What Guns Mean the Most to You?

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1.. My uncle's 1956 Belgium Browning Sweet 16 used for all manner of bird hunting, my dad bought it from him in the late 1950s and hunted pheasant, I inherited it from my dad and used to shoot some trap and now shoot monthly 3-gun Fun Shoots . Well taken care of but shows wear and use, but 100% functional with 100% original parts.
2. well-used 9mm Sig 239 SD pistol that has had ZERO failures for many years
3. very well-used 9mm Production class comp. pistol that puts smiles on my face every week
4. 1970's High Standard Military .22 target pistol, I learned to shoot Bullseye with, taught my son to shoot with, and still shoot monthly

I shoot every firearm I own. I have zero interest in safe queens, investments or glass cased guns over the fireplace.
1)/4) My son will inherit the Browning shotgun and High Standard with plenty of ammo and hopefully shoot shoot them both.
2) The Sig may go the distance, and my wife may keep it handy.
3) I'll probably wear out the comp. pistol and buy another.
 
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I have a Marlin 336 in .35rem that was my grandfathers primary hunting rifle.
I have a bunch of guns that were my dads who passed away a few months ago.
My Ruger Blackhawk that my dad gave me for my 16th birthday.
Although they mean a lot as heirlooms passed down, that will be passed to my children. I would give all of them for one more day with either of the men they came from.
 
Grandfathers old Savage 300 mod.99. My first gun when I was 11 a double barrel savage 311 in 16 ga, Great Uncles Eastern arms 410, a modle 70 featherlite 270 Win I purchased years ago, A browning A5 I also purchased years ago. The list could go on a while. but thats the top of the list, Scratches scrapes just add character.
 
My dad carried daily, and cared for, a Colt Woodsman for 70 years. It shows the results of both. It's my most treasured firearm.
 
An old Model 37 Winchester my grandmother gave me.
Click to expand...

Like this one? :)

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Not a great picture I know, but she means a lot to me.
This one is in 16-gauge. My grandpa traded a coon dog for it in the late 40s or early 50s. I'm the 3rd Paul to have it.

It was the gun that provided the food for the family during those days. I bet the squirrels, rabbits and quail that thing killed would fill several truck beds. It also put a load of #6s into a peeping tom when my uncle stepped onto the porch and saw him peeking in my aunt's bedroom window. Didn't kill the guy but it took a long time to dig all the shot out of him.

I wouldn't want it to look new. Not a great pic, but you can tell that the bluing is gone. There are many character marks in the stock.

Sadly, it's not a reliable shooter anymore. About 2/3 of the time you get a light strike. I don't think it's a firing pin issue. I think the action is just so worn from use that there's just too much play in it. I want to get it looked at and see if that is the problem.

I'd sure love to take it out and shoot a few tree rats for old time's sake.
 
None really.

The only gun I ever really was my fathers PPK.

Unfortunately, he got rid of it before I was old enough to own a gun.

He did the same thing with his Mercedes 450SL convertible just before I got my drivers license.

In retrospect, probably a smart move on his part.
 
Yes! JUST like that, except mines a 12 gauge. Mine has the winchester script in red on the bottom of the reciever. Love that old gun.
 
#1 --- Model 71 Deluxe Winchester from my dad, Serial no 1xxx, a lot of bluing worn off, checkering you can still see but not feel much;

#2 --- Ruger Bearcat, bought 1967;

#3 --- Ruger 77 25-06, bought 1972, first new centerfire for me; it's been "meat-in-the-pot" ever since.
 
Mine has the winchester script in red on the bottom of the reciever.
Click to expand...

Mine has the Winchester script at the bottom too.
It hasn't been red in several years though.

Just FYI, the fact that the script is there means it is one of the early models. They stopped putting the mark on the bottom of the receiver sometime in 1948.
That's about the only way to date them, as they did not have serial numbers or date stamps. So we know ours are pre-1948. :)
 
I have a pair of 1911s that were left to me by my friend and shooting buddy. They were customized by Armand Swensen in the 1960's. These were left to him by his father, who got them when he was a Ventura County Sheriff. I am honored that he left them for me, but I'll trade them back for my friend any day. Miss ya' Scott!

