Have you ever thought about the history behind your guns?

[.455_Hunter]

Weapons with battle damage are particularly interesting...

My 1892 8mm French Lebel service revolver was made at St. Estinne (sp?) in 1897. It is a vg+ condition except for the pattern of fragment pits across the left side on the frame and cylinder. The cylinder hit actually required the effected chamber to be reamed-out (not by me- sometime in the past) to allow a cartridge to fit. It makes me wonder what happend to the WWI officer who was carrying this weapon when the nearby shell/grenade went off

I have shot it some, both with Fiocchi 8 mm Lebel and .32 S&W Long, and it is a nice shooter.

History is very neat!

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I honestly think there were some dried bloodstains on my 1944 M44 bayonet.

 

[BobMcG]

If only they could talk.

Liking history and old guns, my collection currently has nineteen antiques and C&Rs that are fairly old. Eleven of them being from the last quarter of the 19th century, seven from the first quarter of the 20th, and one from the second quarter. With the exception of a partial history of one I got from my grandfather when I was a young lad, a Winchester letter on another one, the dates of manufacture on even more, and what cavalry unit one was issued to back in the last quarter of 1889 for yet another, when it comes to "personal" history I can't tell you a single thing about them. If they could talk though, I'd truly listen. It'd be great to know all about 'em.

It's too bad that unlike the general history on a piece, personal history doesn't lend itself to nearly as easy research.

 

[Tommygunn]

Every time I shoot my little USGI M1 Carbine I think about how many Chinese overcoats its bullets must have bounced off of

Oh, funny, News Shooter! That is a proven myth.
Anyway, I too have an M-1 Carbine my father brought back from the Korean War. I often wonder who used it, what battles it had been in, in both Korea and WW2. It's an early '44. My father hardly ever shot it during his lifetime (he certainly never used it during mine!) and it is in pretty dang good condition on the inside. The wood has a few interesting dings, though.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Hi Novus,

My Dad has an old S&W '09' revolver. My Great Grandfather brought it home from France after WWI. It was with my Grandfather when he rode a glider into France just before D-Day. My Great Uncle carried the weapon in Korea at a place call Pusan. And finally my Dad had it with him at a place called DaNang. My brother would have taken it to Bosnia with him but the Army wouldn't let him.

Some might say the old revolver has a history of war and death. Perhaps they are right, it's not for me to say. All I know is when my country called my family members, the weapon answered the call with them. The fact those family members returned tells me the weapon served honorably and well. In the end that's all the history I need to know.

Selena

 

[Novus Collectus]

Some might say the old revolver has a history of war and death. Perhaps they are right, it's not for me to say. All I know is when my country called my family members, the weapon answered the call with them. The fact those family members returned tells me the weapon served honorably and well. In the end that's all the history I need to know.

 

[BridgeWalker]

Being weirded out about that is silly in my opinion. Its like being weirded out because you found out that the land you now live on had a murderer walk across it 100 years ago.

Nah, having a feeling about something isn't silly. Acting on it would be.

I think it would be a little silly to not use/own something because of an irrational feeling, but feelings of distaste for negative history are just the flip side of having positive feelings for the neat history.

 

[scout26]

I've got a few old SxS shotguns that I like to take out hunting. I like to think that the original owners used to put a handful of shells in their coat pocket, called the dog(s) out the back door, and went to go get dinner or for a nice walk in the woods and fields.

I'd like to have these guns tell me their stories, but all I can do is add to their history.

 

[blackhills]

Im pretty sure that my oct-nov 1943 born springfield garand has had a few germans or italians in its sights...and if not, i still treat it as if its the most coveted thing I own because I know it has a well earned story, and has been appreciated and trusted by a soldier from days passed.

 

[GRIZ22]

built them from parts kit(especially AKs).


AKs built from parts are AKs built from parts.

A Garand, M1 carbine, Enfield, Nagant, Mauser etc now there's weapons with a story.

When you think of it the worse condition you get a milsurp in the more action it has probably seen. I've seen knowledgable people say a Garand receiver with pitting on the receiver legs indicates it was used by someone in combat that was too busy fighting to pull the action out for a clean and lube.

