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Posted: 10/8/2007 9:09:59 PM EDT
In the past 5 years, I have purchased some very nice firearms that mean quite a bit to me, but the one that means the most sits on a lower shelf and only gets removed to be wiped down occasionally. It's not an expensive and finely crafted gun, but it means the world to me. It's a little Heritage Arms Rough Rider .22 revolver with 4 5/8 inch barrel. On the side of the barrel, it is engraved with "To Matt from Mom" and was given to me on December 23rd, 1995 by my mother, when I was 15 years old. Twenty-six days later, my mother lost her battle with cancer, and I lost a huge part of my life. That little gun was a stretch for my parents to afford that year, after my mom had been sick for almost a year, and we were living off Dads salary. It means more to me than any other gun I own, or ever will own. I will never part with it.
Let's hear about the gun you own that means the most to you. Edit: Subject stolen from a thread on the S&W Forum. I was so interested, I thought I'd bring it here. |
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My M1 Garand. Its very low serialed and was made in Feb. 1941 which is cool cuz I was also born in February. It was from the CMP on the Greek issue program so theres probably a fair chance that it was used in the war, it was pretty beat up stock-wise.
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My 4" 686. It was the 1st handgun I ever purchased. Plus it is 100% wheel gun beautiful!
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My FAL. It's the only weapon of mine that I've built. I had lusted after one ever since seeing them used in the Falklands War back in the early 80s. 25+ years later and I finally have one.
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My winchester 1200. It was the first centerfire firearm that I could actually call mine. My dad gave it to me when I was 13, and for my 14th birthday he bought me a 10 shot extension for it. It shoots so smooth and true, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I absolutely love that gun.
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My 45-70 Co-Pilot.
I have spent more on others but this one is the one I cherish the most and is the one that can do the most for where I live. If I could only carry just one, then this is the one. |
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I have 3
First is a H&R single shot break action 12-gauge, was the first gun that was offical "mine" - had it since i was 12 2nd, My grandfather's Wincherster Model 94 30/30, dated 1950, he shot many a deer with that gun, and it was given to me after my grandfather, and uncle passed away 3rd, A CMP Garand that I got about 10 years ago, my father and I both got one back when they were cheap and quality, my grandfater was a Marine in WWII and always used to rave about the Garand, so my father and I each got one planning on giving him one, well he passed away a week before they showed up, and now everytime I look at that gun I remember his stories |
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Ruger MK1
I've owned it longer than any other in my collection (over thirty years). |
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The Ruger Vaquero my wife gave me for a birthday a few years ago. The fact that it was stolen and returned only adds to it's "specialness".
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Notice that many of the answers are family heirlooms. Who knew AR15.com was such a sentimental bunch.
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My M1 Carbine my grandfather gave me from WW2.
He also gave me a German Mauser that I like. The gun ways a ton compared to the carbine. What bums me is that as a kid I lost the bayonet for the carbine. |
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Two way tie. Definitely my first firearm, a .22 chipmunk, which I gave to my nieces and nephew, and hope to get back someday, and my first handgun, a SA Operator. I got it used with 200 rds, a custom fitted slide, for $500. I did all the homework, found what caliber I wanted, and what gun, and paid for it all with my own $. Will never part with either of those (permanently at least).
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Probably my Mossberg 590 Marinecote. It's the gun that I've had the longest.
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My M-1 Garand. My father purchased it from the Government when I was about 6 or 7. It was the same type of rifle that he was issued in the 82nd AIRBORNE. My father didn't smile a whole lot but when he opened that box....he was a little kid again. The sad part is he passed away before he had a chance to shoot it. Now 21 years later it is in my possession and IS the most valuable thing that I own or will ever own. Also....I have never shot it.
Pete |
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Sheesh, that's a hard choice. My Dad's WWII 45. My Dad's favorite gun, his TC Contender. My first gun, a Marlin model 57 lever action 22 rifle. The first gun I ever bought with my own money, a Ruger Standard Auto, a S&W pre model 27 that belonged to a good friend of mine given to me by his widow. My first centerfire pistol, an FN Browning High Power.
Problem is, when you're 50 and have been shooting since you were 8 years old, there's a lot of those guns in your safe. Picking one from them is not an easy task. |
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20ga A-5
My dad gave it to me It was his for about 20 years before i got it was my first "real" gun after getting the .410 and 22lr Its Belgium made but it sure is not pretty I used the shit out of it |
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Mine would be my New England 410 shotgun. It's only a single shot and it's not good for much more than a rabbit or squirrel, but it was the first gun my dad bought me (other than a Daisy). I think I was 10 when I got it...maybe 11.
I'll never get rid of it or the Remington Speedmaster .22 that he got for me around the same time. Damn I burned some .22 through that thing. I couldn't load it fast enough! In an attempt to pay him back for... 1) buying me a few guns and thousands of rounds 2) taking the time to teach me to shoot 3) beginning an addiction that could surely put me in the poor house if left unchecked ...I bought him a Vaquero in 45Colt a while back. From what I hear that is his favorite gun. I'm happy about that. |
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The m1 Garand and 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifles that my Dad bought me on my 24th birthday.
