Well I just finished cleaning my late Grandpa's old .22. It still functioned flawlessly but here's the kicker, it had 40+ years worth of residue built up in the action. I was sweeping chunks of that stuff out of the action and off the working bits (was waiting for Jimmy Hoffa to come rolling out,) yet the dang thing still shot better than a lot of newer .22 LR's I've seen and I'd like to see a lot of newer rifles function at all with that much crud in them.
It's not special in any way other than it was Grandpa's rifle. Other than that it's just an old Western Auto Supply Revelation 120 made by Marlin, more or less the same in action to the model 60 but externally it looks a lot like the old model 99's.
But...time for a memory.
I do have a bit of a statement to make though to start. Any person who thinks you can't kill a turkey with a .22LR from over 200 yds away with iron sights, all I have to say is "you're a liar" and you can quote me on that. I know cause I was standing next to Grandpa when he shot it and I'm the one that walked across the field to retrieve it, 2 shots 2 lethal hits, one through the neck and one through the head, with this very rifle. Granted he had a lot of practice hitting what he was aiming at, that's the way he grew up. You went out with so many rounds of ammo and you either came back with that much game or the difference in game and ammo, you didn't waste bullets plain and simple and if you missed, well, the extra chores would teach ya not to.
UPDATE: After talking with my dad I found out exactly how old this rifle is. Grandpa bought it new from Western Auto when dad was about 5 so it's about 50 years old now and Grandpa paid the sum total of about $30 for it, that's gonna be another family heirloom just like the old single-shot 12ga.
UPDATE 2: A link for some history on the models.
7 comments:
Jrebel -
Danged if that didn't stir up a memory or two for me as well - that's how Grandpa and Dad both shot. Heckuva legacy to live up to...makes me smile to remember.
-Scott
Yeah, I don't think I'll ever be as good a shot as Grandpa was, only thing is now I can't blame it on the rifle. :)
I had an old Stevens single-shot .22 when I was growing up. Dad and I were out shooting tin cans off fence posts one day when a crow flew by to land on a another fence post. At a range of about 30yds, Dad shot it out of the air---with a rifle.
Funny thing is, Dad couldn't wingshoot worth a hoot with a shotgun. But, with a rifle? A whole different story.
My first rifle was a Savage-Stevens Model 73 single shot. Dad gave that to me the Christmas after I turned 12 if I remember right. I learned how to pluck soda cans off the top of a log at a bit over 100yds with it. Served well for putting squirrel in the freezer for stew, too.
My now deceased brother in law who was much younger than me had one of these Marlins and it was a nice gun. Being a lefty , it would throw burnt power in my face on occasion. Otherwise, for rightys it worked great.
Oh, I forget to say, we lived in So Mo at the time.
They are really well built rifles for no more than they cost, then and now. Yet as you said for a lefty the right hand models tend to put a nice dusting of powder residue on your face.
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