My grandson Andrew had his first birthday.  I gave him his first rifle, a Browning .22 Lever Action.

He might not remember the other stuff he got, but 30 years from now, I bet he will show the rifle to his friends and say, "My Pappaw gave this to me for my first birthday."

Also notice his good training.  No finger on the trigger.

Dang good grampa your are.........

I started off with a lever action. I was a bit older though.

Then again, never too young to start.

Happy Birthday.

Quoted: Dang good grampa your are.........

Thanks 1shott.

Andrew seems to think so.

Your the man, very cool. I bet he will be able to pass it down to his grandkids...........Priceless

Quoted: Your the man, very cool. I bet he will be able to pass it down to his grandkids...........Priceless

Thanks.

That is my hope also.

Quoted: Very classy and he looks to be a fine little guy.

He is that.

And, if I have anything to do with it, he will be a fine rifleman some day.

Great job Gramps (O_P)    looks like you will have a little shootin buddy in about 4 years

Can't wait until mine is old enough to take out shootin'.

Quoted: Great job Gramps (O_P)    looks like you will have a little shootin buddy in about 4 years

Yep.  I can't hardly wait.

I remember shooting with my Dad and Pappaw.  It's what this great country is all about.

Ahhhhhh, the memories. My Grandad gave me his Winchester .30 WCF on the day I was born. Of course it was a few years before I could use it :) . I'm sure your Grandson will have years of great memories to look forward to with you.

NMSight

Thats great stuff O_P  

My grandpa is the one who sparked my interest in firearms, I intend to pass it down also.  

Quoted: Perfect gift.  You did good, Grandpa.  Priceless memories--that's what matters.

You're so right, my friend.

It's the only thing that matters.

You already know my thoughts on that subject.

Congratulations my friend, now I think I'm gonna go have a good cry

Barnyard Ballistics passing to the next generation!

Very cool O-P

Quoted: He might not remember the other stuff he got, but 30 years from now, I bet he will show the rifle to his friends and say, "My Pappaw gave this to me for my first birthday."

Ditto that.  Been there, done it/had it done for me.  (Although mine was a crappy Ithaca, single-shot Winchester copy.  Pretty neat for a single shot though.  Dropping the lever causes a long block to lower on the front end below the chamber.  Top of the block is grooved for feeding the bullet into the chamber.  BTW, it's under my bed right now, 35 years later.)  

Bless you for giving a lifetime memory to him.  


Now.  Go and have at least 12 good quality, full size prints made of that picture.    One day, the picture of him and the rifle may mean as much as the rifle.  (I have a few that do.)  And if you don't have one yet, be SURE to make another picture of you, him and the gun.  Likewise, 12 good quality, full size prints.  

BTW, beautiful grain on that stock.

You did well!....

 The day I was born my grandpa brought me my first rifle,(right into the hospital) It was a Mod 69 Winchster .22 bolt action rifle, and it was in all places California. Back then (31 years ago) it was not a big deal. I remmember the first time my dad and grandpa took me to shoot that rifle, I was the day I was starting kindergarden, I was in second shift and before they took me to school we went out to a old pig farm in the hills of Calimesa Ca. and with my dad's help I hit my first milk jug.  My grandpa was very hardnosed on firearms safety my whole life, He never hid any of the firearms in the house, and if any of us kids wanted to handle one we were more than free to do so with grandpa close by. Grandpa even let us ride out bikes around the block with a old M-1 carbine in a saddle holster on the bike. No one gave it much attention. as I grew up I shot my first rabbit with that .22 and I remmember on my 10th birthday me, my dad and grandpa refinishing that .22's stock. I grew up to do the Jr. ROTC and made the rifle team, I was on  the Armed Drill Team and Color Guard, and Grandpa had the pictures all over the house. My Grandpa one day got a package in the mail, It was a M-1 Garand from the Aniston Army Depot. I was 15 years old and by then my parents split up, Grandpa kept that rifle sealed up in the box until I came down to visit on sumer vacation. My dad said that grandpa has something he wanted to show me and we went over to take a look. I was the first one to open that box. I remmember just being in daze on how cool this rifle was, I was used to doing drill with a M-14 and Grandpa did not even bat a eye when I started to tear down that Garand right there on the table. I put it back together and we took it out into the front yard and started to spin and throw that rifle around, Grandpa did start to get a little squeemish and made a comment about not dropping it and to please do it in the grass, but as he and my dad watched they both had smiles. Then I got a little cocky and did a over the head master spin and that rifle went BBL first into the grass and stood like it was ready to have a helmet put on the buttstock.:D....Well that is when grandpa just made a comment along the line of " you get to clean it now!...I did and we took that rifle out to shoot a couple days later and with a limited amout of ammo I walked a milkjug up a hill and back down a big dirt burm.  My grandpa died 3 years ago and I miss him alot.  Grandpa left me that Garand and in the box was a note on the day that I shot that rifle for the first time, (My grandpa kept notes about everything, I have no doubt in my mind that if we look'd around enough he has a note on how many time he hit the toilet a day ) anyway I never knew it, but he got that rifle for me all along with the intent of giving it to me after he died.
My grandpa was a Korean Vet and Life member to the NRA and CARPA. He knew that this nation needed to become a Nation of Riflemen again, and Im proud to know that he did his part with me.


