I buy a few guns now and again. I haunt the Kittery Trading Post in Maine...Fancy myself as a wannabe gunsmith and had been bugging the traders to find a "beater" that I could play with. So eventually a gun is set aside ...It is a little Chiefs 36 Special...
The gun basically looks worse then most anything the you've seen. Deep scratches, lots of the finish gone from the left side, seen some of it's share of rust ~and yet ~ it locks up tight, runs smooth, and has somehow been cared for over the years...Problem is the price is high for what the gun is worth...
So the debate about the price starts. And the salesman says let's take it to the trader that set it aside for you, John....Well John is asked the obvious ~ "How come so much money for a beater"
He looks at me and smiles. Says he didn't set it aside as a beater. Although that it what he thought at first. He thought worse of it ~ that it was a parts gun. Not anything they would normally put out on the shelf. So I asked again of my friend John, " Ok, why so much for a parts gun/beater? "
John smiled again ~ "because it isn't either~ it has a story...."
So my turn ~"Ok John, then tell me the story"....
From John:
A older man comes into the store, his son is with him. The gent is in a wheelchair, and appears to have suffered a severe stroke. He cannot speak, but has the ability to write notes to his son with one hand...They are there to sell Dad's guns...as it is time for Dad to move into assisted living. And so the deals are struck, with the Son acting as the go between with John, the buyer....Deals are made and go fine. Until Dad hands over the one gun he is carrying. John looks at the little 36 and writes it up. He looks up and the Old man is crying.... He looks at the Son, and ask if his father is allright...The son says he's OK, just that the gun was special to him. John says, well maybe the family should hold onto it. The son says that' allright....
John asks the Son ~ do you mind telling me why your Dad is so attached to the gun....The son says " I'm not really sure of the story, but my Dad and his men were what they called Underground men in Vietnam"
John is shaken by that.....and looks at the Father and asks....
"Sir, were you in Vietnam?" The Old man nods his head yes....
"Sir, were you involved with the tunnels" The Old man nods his head yes...
John later told me that he almost could not ask the last question, but he felt he had to....
"Sir, were you at CuChi" and the Old man smiled, and slowly nodded yes once again......
Giz
The gun basically looks worse then most anything the you've seen. Deep scratches, lots of the finish gone from the left side, seen some of it's share of rust ~and yet ~ it locks up tight, runs smooth, and has somehow been cared for over the years...Problem is the price is high for what the gun is worth...
So the debate about the price starts. And the salesman says let's take it to the trader that set it aside for you, John....Well John is asked the obvious ~ "How come so much money for a beater"
He looks at me and smiles. Says he didn't set it aside as a beater. Although that it what he thought at first. He thought worse of it ~ that it was a parts gun. Not anything they would normally put out on the shelf. So I asked again of my friend John, " Ok, why so much for a parts gun/beater? "
John smiled again ~ "because it isn't either~ it has a story...."
So my turn ~"Ok John, then tell me the story"....
From John:
A older man comes into the store, his son is with him. The gent is in a wheelchair, and appears to have suffered a severe stroke. He cannot speak, but has the ability to write notes to his son with one hand...They are there to sell Dad's guns...as it is time for Dad to move into assisted living. And so the deals are struck, with the Son acting as the go between with John, the buyer....Deals are made and go fine. Until Dad hands over the one gun he is carrying. John looks at the little 36 and writes it up. He looks up and the Old man is crying.... He looks at the Son, and ask if his father is allright...The son says he's OK, just that the gun was special to him. John says, well maybe the family should hold onto it. The son says that' allright....
John asks the Son ~ do you mind telling me why your Dad is so attached to the gun....The son says " I'm not really sure of the story, but my Dad and his men were what they called Underground men in Vietnam"
John is shaken by that.....and looks at the Father and asks....
"Sir, were you in Vietnam?" The Old man nods his head yes....
"Sir, were you involved with the tunnels" The Old man nods his head yes...
John later told me that he almost could not ask the last question, but he felt he had to....
"Sir, were you at CuChi" and the Old man smiled, and slowly nodded yes once again......
Giz