Never plan on giving these up.
 
One of my "most favored" revolves is the S&W M28-2 I have that is chambered for the 45 ACP cartridge. 4" barrel and it is a dream to carry and shoot.

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That would be Lucille,,,

That would be Lucille,,,
My Mom's Colt Frontier Scout.

20-lucille.jpg

My cousin bought this gun new in 1963,,,
My father won it from him in a poker game in 64,,,
He gave it to my mother thinking she would like owning it.

I would bet that my Mom didn't put 50 rounds through it in the next 20 years,,,
But me and my two younger brothers shot the heck out of it.

Do your chores without me having to tell you,,,
Then you can shoot Lucille after dinner.

The gun lived on top of the refrigerator along with a brick of .22 LR,,,
For the first 6 or 7 years we went through a brick a month,,,
We lived in the boonies and shot off our back porch.

Mom finally relented and sold it to me in 83,,,
Then the gun was stolen in a break-in of my house,,,
Many years later and after a lot of family drama I got it back,,,
Turns out my Mom had second thoughts and the burglar was my youngest brother.

Anyways, it's back in my possession again,,,
It's been in the family now for 50 years,,,
It will still put 6 rounds in a 1" circle,,,
Not that my old eyes can do that,,,
But the gun has that accuracy.

When (if) I ever get so old and decrepit that I can't shoot anymore,,,
I'll start giving my guns away to some deserving friends,,,
But my Model 15, model 18, and Lucille,,,
Well, they will be the last to go.

Aarond

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Great story and a great gun Aarond!
Another one that means everything to me is the Model 25-2 my late wife gave me on my birthday back in the late seventies.
 
Mine would be the Colt Gold Cup 70 Series National Match, that I had to buy when my PD went from the S&W revolvers to the Colt .45 in 1971. I paid $156.00 for it including the holster 2 additional magazines, and a magazine pouch. Naturally I kept it after I retired.

My other would be my Dad's Remington Model 11 Premier, he bought in 1946, I had it completely reconditioned, as I know my Dad would have wanted it done that way. Talk about beautiful wood and engraving.

Also my Remington 700 BDL Custom Deluxe in .270 caliber, in which I shot numerous deer and a few elk with. And..............................
 
mine is a Winchester model 94 in 30/30 my dad gave it to me on xmas day when I was 12 years old! it was brand new in the box when I got it and I have hunted with it all these years and still using it :)
 
Pristine condition is great. The fewer scratches and less wear is more important to me since I prefer older guns that are in good condition. I don’t like internal locks or transfer bars so NIB doesn’t even enter the picture unless it’s been that way for 30+ years or so.

I don’t really have any that I have an emotional attachment to other than maybe my SSA Colt in 22 Mag that my parents bought me back in the 1950’s. Started out as a Buntline Special in the Wyatt Earp TV era, but ended up with a 5” barrel after the Buntline got a bulge in it.
 
The guns that mean most to me are nothing really 'special' I guess. One I've only had a week! It's an HK P30S with a trigger job by Gray Guns. The regular P30 is among my favorite sidearms but the GG work knocks it out of the ballpark. The HK USP, any of 'em, are also special to me...just love the design. It was one of the early guns I bought in my first five or six years of being old enough to buy my own and in many ways has never been surpassed. The other really special one to me is my Browning Hi-Power. It was the very first handgun I bought when I turned 21 and I've had some work done to it by a very gifted gunsmith. I carried it for 20 years before branching out to other designs.

I really wish I could rattle off some gun of dad's that has sentimental value, but Dad wasn't sentimental about guns! We had a running joke that a family heirloom was one he kept long enough to need to clean.:D He'd winnowed his collection down to just a few that he really wanted by the time he passed away, and nearly all of them were relatively new.
 
Let me tell you about "Mattie",,,

A bit over two years ago,,,
My best friend passed away.

