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My first 22 rifle!! An 1890 Winchester!! What was yours??
dreher
Member Posts: 8,793 ✭✭✭✭
I was a normal 12-13 year old boy. I had a pump gun that would fire when you pinned the trigger back and worked the pump. Trust me, you do not need a semi-auto rifle to burn ammo!! My rifle was never a tack driver but I could pour enough lead at what I was shooting at that almost always one of the bullets flying down range would hit what I was aiming at!!
I worked at my Grandmother's grocery store all week to make enough money to order a brick of 22 LRs from Grandma's distributor, (Yeah, you could buy ammo at grocery stores in the 50s) so I was shooting at cost. Every Saturday, me, my 1890 and my brick of ammo rode on my bike several miles outside of town.
Unless it started raining not one round of that brick 22s would ever make it back to town!! I can work any pump gun in my sleep to this day!!
I worked at my Grandmother's grocery store all week to make enough money to order a brick of 22 LRs from Grandma's distributor, (Yeah, you could buy ammo at grocery stores in the 50s) so I was shooting at cost. Every Saturday, me, my 1890 and my brick of ammo rode on my bike several miles outside of town.
Unless it started raining not one round of that brick 22s would ever make it back to town!! I can work any pump gun in my sleep to this day!!
Comments
My first .22 was a Single shot Ithaca 49(looks like a Winchester but just a single shot falling block rifle). Shot it til it started not firing anymore and no gunsmith could seem to fix it. Gave it to a friend of mine who wanted a non functioning wall hanger.
Savage mdl. 24, .22mag over a 20ga. 1st gun I bought myself.
Wish I still had it, but was working night shift at a tobacco warehouse and ended up trading it for a 1952 Win. Mdl. 94 .30-.30. I needed a deer rifle, and "Pug" needed a squirrel gun. Still have the mdl. 94. Beautiful wood on it.
Have yet to see another .22mag over a 20 ga. Thanks to a tip from selectfire, I bought a Savage 24V .30-.30 over a 20ga. A couple years ago.
My most cherished is a Marlin 81DL from my Dads collection that took several years of looking,in order to find the correct magazine lifter parts to get it up and running. (tube fed.) Olympic quality peep sights. I believe it was a military trainer. My Son is deadly accurate with it. My old eyes don't work on it.
Savage / Springfield model 87 A . Brother inherited it when my dad died but I bought one just like it 40 years ago . Still the best 22 I own
First one to shoot Remington targetmaster 41. First one that was mine was a Christmas gift from my parents a Marlin model 60 still have it
If I may draw the distinction - the first .22 rimfire rifles that were "mine" in the sense that they were purchased with money that I had earned...
I was 12 and had spent the summer working at the gunships cleaning up and doing manual labor - setting up tables on the gunshow circuit and running the clay pigeon launcher on the weekends trap shoots...
Vickers empire grade falling block single shot .22 rimfire match target rifle with a 28" special heavy bull barrel with flat muzzle and recessed target crown - Parker Hale and redfield international match target grade precision Olympic style sight sets...
Two palm rests and a vintage spirit level anti cant indicator - early hook style vertically adjustable integrated butt plate...
Trigger shoe - externally adjustable trigger weight...
And a set of Martin Galilean tubeless telescopic integrated optics / magnifying sniper sight system.
Mike
My first 22 was (and still is) an old Wards Westernfield made by Mossberg. It had belonged to Grandfather. I also was gifted his Winchester 1897 shotgun. My first gun was a Mossberg 183t 410 that I received as Christmas present when I was 10.
I think I was 10 when Mom bought me a Stevens semi-automatic for Christmas. A year later my Dad gave me a Winchester Model 42 at Christmas....man what great shotgun it was too! He probably had it on layaway with my Uncle Jeff as he owned a small country store and had a rack of guns in it, plus he would order one from the factory if requested.
I acquired a Stevens visible loading 22 from a relative 45 years or so ago ( great uncle who I traded guns with for many years after that first rifle )
I had it for several years but wanted a 'new" ruger 10-22 with a passion ( think Ralphie and his red ryder ) .so I drove to to a some what local gun shop ( 23 miles or so and there still in business ) ask about trading in my prize Stevens 22 he looked it over told me he would give me like 20 to 25.00 trade value . I think the ruger was 89.00 at his store but they jacked the price up on it because I wanted to trade .
ahhh sorry I can not type what I told him , but left with my rifle and a month or two later discovered gun shows wow who knew LOL turning point in my life
that was a huge down fall for my saving money after that day ... but I did get a ruger 10-22 a short time later . both rifles are long gone but I do have 4 or 5 ruger 10-22's and spare parts to up grade and gave both sons one as there first gun
as for the Gun shop I visited over the years I have bought guns ammo and reloading items from them but never ask to trade in any thing to any gun shop again .. ( I get it over head, profit , dealer cost , , waiting on just the right buyer ,,,,,,,,every time I seen pawn stars rattling on to there customers when buying something It takes me back to that first day at a GS day dealing on the rifle )
I just plain enjoy taking my Remington nylon Apache .22 rimfire semiautomatic rifle out for range day fun and recreational shooting - not only do I enjoy the vintage feel of the gun including the scope - it's visual black and chrome bright work attract positive attention and generated good contacts and conversation.
It's a special gun for sure.
Mike
Savage model 4 purchased off the used rack at G.I.Joes when I was 12 or 13. Still have it.
I got a Winchester 190 for Christmas when I was 9 years old I believe. Still have it, planning on giving it to my newborn grandson when he is about that age
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Winchester 9422
This platform An interesting take on this particular question of design...
Every day learning more details about more firearms...
Mike