Every once in a while, we see a picture of an old gun. Someone invariably says "Gee, wouldn't it be nice if that ol' gun could talk. What stories it could tell." Well, I encourage you to tell the story. Whether its a favored shotgun, an old beat-up squirrel gun, or a modern deer rifle (with memories), write it up. It will be a treasured piece of history some day.


I’ve been in the mode of gifting guns to people that I surmise, will use them periodically; put them to good use. Xxx Xxx got Pa’s Browning Superposed 12-gauge. I’m resting assured that it will be put to good use. Guns that I have, but never got constant use, I’ve already told Miss Lisa (wife) just to sell them. However, there are a couple a’ guns that have a history with me.

Mort McThump, my .25-06, is one such gun with a lot of history. I bought it new in about 1986, FFL Xxx Xxx or Xxx Xxx
ordering it for me. I ordered a composite stock for it at the same time, knowing that for Alaska conditions, the plastic stock would be much more practical. Therefore, it’s got an unused walnut wooden, beautiful stock that should accompany it.
I took this gun from Alaska to Idaho just after I bought it. Xxx Xxx and I drove down to the Clearwater breaks and Mort drew his first blood. I shot a coyote at about 150 yards. Following that first outing, he drew blood every year, and it was varied. I was impressed with the accuracy in the field. In subsequent years, Mort tipped over 4 Dall sheep in the Wrangell Mountains or the Chugach Range. As far as I remember, he’s never had to shoot twice. Once, he was used to dispatch a wounded mountain goat in the Chugach Range just a stone’s throw from Columbia Glacier (originally shot by ex-father-in-law Xxx Xxx)
.
Once I got to McGrath, I used it annually for caribou. Shot some real nice ones up in the Beaver Mountains and nearer to town, and also Mulchatna Herd animals on the Stoney River. A couple of them (caribou) qualified for the Boone and Crockett record books, but I never submitted the scores (417 and 429). I used Mort every year to get moose, 2 in Cook Inlet on Kalgin Island, 12 at McGrath. He was my boat gun and airplane gun, and went with me about everywhere. In the airplane, he got abused tremendously, and shot a few wolves and coyotes. I generally used the .222 Rem. for red foxes (Mort was just too big). I had grizzly bear/human conflicts in McGrath and Nikolai, and used Mort to thump them. The black bear were ubiquitous in the western interior. The limit was 3 per year, and me and Mort took probably more than our fair share, killing 3 a year from 1986 to 1998, along with 6 problem bears killed under DLP provisions in the villages. Mort was responsible for the deaths of over 40 black bears. During the last couple of years at Glennallen, I traveled to Kodiak Island (Kizhuyak Bay or Port Lions) with Xxx Xxx, et al., and shot 10 Sitka blacktailed deer with him. Again, at least 4 of these deer were eligible for the record books. In Sitka, Mort was used for several more blacktailed deer (probably 35 on Kruzoff, Baranof or Chichagof Islands), as well as a monster brown bear that was attacking Xxx Xxx and I.
Since coming back to Idaho, Mort has been used for two elk and 2 pronghorns. I used the little .222 Remington for whitetail deer and coyotes, and Lisa’s .243 to tip over a coupla’ domestic cows.
Mort was my go-to gun for nearly 40 years for almost everything. I figured he ought to have a good home since he was a constant companion for so many years. Kinda like a good dog.

We, from time-to-time, see a photo of an old gun. Invariably, someone always says “Gee, I wish that gun could talk. What stories it could tell.” Well, ol’ Mort McThump just told his story with some of his exploits.

Jack

I always wanted but never got around to buying a 222 Rem. Great cartridge.
But following your question I would have to say my old Remington Model 66 in 22LR has put more pounds of meat on the table over the past 50 years than all my other guns combined.

The Model 66 you'll recall has the unbreakable Nylon stock on it. Mine is wearing its 4th unbreakable stock. About the only game animals I haven't killed with it are bison, sheep, goat, musk ox and grizzly.

The bluing is worn off just in front of the rear sight from carrying it at that balance point. It still lives by the kitchen door in case a meal wanders past.

I’ve got a colt 1911 45acp my stepdad carried during his tour with the military last year he gave it to me after we found it in a box with old clothes I took it out and presented him with it and he handed it back to me and said keep it it’s yours now I cleaned it and oiled it up took it outside fired a few rounds thru it while we were outside I looked at him and said how many and he stopped me there and said don’t ask that question after that I cleaned it up and put it in the curio cabinet with his medals and awards along with my Dads it will stay there until I’m gone then pass down to my daughter man I do love them colt 1911 45s y’all have a blessed day

I wish I could top these stories! My first rifle purchase was a .22 Romanian bolt from a general store/gun store in Smithfield , PA who’s owner also owned a bank, furniture store, and basically half of the borough. Old tobacco spitting fella that lived well into his 90’s and passed only recently.
I remember getting my hands on it and feeling like I was getting away with something. Breaking stereotypes and disappointing my mother all in one fell swoop was putting me on an emotional rollercoaster. I would walk around in the woods with it not even loaded, silently stalking. Deep in my psyche, music from Peter and the Wolf was playing in my head and I was off on a big adventure. That was in my early twenties and the first thing that gun took was an opossum in a poorly made set that wasn’t even bed. Just sat on the ground with a glob of blackies fur king beside it.
After that I could never comply with what society, religion, neighbors, or even family wanted me to be.
It was the life of the outdoors for me, even if just in small increments!