Minty milsurps are very nice but they probably never left the arms room.

 

[Tokugawa]

Have a 6 digit garand, made in '42, rebarreled in '49. Suspect it saw some shooting along the way. Both Father and Father in Law carried one during WW2.

 

[sig226]

I have owned one firearm that I know for a fact shot somebody, and I know it because the guys' wife brought it into the store where I worked to sell it after her husband passed away. It was a Ruger Bearcat, pre transfer bar. The guy had all six loaded and had it in a surplus 1911 holster, which he was using as a carrying case. The gun fell out and landed on the hammer. The bullet entered his calf and travelled up his leg, riding his femur and lodging in his abdomen. He was a very lucky individual and survived it.

A police officer in Mahwah, New Jersey scribed his initials and the date into the receiver when it was taken into evidence because of the shooting. Since it was determined to be an accident, and it was in the 1960s, they gave it back to the guy when he recovered.

It never "weirded me out," nor did it especially impress me, it was just an interesting aside about the gun. I sold it because I couldn't shoot it accurately.

 

[SuperNaut]

My firearms were born in the heart of a distant star that eventually went supernova.

So were yours.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

I do all the time. Especially with my M44, manufactured in 1945, in the last days of World War 2. Maybe some Red Army soldier took that rifle with him in the battle for Berlin. If he did take it with him in the battle, did he survive? My gut says no, since the soldiers were mostly cannon fodder anyway, but it makes you wonder.

As for my SKS...it's much "newer" made in the 70s I think. It's a Yugo, so who knows what that gun has "seen"

 

[MinnMooney]

Heirlooms

Most of my guns are either purchased new by me or by and older relative. The older relatives passed those firearms down to me, my son and a nephew.

Many of the inherited guns are of lower quality but have a ton of sentimental value. A couple are real top-notch, quality weaponry and I've passed those on down to my son already. He absolutely refuses to part with any gun unless he bought it and found it to be of less quality than he'd hoped for.

My dad is where many of the guns came from and he bought most during the 1920's, 30's & early 40's when he was a teen to early 30's.

Two of my son's (as well as my) favorites are a Remington (Browning patent) Model 24 .22 shorts only autoloader that feeds from a slot in the side of the stock and a Hi-Standard 'Sport-King' semi-auto .22 pistol. They're both from the 1930's or 40's and my dad told us a ton of stories to go with both of those guns. My brother and I inherited them when we were 6 or 7 and we, also, have tons of stories for each of the guns. Now my son is getting his own memories with each.

 

[MJZZZ]

I only own two guns that were not purchased new, one I bought from a friend who works for Homeland Security so no worries. The other I inherited from my dad, it is a 5 shot S+W revolver and was made between 1894 and 1902. Since my dad was born in 1919 and we never even knew he owned a gun, I sure would like to hear the history of this gun. He was a WWII vet, so it should not have surprized me that he owned a gun. Mike

 

[Rembrandt]

I've got one that was most likely instrumental in someones death....built 1873, one of the firearms used in the battles for the Khyber Pass. Came from a gun shop in Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

[kragluver]

Collecting and shooting guns and reading and studying history have always been closely linked in my life. I don't have anything of real monetary value, but almost all of my guns have a great amount of intrinsic value to me:

1. An 1898 Krag -- its a cut down rifle, but it belonged to my grandfather who did the work on it (and a beautiful job he did too). My father and my uncle both took their first deer with it. My great grandfather also took a deer with it. It is now my favorite target rifle to take to the range. I think I need to take a deer with it too someday just to complete the family circle. I wonder what soldier might have carried it and its history. I wish my grandad were still around to ask him more about this rifle. The study of these rifles has been my pashion recently.

2. A sporterized M1917 (circa 1950's sporter job) -- once belonged to my uncle and then my grandfather. Its a real tack-driver and the one that I've taken the majority of my deer with. The receiver dates to October 1918. The stories it might tell...

3. A 1954 vintage Model 70 Super Grade in .270 -- belonged to my wife's grandfather. Also a tack driver. It has seen many a great hunting trip.

