MTNTOUGH - Use promo code RANDY for 30 days free

Family Heirlooms

Couple more. The pre-64 Winchester Model 70 was a gift from a friend and has taken pronghorn and deer in MT, WY and lord knows where else. it will be passed on as well to someone who is worthy of such a fine gift. It's right next to the Mortimer 450 3 1/4 BPE, which is an absolute hammer on whitetail. It's a little heavy for toting around the woods at 10 pounds, but great fun in a blind or hunt without a ton of hiking. It's circa 1885 or so.

1417747_10202293337445506_1295930416_o.jpg
 
Cool stuff Ben. I like to think of all the places those firearms have seen. I'm sure my imagination isn't vivid enough to relive all of the times they've been handled, and who depended on them to fill freezers and dreams.
 
Dang Topgun.

That's one of the holy grails in American firearms right there. I'd wager it's worth twice that much now. Looks like it's in fantastic shape!

That's for sure Ben! However, it is not in the shape I wish it was if you saw closeups because it was definitely used hard by whoever had it way back when. None the less, just because it is what it is makes it worth a lot of money.
 
Grandma's WInchester 94 in 32-40 is in the safe, and usually makes 1 trip to a whitetail blind during the season. I've yet to take a critter with it, but love shooting it at the range. It's got the recoil of my Red Ryder and accurate as sin out to 100 yards, with the original buckhorn sights.

Somewhere around Winnet, MT circa 1949 or so:

View attachment 59398

Ben, that's a cool picture and a great rifle...the family also has a 32-40 in a '94. It originally belonged to my great grandfather who passed it on to my Dad. I shot a mule deer doe with it in the mid-90's.

You are right, they are scary accurate at 100 with the buckhorn sights....actually very impressive.

I'll get some photos put up of that rifle here soon.

Choc dogs, I talked to my Dad last night, and his 30/06 was purchased from Herb Gibson, brand new at his newsstand store on Higgins Street in Missoula. My Grandfather bought a model 70 in 300 Winchester in about 1967 or so and gave my Dad the pre-64. Also still have the 300 Winchester, which my Grandfather shot until he died in 2000.

Here he is with his 300 when he was 80...shot this deer in the morning, filling his B tag.

grampswtdoe.JPG

Later that same evening, he killed his last elk ever with the same rifle. Shot this elk through the shoulder at just over 200 yards resting the rifle on the side of a tree:

grampselk.JPG

My Dad has also shot all 3 of his Shiras Moose with that same 300 Winchester.
 
With all the negative press regarding firearms these days, it is to bad that some of these stories showing the proper use of said firearms can't be shown in the media. These "tools of the trade" have given us some pretty great memories. Then again the animal rights crowd would have a field day with some of the grip and grin shots on this thread. Oh well, carry on.
 
My Dad gave me his Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage. It is a rebarreled take down model with a Douglas barrel. Not a collectors item but it was Dad's and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I need to get it out and harvest an animal with it.
 
Last edited:
This thread has the potential for continuing for a long time. My contribution will vary off the beaten track just a little bit, as it involves not firearms, but "the safari box". My family moved to Nairobi Kenya for three plus years, as my father was a veterinarian, and was teaching at CSU in Ft. Collins CO. USAID, Great Britain and Germany came together to help Kenya upgrade their veterinary facilities/teaching by sending money and faculty.

My dad was a good old farm/ranch kid from Wyoming, and he jumped at the chance to travel, and hunt East Africa. He had an International Harvester 4wd for back country traveling, and when the whole family was going on safari, we usually traveled in the VW mini bus. He used a wooden box dubbed "The Safari Box" to help organize the kitchen gear. Wash basins, food prep utensils and pots/pans were stored here, along with staples such as oil, seasonings, and staple canned goods. Knowing that it was all in one place, all we had to do was get the needed fresh items and be on our way.

DSCN2505.jpgDSCN2507.jpg

Several items that tickle my funny bone.....my ever resourceful father popped some holes into the tops of some horse worming medicine containers to use as salt/pepper shakers.

DSCN2508.jpg

The powdered soap container is an old honey jar. Tanganyika became Tanzania in 1963.

