Have you ever thought about the history behind your guns?

[Harve Curry]

Have you ever thought about the history behind your guns?

All the time.
I guess it started with my first Colt SAA, a well worn 44-40 Frontier Six Shooter that came out of Mexico. Then another found buried in the floor of a cave in Madera Chihuaua(spl) Mexico.
About 20 years ago I began using my old guns exclusively to plink or hunt with. I do wonder what the old 1881 Marlin did, the 1865 Spencer could have been through alot. The 1873 Winchester I used to kill a 350 pound black bear, I was worried about having enough gun that day. I love antiques and they were carried by pioneers. I also have a M1 Garand from the Korean War time and use to have a very worn 1911 made in 1918.
All good stuff.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

I've often thought about placing a small piece of paper with some information behind a few of my M1 Garands, like the Swiss did. As I pass these down when I grow older, hopefully my children's, children will then hopefully know the significance of this rifle over the years and how much they meant to me.

 

[Jimmy Dean]

my gun has no history. I do like to think about how it came about, as that involves family.

 

[scrat]

Used in Anger.

You guys are all thinking about it wrong. Its not where the gun was used thats important. Not at all. Its them men that carried these guns. These guns in there infantcy were wet, dropped in the mud the rain, cleaned. They laid there next to the soldier at night when they were asleep, they were used to defend, to take. Things we really dont want to know about. Now today they are clean oiled up, sitting in gun racks, safes on mantles. We often think about the gun like i just mentioned. What we forget is the men who carried them that did all this. What they went through. Who were these men, where did they grow up. Did they make it out of the conflicts they were in. If they did not make it, were thier remainds taken care of. These men are the ones that fought for what there countries believed in. These are the men who fought for our freedom. More important than where these guns were. Who held them.

 

[rdoggsilva]

I wish my m1917 rifle and 98kar Israeli Mauser could talk. I have always wondered what they could tell me.

 

[barman]

I do choose my guns specifically for the history they convey.

I have 2 Mle 1873 French ordnance revolvers. Because they were used for more than 70 years in the French army, who knows what they've seen? Colonial wars, WW1, even WW2. One of them was most probably carried by a resistant fighter as the cylinder was re-chambered to fire .45 acp.

My Mle 1822T Bis pistol is old enough to have seen the Crimean war as well as the Franco-Prussian war.

I'm in the process of getting an 1871 Chassepot rifle, another fine piece of history.

I also have a Swedish Rolling block in great condition. That one probably didn't see anything given Sweden's neutrality in all conflicts since the Napoleonic wars.

 

[berettaprofessor]

I think the history of many individual guns would be fascinating. In a County Museum in Concordia, Kansas I came upon a display of a rusted out revolver which was found near an abandoned dugout supposedly used by Thomas "Boston" Corbett in the late 1870's. For those who don't recognize the name, he's the Union sergeant who shot John Wilkes Booth in the neck with a Colt revolver during Booth's flight. Worth a Wikipedia search; Corbett has an entry that is quite detailed, including the information that in 1858, trying to avoid the temptations of prostitutes, he castrated himself with a pair of scissors and then ate and went to a prayer meeting before seeking medical treatment. Evidently men were tougher in those days. He was arrested later in life and committed to an asylum for brandishing a revolver in his post as assistant doorkeeper of the Kansas House of Representatives. What tales that rusted out revolver could have told!

 

[doc2rn]

Nope I know where my older guns came from. My S&W 10-4 from 1962 started in the Chicago PD as a detectives weapon. He was gifted it upon retirement. It was stolen and used in a homicide in California in '83. It was then sold to raise money for the PD and came to Kevin's possesion in an Arizona auction in '85. I bought it from Kaw Valley Gun Club which Kevin now runs in '05.
I like to know where my guns come from.

 

[jobu07]

M1 with a SN# 455xxx. 6 digits below 500,000 means it was fairly early. I'm sure it's seen something.

I'm sure most of my milsurps have seen something. Many are early and look quite well used.

 

[rugbyer81]

I have a Japanese Type 99 that was a bring back by my grandfather's uncle from the Second World War. He brought back both the rifle and a Japanese officer's katana sword and eventually passed them both onto my grandfather. The rifle was given to me about a year and a half ago. None have us have ever fired it, so its safe to say the last it was shot was by a Japanese soldier on some island in the Pacific.

 

[gregormeister]

Great story woof...I hope to pass my families Marlin to my son as well....kind of the same scenario..

 

[Detritus]

since i've learned more about my grandfather and how he went about HIS gun collecting, i've begun to wonder what "the rest of the story" behind the 16ga LeFever A-grade in my safe is. no one seems to know what happened to his old colt revolver, i wouldn't even mind the fact that the front sight is bent, b/c i KNOW that story!

only other gun i've had that i had time and reason to wonder about the history of was a No4 Mk1* Enfield from AIM. when i took the action and barrel out of the stock, i found that the recesses in the forend had collected fine talcum power like sand. but that rifle didn't shoot well enough for me to stay interested (gave up when only 5 out of 20 shots hit a clean 5'x5' backer at 100yrds)

 

[Jim March]

I own nothing with a military past.

One old Charter Undercover 38 snub might have a tale to tell. Late '70s production, bought in California and probably lived it's life there before I bought it about six years ago.

Thing is, while it had been shot some it was absolutely tight and right (and has stayed that way). It's exceptionally accurate for a snubbie. And it had the most amazing way oversize Pakmeyer rubber grips on it...I mean, they looked like they were for an N-Frame at LEAST. I swapped those for smaller quickly but all indications are that it was owned by somebody who knew it was a shooter, cared for it, possibly used it for home defense and likely had big hands . The massive grips suggest no criminal or carry use...it appears to have had an honorable history.

So how did it end up in the "low end stuff" shelf low down at the counter at Traders in Oakland (RIP)? No idea. Maybe the owner died and a relative just dumped off his guns...happens often enough. If you didn't run a detailed inspection ("the checkout" for revolvers) you'd never know it was a gem sitting in a pile of junk. The Charter name was dragged through the mud later but this was from their absolute peak quality years.

It's a gun I'll never part with, period.