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my winchester model 61 my dad "gave" me when i was 5...
my brother who is 2.5 years younger than me got one when he was 5 as well... we both still have them at 29 and 27 and will until we pass them on to our kids and grandkids... the funny thing is...they are at my parents house in dad's safe...they belong to us but he hasnt let us have them yet! hahahaha we both live in apartments etc and are semi unsettled...both have other guns, so no reason we couldnt bring them home if we wanted to...i dont guess either of us has ever asked because, atleast for me, it is still a pretty cool thing to let dad hang on to em for us. besides...both are in good serial number ranges and are both in 95%+ condition... |
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Stainless S&W 66 and CMP 1903A3 springfield given to me by mom. 21st Birthday and Christmas presents respectively. I have lots more stuff, but whenever I see those, I think of her.
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The Mfourgery
Its actually gotten in the way of me using it as I intended. I am so afraid of it being stolen I carry it far less than I intended to before I got it. Maybe if I got a spare? |
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My Beretta 92FS. I helped my dad pick it out when i was 13. It was a fun gun to shoot and i liked the style. Also did my first trigger job on it. My dad gave it to for my 21st B-day. And i used it for CCW. I also carried a Beretta M9 in the Air Force. Great weapon and never had a jam in the 11 years of shooting it. I'm never going to sell this pistol.
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It's a firearm I do not own but I hope to one day. It is the Browning auto shotgun that my dad owns, that was also his dads. It was the shotgun that as a small kid scared the crap out of me -- it would have to kick like a mule, right? Well it did, a little, but I overcame that fear and learned to shoot it when my dad would take us kids around to local turkey shoots.
My others that mean a lot include my M1917 rife. Nothing special about it, except that when it was rebuit at the Ogden arsenal during WW2, it was inspected by Elmer Keith. I just always thought that was cool. Then there is my MAK90. Ummm... yeah how many of use loved "Red Dawn" as kids? I watched that movie hundres of times. My MAK was one of the first guns that I bought for myself (and that I didnt turn around and sell). My Kimber 1911. Dad bought it for me, when they first hit the gunshop shelves, because he thought I needed a quality 1911 to carry. Finally there is my AR, its just like everyone else's AR. But, it seems like its my first "real" gun. Its the first time I didnt buy a surplus rifle, and it has nothing to do with reenacting or living history and I built it. |
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Model 50 Winchester featherweight shotgun. It was my dads, he had it as far back as I can remember.
I'm 43 now and he's gone, and the shotty brings back many memories. |
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Marlin Mod 70 22lr.
My first gun. I saved up my own hard earned money at the ripe age of 12 and bid for it at an auction with my father. Some say I paid to much for it. But, that $80 I spent on that day was just the key to opening up the door for a life long firearm addiction. |
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Browning Buckmark Carbine with a Tactical Solutions barrel.
I had one, it was my favorite gun ever. Then, some shitstain broke into my place while I went down south for my grandfather's funeral and took almost every gun I had. I was just crushed because the barrels are very rare, only about 20 made and half of them weren't muzzle threaded like mine was. About 6 months past with nary a peep on my stolen guns when an ARFCOMer IM'd me to say that he had a nearly identical setup to mine that he was selling, remembered my story and wanted to offer it to me first for what he had in it. It was the best birthday present ever. |
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The Savage pump action .30-30 that my beloved grandfather gave me when I was about to start hunting.
My son inherited it this deer season, and so the torch is passed. I hope to one day see it passed to his son. My 16 Gauge Ithaca Sweet Sixteen is a close second. That one stays with me until they wrap me in my shroud, |
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AR-15A2 I built myself. It's my first (and only) gun so I don't know if that counts. But it means a lot to me because it was the first firearm I've ever been able to own and kinda signals a new era of me being old enough to buy guns as well as being able to purchase something that expensive without graduation money or gifts. It was my own hard earned money and time that went into that purchase and even if I end up with more sentimental guns that one will always have a special place. Now, if I could only shoot it, but thats another story.
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My Ruger "Flat Top" remodeled by Hamilton Bowen.
I'd sent it off to him for some work while I was on my first "post-divorce" vacation with my son. It was the first special thing we'd done together as father and son. I was married to a verbally abusive woman who went out of her way to make my every waking moment miserable. She always found ways to keep our son away from me. As I told the courts during the divorce he was "kidnapped in our own home". This gun represented a fresh start and a promising new relationship with my young son. |
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my custom ar10, its incredble reliable, stupidly accurate and makes shooting stuff far away easy
it may not have the history as some guns but to me its fun to shoot and i built it myself |
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You MUST post pics.....please! Give this history buff something to drool over! |
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I can't believe you guys.
My firearms are like CHILDREN! I love them ALL the SAME! Sheeesh! |
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My Grandpa gave me both a Winchester lever action .30-30 and also a bolt action Japaneese rifle that he took on his way home from WWII. I'd sell everything I own and starve to death before I sell either of those weapons. |
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WhileI like all my guns, I think the one I am most proud of is the one I gave away.........a Springfield M-1 Garand made in 1944. My father served in the Army, and he was issued an M-1 during basic and while on active, and I gave it to him because he carried one........he wont ever get rid of it
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I have an M1 Garand that is my favorite for several reasons. It is a WW2 Garand that was probably used in the European theatre, and was then loaned to the Danish army after the war. So it's meaningful because it (1) Is a WW2 Garand with possible great history (2) Was used in the Danish army, meaning there's a ridiculously tiny chance it was THE Garand I was issued when I was a recruit. (3) It has an awesome VAR barrel in it, that shoots superbly. |
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