We worked together for about 12 years,,,
She is the one who indirectly got me back into guns,,,
While I was a poor but honest college boy for seven years,,,
The only gun I had was Lucille, my Mom's little Colt Frontier Scout.

Jackie's father passed away about 8 years ago,,,
He left her a veritable arsenal of handguns and rifles,,,
Jackie had always been a shooter but really didn't know guns,,,
So I bought a Blue Book of Gun Values and we spent a couple weekends with it.

We catalogued all of the guns,,,
Placed decent selling prices on them,,,
And got them all cleaned and ready to sell off.

Long story short,,,
She asked me if there were any I wanted,,,
I picked out four revolvers that I liked but again I was poor,,,
She saw a fifth gun that I had looked at and added it to the pile of four.

Can you afford $500.00,,,
"For which one" I asked her,,,
"for all five." she answered back to me.

I ate Ramen noodles for two months but I took the 5 guns home with me,,,
That's what got me back into gun ownership big time.

When she dropped me off at my apartment that evening she opened her trunk,,,
She pulled out a big blue S&W handgun case and handed it to me,,,
"This was my dad's favorite handgun. I want you to have it."

Inside was a 6" Model 629-no dash .44 magnum,,,
I was completely stunned to say the least,,,
She said it was for all the work I did.

Anyways, on with the story of Mattie.

When we went to the range she took a variety of guns,,,
But the one she always took with her was a nickel 4" model 34.

She told how for her 11th (or 12th) birthday,,,
Her father took her to a local gun store,,,
He let her pick out any .22 revolver,,,
She chose the nickel Model 34.

When she told me that story,,,
I commented on her good taste in guns,,,
"What made you choose that one over the others?" I asked.

Her reply was,,,
It was shiny!

Jackie passed away in her sleep,,,
When her brother flew out from California,,,
I was helping him find her important papers and suchlike.

I told him about that revolver and offered to buy it from him,,,
I really wanted it as a keepsake for my friend,,,
I told him it would sell for at least $400.00,,,
He handed it to me and said, "It's yours."

I could not believe that he was just giving it to me like that,,,
But he does live in California and isn't a shooter ,,,
He didn't want the hassle of transporting them.

With the exception of her old Mossberg 340KC target rifle which he also gave me,,,
The rest of her guns went to consignment and were sold off.

True Grit was her favorite movie,,,
The character of Mattie Ross was her heroine,,,
I named her shiny little revolver Mattie in remembrance.

LittleSister-lr.jpg

This "shiny" little revolver and my Moms Colt Frontier Scout,,,
Are two guns that might get buried with me.

I shoot this gun quite a bit,,,
Every time I uncase it,,,
I think of my friend.

Aarond

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My 1958 Ruger MKI target with 6 7/8" tapered barrel. My Grandpa bought it brand new, and used it to shoot bullseye until the early 80's. It was the first handgun I ever fired, and will be the last one I would consider getting rid of. It was tuned up by Clark in the 60's, I have all the paperwork. The bluing is well worn, but not scratched up or abused. Not sure how many rounds were put through it when I got it, but I have probably added 20,000 or so to the total count. Still shoots like new.
 
My two are a nickel Colt Series 70 inherited from my grandfather and a blued 1968 Colt Python given to me recently by my father. While both are mostly pristine, I fully intend to put some honest wear on them.
 
My Dad passed away and I wound up with his Taurus 85, which he had never even gotten to fire.

I got my CHCL, bought a holster, and I carry it every day. It has holster marks now, and gallons of sweat haven't helped the finish much either. It's a tool, and it's doing what Dad bought it for; what could be better than that?
 
I have my grandmother's Type 1 Woodsman. It was her squirrel gun. :)

Among my father's bringbacks from WW II are a 1911-date Luger, a Lilliput .25 ACP and a Walther Mark II .22 rifle.

Of my own? A 1903 Colt SAA Frontier .44-40 and a much-tweaked Lightweight Commander.
 
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