I inhereted a couple rimfires today...

I posted this in another forum...

I'm 36 years old. My father died when I was 10. I have some memories of my dad. My mom learned that I began target shooting. She tells me she has something for me.







AND







Growing up, my mom never mentioned that my dad and her once enjoyed shooting at the range. Before the demands of a family took priority (a.k.a. the day I was born), they used to practice often. She began to tell me stories.

The Woodsman was my father's favorite, because he preferred semi-autos. The Single Six was my mom's preferred firearm because she liked single-action, cowboy style revolvers. They purchased these firearms in 1970 - 1971. The old receipt in the box was for ammo.

Growing up, she never mentioned firearms. We were always told that they were dangerous. I guess she didn't know how to introduce her boys to firearms because it was supposed to be my dad's job.

Words can not express how grateful I am. I never thought that I would ever have a firearm passed down to me that once belonged to my dad.

I also received a box full of my father's old cleaning supplies. I was going through it and the price tag on a gun cloth caught my eye:



Marshall Field's used to sell firearms supplies at their Chicago State St. store.

Great guns and a great story! I've passed up several nice Single Sixes waiting for an Old Model with a 6 1/2" barrel and adjustable sights to come along.

That is a amazing story. I am sure you will cherish those two guns the rest of your life, and hopefully pass them down to your kids. Use them, enjoy them, and pass them on. That, to me, is what it is all about.

Please be aware of safe gun handling techniques. That Beautiful Super Single-Six is an Old Model and it ABSOLUTELY REQUIRES a "mind set" to operate safely.

Always carry the gun with an empty chamber underneath the hammer. If you pull the hammer back to fire then change your mind and lower it down it'll be over a "live" cartridge! There are other instances where one can end up with a "live" cartridge under the hammer. A small bump to the hammer can cause the gun to fire!

I see a small "ring" on one of the Super Single-Six's cylinders. That can be prevented from occurring any further. A simple procedure, that is from the 1800's, is to Load One Chamber, roll the cylinder to the next but skip it and go to the next. Load four more cartridges then, without touching the hammer, close the loading gate, THEN pull the hammer to full cock then GENTLY lower it down to the "At Rest" position. That procedure will put the hammer down over the EMPTY chamber. Load One, Skip One, Load Four!

You have some very nice guns! The Colt is a REAL PRIZE! They all deserve excellent care and safe handling!

JMHO,

flatgate

Thanks for the kind replies! Flatgate, thank you for the practical information, especially the empty chamber under the hammer advice.

I am not ashamed in saying I know nothing about either of these two firearms. I'm searching through this forum soaking up all the information I can. I don't want to unintentionally damage either of these two firearms.

I've seen posts on other forums where people are proudly posting a Colt Woodsman find. I know that they're no longer made. Other than that, I don't know what makes them so valuable and desired.

I admit to being a Rugerphile, but that Woodsman . . . um . . . trips my trigger.

Sorry, had to say it. :wink:

Those oversize target grips are fantastic.

Really nice guns. Enjoy.

thanks for sharing this,,

Family guns are the best guns and your family has excellent taste! I can't think of two nicer .22s.

I agree with the above, and some good info up there also....
Two of the FINER examples of rimfire handguns you got there......NICE

Looks like Herretts grips on the Colt, and they will make shooting it very comfortable...........

That is a beautiful single six! I too would love to get my hands on a three screw with adjustable sights... they are a bit of a rarity, especially in canada!

Wow - great of your mother to have held on to them for all those years. Both guns are in really nice condition. Very fun shooters and collectible.

By the way, Shore Galleries, where the receipt is from is who had the 101 Ruger "Skokie Freedom Committee" Redhawks done up.

I can say I echo all the sentiments above.
I'll just add a little something. If you have kids, TEACH them about firearms before something like what happened to you happens to them.

Get some good firearm instruction, enjoy those guns, and smile knowing your dad would be proud.
Give your mom a huge hug for saving them for you.

contender said:

I can say I echo all the sentiments above.
I'll just add a little something. If you have kids, TEACH them about firearms before something like what happened to you happens to them.

Get some good firearm instruction, enjoy those guns, and smile knowing your dad would be proud.
Give your mom a huge hug for saving them for you.

Click to expand...

+10 contender just has a good way of saying --What I want to say

Great Stuff! I love it when an old Ruger & Colt comes out of the dark closet! Enjoy!

Great story! Thanks for sharing it.
My dad was stationed in Belgium during WWII. One day he and some buddies made a day trip to the FN factory. On that day he ordered a basic Browning Auto 5 for $29 and had it shipped home to Starkweather, ND. My dad died 20 years ago but, pictured below you can see his Belgium Browning and a ND Sharptail. It's my go to gun.

Bob, great story, great gun, and really great photography! You don't do that for a living, by any chance? If not, you should consider it!

Thanks Mike, I think I got lucky twice that morning. I made a great overhead shot on the grouse and I got just the right light for that photo.

I only have seen one sharptail in my whole life. When in SW Kansas on a pheasant hunt, one came over me at about Mach 3 and 'way too high too shoot at. Our party had got a little scattered (BIG country out there) and somebody flushed it off a sand ridge out of range of all of us. Looked like a dark little rocket!

Shots like that are what you remember from hunting; nice you could preserve the moment in a neat photo, too.

Mike, I've probably killed a hundred of them....mainly because they are easy to knock down. It seems like if your pattern is just close to a Sharptail they go down. However, after several weeks of being shot at they get super spooky. By that time, during the season, just take one step into a field and they fly out the other end a quarter mile away.

I wished they tasted better. I much prefer their little buddies,
Hungarian Partridge. Actually, I like partridge better than pheasant.

Hope, we are not highjacking this thread.

I'd take that old Colt off your hands for the $100.00 price on the end of the box. (Ha!)

A hundred bucks was a fair price even when it was new.

Nice gift. I'd be gettin' my mom something reeaall nice for Mother's day.