with you and my condolences. My father was retired Idaho State Police and I'm in my sixteenth year as a city cop here in Idaho. Dad passed away August 16th, 2016. Among his many firearms that are now in my possession are two of his duty handguns. The Model 65 he carried from 79-91. He purchased it when ISP switched over to the S&W 4586 in 1991 and the 4586 was gifted to him when he retired in 94. They will be staying with me.



 
Condolences sir.

Worked as an LEO for 26 years and left LOD,missing 6 final years.

Gotta say that the Ruger is one that many know as a BEAST of a .357 .

And even though I still have a security 6 in 2 & 2/3" that shoots GREAT,I would love to have that Ruger you have.

And if I were you,the Ruger would be what I EDC.

Be safe and watch your '6'.
 
Beautifully written memorium. At a relative's funeral recently, I carried a 1911, leaving the house without a plastic gun for the first time in years. I believe he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
 
The older I get, the more impact stories like that have on me, and the more I appreciate someone telling theirs. Thanks for taking the time to share.
 
A very moving tribute to your dad. Thank you for sharing and belated condolences. I can only hope that my two young sons will someday honor me as well.

The great memories you shared will always be there and his guns will be a treasure that you can pass down to the next generation.
 
IMHO it's a good way to connect with and remember those no longer with us. I've got dad's dad's Remington M10, mom's dad's Auto 5, dad's step dad's '97 Win and my uncle's Auto 5.
 
After reading your post I had to open up the safe and pull out my father's pocket knife. Cheers.
 
That's a very fitting tribute on the loss of a family member. I've got my father's shotgun and .22 which both get occasional use and they bring back lots of memories. Stuff like that I call "Heirloom Guns" , as they stay in the family and get passed down from one generation to the next.
 
That's a very fitting tribute on the loss of a family member. I've got my father's shotgun and .22 which both get occasional use and they bring back lots of memories. Stuff like that I call "Heirloom Guns" , as they stay in the family and get passed down from one generation to the next.


Very fitting tributes. My dad was raised in Oklahoma. He was a cowboy in the Osage Hills and knew how to shoot. Unfortunately he never taught me or my three brothers and didn't own any guns. At age 62 I got my first gun and since then four more. The last was a new Marlin 60. After I pass on it will go to my oldest grandson. He's now 3 years old and in another four or five years, perhaps less, he'll get it to learn to shoot, and safely. My son will get the remainder to use and distribute as he sees fit. Hopefully my joy in shooting will be passed on as well. My son shoots at a range with a Smith & Wesson 22 but hasn't bought any higher caliber firearms. I like shooting .22 and the Marlin makes me smile but my caliber of choice is .45ACP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LAH
Sorry to hear of the loss of your father. My Dad also passed six years ago, not long after celebrating his 88th birthday. A day doesn't go by when I don't think about him and the time we spent together. My father never was into guns all that much though he shot Expert when he was in the Army.

I like your two gun tribute to your Dad.
 
A great tribute to your father. This season I left my more modern rifles at home and went into the deer woods with my father's Winchester model 94. I took a nice 6 pt buck home with me and felt his presence the whole time.
 
Thanks for writing these words. I believe you are blessed with having your dad's guns to keep with you as you make your own journey through life. Yesterday would have been my dad's 106th birthday. He died 6 months before his 60th birthday in 1970. He wasn't into guns but supported my interest in them. What he had was automotive tools, which I have had since his death. Although I didn't have any tasks in the garage yesterday, I went out and gave his favorite Snap On 1/2 drive ratchet a squeeze in his honor. He and my mom bought a small family trucking company prior to my birth, and he put me to work in his truck garage when I was 7 YO. Having and using some of your deceased relatives possessions is great way to keep the memories alive.
 
My Father was/is a class a - d bag. I have zero items from him, and like it that way.

However, I would have loved to have any other family member pass down a knife or a gun to me. My family doesn't talk though, or if they do they are not into guns or knives.

So it's just me, I buy them all to pass down the line. I go a little overboard, no I don't "need" 50 plus blades, but I "need" my family to have them one day so it's worth the money I spend to get quality every purchase I make.

Sorry for your loss MedWheeler, and I wish you the best.
 
Nice story and thanks for the telling.

Dad was not really into guns much, he passed in 2012 at 91. I do have his old cut-down Wards Hercules single shot 12 ga under the back seat of my truck and his 9mm bring back P38 in the locker. I try to get the pistol out for a mag's worth on his birthday. What brings a smile is the 3 blade Uncle Henry folder on my end table that he was never without.
 
My Dad and I weren't close when I was growing up so I don't have a weapon from him as a remembrance, however, it's amusing and amazing that one can be closer to relatives than one's own Dad. That's my situation as I was closer to my Dad's brothers than I was to him. At my college graduation my Uncle Jake gave me a $5.00 dollar gold coin. Now I'm not one to have something sit around in a safe deposit box so I cashed it in a bought a Browning .22 pistol. At some point I plan to have Jake's name engraved on it as his gesture of that gold coin meant a great deal to me. I envy those of you that had a close relationship with your Dad.
 
My Dad's last words before he went "noneresponsive" after a massive stroke were a request to go home to die. I filled out the hospice paperwork, set him up in the living room, and it took about a day and a half.

I opted out of the family scrum to divide up his estate. I walked out with the Taurus .38 he'd purchased a few years before. Then I got a carry permit and a holster, and I carry it every day.
 
My dad was good provider but a cold distant critical sob. He actuallt told my brother and I we were not going to inheret anything as it was going to his gold digging 2nd wife who promply sold them for big bucks.
little did she know the buyer was funded by us. :)
 
A fitting tribute, keep the carry alive.

My Dad wasn't much of a gun guy, I have a medium frame .38Spl Rossi that he had (think pencil barrel S&W M10), it is sort of a pimp gun, has faux mother of pearl grips. I never shoot it, but will always keep it.

My stepdad gave me his Colt 1903 that was "issued" him during WWII. He was an Army paymaster, an E7; his Lt. gave him the pistol, and now I have it.
 
Thank you all for your contributions to this thread, and for sharing as well (I'm the OP.) I always get a little melancholy over this around Christmas, as that's when he passed; I had to miss being home for the holiday that year (2010) as I was away to bury him. I'm glad my sharing has prompted so many to do so as well, whether their memories were especially positive or not..
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top