I hope that you and your grandson have as many memories as I did with my grandpa (as limited as it was now that I look back) and I guarantee you that your Grandson will someday be telling people how great of a man his grandpa was.

Better get that boy a stick to knock the girls off with.  He is a handsome little toot!

Good job, grandpa.

And that wood *IS* nice.

Great and touching story R-32.

That is one fine looking Browning Old_Painless.  And a fine looking young man as well.

Now tell me about the fine looking female in the background...

good work OP.
you should have bought two ...from the look of the belly on the right side of the pic.

Thanks for all the kind comments, fellows.

pale_pony said: Barnyard Ballistics passing to the next generation!

Don't worry.  Andrew and Pappaw will shoot holes in a lot of stuff.  And I will post pics.

R-32 said: I hope that you and your grandson have as many memories as I did with my grandpa (as limited as it was now that I look back) and I guarantee you that your Grandson will someday be telling people how great of a man his grandpa was.

That is my intent.  Great story, BTW.

Tate said: Better get that boy a stick to knock the girls off with. He is a handsome little toot!

Takes after his Pappaw.

Burley said: Now tell me about the fine looking female in the background...

That is my step-daughter and she is indeed beautiful.  However, she is a woman, and therefore, crazy.

meltdown said: you should have bought two ...from the look of the belly on the right side of the pic.

And you need to get some glasses. That is Andrew's 3 year old cousin.

Thanks again for all the kind comments.

Fine choice of gift. My first rifle was a bl-22, grade II. Still got it, still shoot it once in a while.

Technically, he was born with his first gun and always knew how to use it.

But that's a nice rifle he's got there!!


Sgatr15

PS  What you getting him for his second Birthday?  A tattoo?

Well done, OP!!

Fine lookin' young man there!!

Teach him to ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth.  After that it's all just "stuff".

You're a Good Man O_P.

Nice wood on that Browning btw.

Danny

I'm not a weepy guy, but damned if this thread hasn't made me all misty thinking about my Grandfather and my sons, and the dignity and trust involved in giving a kid the great sacrament of liberty: a firearm to hold and shoot.

OP, I second the comments on your prowess as a Pop. Don't you just love it when you realize in the moment that you are making a memory of good fatherhood that your great-grandkids will hear about when you're gone?

ATTA BOY!!!

Ya did GOOOOD O_P!  One day it will be my turn at being a Grandpa.  Oh, what FUN that will be!

Very nice!

My kids get a youth .22 Henry for their first Christmas.  Got to start them off right!

 NICE!

I know he'll remember and likely keep that rifle forever!

I remember the day my father bought me a Marlin single shot bolt action model 15Y .22 LR!  Sweet little rifle that was accurate as can be!  I still shoot it to this day even though I have kinda out grown it...

A Browning 22 should be a lot of fun for the little guy growing up...

Quoted: I'm not a weepy guy, but damned if this thread hasn't made me all misty thinking about my Grandfather and my sons, and the dignity and trust involved in giving a kid the great sacrament of liberty: a firearm to hold and shoot. OP, I second the comments on your prowess as a Pop. Don't you just love it when you realize in the moment that you are making a memory of good fatherhood that your great-grandkids will hear about when you're gone?

It does indeed touch my heart.

Those of you that know me, know that introducing him to Jesus some day is my biggest priority.

But teaching him to shoot straight and tell the truth is next.

Very nice. I wish my grandad who was into guns would have thought of that idea. He had over 2,000 guns from all parts of history, evan two machineguns over his shop door feom WW1, & WW2. He sold them in the mid 60's for fear of the "BIG" gun ban coming. He had maybe 25 left when he passed away a dozen years ago, & I didn't get a one. Ever!
I hope your grandson has a wonderful collection by the time he's a young man, & that the 2 of you have a special time & bond through the aspect of firarms. Good job O.P. He will always remember it, even if just by the pictures, & the possesion of the rifle.

I got a similar gift from my father when I was a boy.

Savage Model 89 falling block action. Probably the "safest" 22 I've seen. I will give it to my son one day, perhaps at the one year B-Day celebration.