DSCN2509.jpg


When the Safari Box is opened, to this day, I can smell Africa and open fire cooking.
 
This thread has the potential for continuing for a long time. My contribution will vary off the beaten track just a little bit, as it involves not firearms, but "the safari box". My family moved to Nairobi Kenya for three plus years, as my father was a veterinarian, and was teaching at CSU in Ft. Collins CO. USAID, Great Britain and Germany came together to help Kenya upgrade their veterinary facilities/teaching by sending money and faculty.

My dad was a good old farm/ranch kid from Wyoming, and he jumped at the chance to travel, and hunt East Africa. He had an International Harvester 4wd for back country traveling, and when the whole family was going on safari, we usually traveled in the VW mini bus. He used a wooden box dubbed "The Safari Box" to help organize the kitchen gear. Wash basins, food prep utensils and pots/pans were stored here, along with staples such as oil, seasonings, and staple canned goods. Knowing that it was all in one place, all we had to do was get the needed fresh items and be on our way.

View attachment 60166View attachment 60167

Several items that tickle my funny bone.....my ever resourceful father popped some holes into the tops of some horse worming medicine containers to use as salt/pepper shakers.

View attachment 60168

The powdered soap container is an old honey jar. Tanganyika became Tanzania in 1963.

View attachment 60169


When the Safari Box is opened, to this day, I can smell Africa and open fire cooking.
That is awesome as heck!! Thanks for sharing.
 
received_10209977051528360.jpg Dad passed away from cancer just over a year ago and I get the pick of his collection. Just about to transfer four of his guns onto my license including the Tikka .222 Rem in pic and a Parker Hale .243 I used to take the goat about a month ago. Definitely keeping his early 60's Anchutz target rifle and Bruno 12g u/o. Thinking about if I can make room for his other rifles in the safe too.
 

Attachments

  • FB_IMG_1463807766870.jpg
    FB_IMG_1463807766870.jpg
    126.9 KB · Views: 386
You guys are lucky, my grandad had enough guns that each of his grandkids could have one. There are a few that are extra cool, such as his M1 carbine he carried in WWII and his service revolver. We set up a random draw to see who got what, but my two cousins made such a stink about only wanting the carbine that my uncle (my granddad's only son) just decided to keep everything for himself, the grandkids got zip, bummer. I did get my granddad's old drafting and leather working tools, which are pretty cool too though...
 
I have a pre 64 Winchester model 70 .270 that my grandmother gave to me when grandad died. They are both gone now. She thought she bought it for him in around 49 but wasn't sure on the year. I cherish that gun and have used it on elk, antelope, deer and moose and still hunt with it today. I have instructed my boys that it is never to leave the family.

Here is a link where can research year of manufacture using serial number. Usually will have the year though some records were lost in a fire or other reasons. http://www.winchesterguns.com/support/faq/date-your-firearm.html
 
I have my Dad's 16 ga Winchester Model 12, nothing special except the story behind it. It is an old one, made in 1917! He bought it used (I have the name of the guy he bought it from) when he was a sophomore in high school (1950) for $10 and that included two boxes of shells! He gave it to me as my first gun when I started chasing roosters in 1969. I break it our for a day once a year and shoot a few ringnecks with it!
 
We had the same exact aluminum cookset that nests inside itself. It was horrible for cooking most everything because it was such thin aluminum and everything burned and got stuck to the bottom. At that time we hunted out of a tent and everything was cooked over a campfire so it was hard to control the heat. Dad used it for probably 30 years.
 
I inherited this rifle from my grandfather. It was the first rifle he bought. As near as I can tell from the serial #, he likely bought it new after returning from World War II, where he served on an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan.

142.jpg

Peep sight and saddle ring.

143.jpg

144.jpg

145.jpg

It's a very accurate rifle, I've gotten 2.5" groups at 100 yards with the peep sight. I've never shot anything with it, but wholly plan to in the near future.
 
JLS....what a beauty of a gun.

This old knife is one I remember my dad using when I was a kid. It is nothing special as far as knives go but has lots of sentimental value to me.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    54.4 KB · Views: 322
Back
Top