4. A recently purchased Savage-made Enfield No. 4 Mk1* -- I understand the recent imports mostly come from Turkey. The S/N on this rifle dates it to early 1944. I wonder what sort of life it has seen...

5. A Colt Woodsman manufactured in 1953 -- also once belonging to my wife's grandfather. This is a fun little pistol to shoot.

6. A Savage Model 311H double in 12 ga -- the first gun ever given to me by Mom & Dad when I was 12 yrs old. I'll pass this one down to one of my boys.

7. My Remington 870 Express was given to me by my best friend when I graduated from Texas A&M. I'll always cherish this shotgun and recall many good bird hunting and varmit hunting trips with him.

My other guns were all purchased by me either new or used. They are fun to shoot and reload for, but they don't have the meaningful history for me.

 

[BlindJustice]

NOt Lately, but you did remind me when I did some research on the C-46 COmmando - the biggest twin engine cargo plane of WWII. The C-46 at the AIr force Museum in Ohio, must have a buttload of flight logs making up a collection that might be interesting reading as it's history past WWII included
a myriad of third world countries it It survived over the years and has documented 40,000 plus filght hours.

It made me think what if we had to have firing logs for firearms after ech
session of use to doc. where they had been?

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

I always wondered what stories my 1853 springfield could tell me...

 

[2RCO]

I often wonder. Every time I buy a different older gun I research as much as I can. Some of the higher end stuff like H&H you can often find the original owner. I keep looking for Sgt. York's 1911 it's gonna pop up someday.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I wonder what My Garands would say. Both were built during the big one. One has a lead dipped receiver and the original barrel.
My 19O3A3? Who knows, probably a marine had it in WWII.
How about my 1911 Schmidt Rubin that has the "P" mark next to the serial number. That means it was given to the Swiss servicemember and probably upon completion of his retirement. That rifle was built in 1917 or 1918. rebarreled in 60s. I kinda wonder who rebarreled it. That one cost me a 115.00 or so out the door in a pawn shop.

 

[MikeH]

My wife's grandfather was an officer in the Chinese Army during WW2. I've always wondered whether one of the Chiang Kai Shek Mausers I owned was issued to his unit once upon a time.

 

[RubenZ]

I'd love to be able to plug in my Enfields serial and see where it was and who it was issued to etc.

 

[ColinthePilot]

I have definitely researched the history on a few of mine. I only own one recent design weapon; the rest are Milsurps.
My favorite is my Beretta 1934. I had no idea it existed till my grandmother passed away a few years ago. My mother knew but somehow, my childhood snooping never turned it up. She kept it in her nightstand after my grandfather died (15 years earlier...somehow I never knew about it.)
Anyway, Pop won it in a post WWII poker game when he was in the Navy. When my grandmother died, all the weapons were willed to me being the only grandson and the only person in the family with interest in guns. I ran the serial number online and found it had been issued to the Italian army in WWII. I'm sure it saw combat, but I doubt it killed any Allies.
Next is a non functional .55 cal muzzle loading riding pistol. A collector dated it to the early 1800's, so knowing my family tree, civil war use is possible. I also have my grandfather's boyhood .22, which i suspect just needs a good cleaning and inspection, a double barrel 12ga which was said to be a "Sears Catalog Special." That one has been deemed unsafe to fire. We also dug up a small caliber, 5-shot revolver, brand/origin/history unknown. Most of these lived in a closet or an attic for over 20 years, so their condition is understandable.
MY purchases have never included a new gun. I bought a well used Yugo SKS with the name "Milka" carved in the stock. That makes me think it was issued at some point. Next was a (barely) used Taurus PT-111 Millennium Pro in 9mm for carry. And I just got a CMP M1 Garand a week ago. The furniture is obviously from 3 different rifles, so I doubt the numbers will match. I might search the receiver numbers. Same with the SKS, no numbers matching.
The history aspect is why I love milsurp weapons so much. Whether they saw action or not, their designs were deemed combat-worthy, so they're good enough for me. And I love telling people "did you see the movie[whatever]? Thats the same rifle."