My dad's remington 700 in 270, he still has that gun, that I have directed I would like for him to pass down too me. I took my 1st deer with it, I was in my early teens. Dad wouldn't let me go hunting unless I could shoulder and hold a gun up for myself. My brother was a baby and we were camping out with my uncle and cousin. He had to leave that morning to go take care of him so he left me with my uncle and his 270. I'm not sure why he took my gun and left me with his but he did. I've never shot the thing before in my life. We climbed up in my uncles homemade tree stand he had built, and sat. My uncle coughed, smoked probably 3 packs of cigarettes, spit, coughed a ton more with me thinking I should have just went with dad because there is no way we are seeing anything. After hours of sitting my uncle said here comes 3 off the ridge and ones a buck. I cut drive and thing flipped head over heel 15 yards. It was a spike, or what I told everyone a 11 pointer. Now come to find out a savell special. Loaded it up took it home and showed Dad. After that I loved that gun.
Few years later I learned how to reload so I was making all kinds of rounds and we shot constantly. One day me and dad got into a shooting match, we would call our shots 100 yards away we sat up I don't know how many milk jugs on the dam of a pond. Shooting each caliber a few times each. As we were setting the jugs up we didn't realize some jugs were in front one of another. I had the shot with his 270, I called the jug in the back only
He said there was no way without hitting the front jug first. You could only see maybe an inch or a little more of the back jug. I said watch and see old man, today is the day you realize I'm better then you'll ever be. Now I talked trash but no way did I think I would just hit the back jug, but with the boom only the back jug exploded. Yes luck, but I did call that shot. I never let him live it down about how I out shot him, with his own gun he was super impressed with that shot. Was the most accurate I ever got a gun to eat bullets I made. 130 matching serrias with h380 powder not sure how many grains been to long ago.

Some of my few guns better not talk or I will plead the 5th and throw them in a lake!

Black, brown or green Ken?
My brother had a black 66 when I was a kid. Killed a pile of coon on the river with it.

Crowheart that's hilarious, my old h&r 243 that dad took that day and left me his. I think I know why he took mine and left his now, but I can't prove it so I can't accuse. I'll just say was a lot shorter of a barrel.

Mine is black now but it started life brown

Bertha was my deer gun for several years 14-40 I still have her but have been shooting deer with other guns now the last several years

she didn't have a name when I bought her it was a name that came about with years of use.
she was just a plane old Remington Sportsman's 12A
I had a job when I was 14 I paid cash for her in a guys garage , I was answering an add from the buy sell board at my moms work.
30 inch vent rib barrel fixed Mod choke.
she sends slugs very well for a smooth barrel.
Slug hunting was just the way it was in a good portion of the state for many years.
the 12A was a plane maple stocked an 1100 in parts but none of the 1100 trim package the 12A was the budget offering for a couple years then they decided not to make it any more , that is back when the 12P became the 870 express.

a hard plastic but plate , that broke when I fell crossing a stone fence , I replaced it but it isn't an exact fit.
bumps and marks but well kept
she still looks quite good for finish

I used to shot trap with her

I shot a lot of deer with her , all my doubles , 4 in a weekend was the most in an opening weekend.
she was tall and big and heavy but when Bertha speaks everyone listens and deer fall , a lot of them rolling or plowing dirt with their nose
I can only remember tracking 2 deer shot with her, they were both blood trails a blind man could follow at least at first both bucks with just an incredible will to keep going one caught in a fence it tried to jump and collapsed on and another face planted in the dirt rump still up in the air.
one of the last deer she took my son shot his second year hunting.

when I was a broke college kid it was a duffle , wore my coat and carried my gun and road with my great uncle.
when I was a young guy with kids working lots of hours she made a lot of meat in a short time each year.
years I took the wife's Saturn to deer camp to save on gas money 2 coolers in the back , gun riding in the passenger seat in a case upright she was as wide as the car laying down
after I got glasses I had her drilled and tapped for a scope when I missed some deer the new glasses and that bead sight looked off I found the money for a 2-7 Nikon and got it mounted I had to sew my own case as I could find nothing that would fit a scoped 30 inch barrel gun.
then I was taking deer farther than I had before and found the end of her range after 100 yards somewhere 110 or so those slugs just fell apart for accuracy
she could stack them in a vertical line at 100 unless it was windy then 75 was the limit.

Bertha isn't going to camp this year but I should probably sight her in and bring her next year again.

the last few years shorter lighter guns with greater range have taken the deer for me.
but she was a work horse for a lot of years when I couldn't afford anything else.

not a crazy story or anything fancy , just a plain hard working meat maker for a bunch of years when that was what I needed.

White,
My first year working at Remington one of the machines I routinely ran was the molding machine for the Nylon66 stocks. I pulled thousands of those suckers out before moving into one of the two metallurgy departments at the facility.

Originally those stocks took a beating before breaking. Not so much once the mid 70's rolled around.

Great stories.

For a number of my rifles I have taken the butt plate off and put a note underneath and reattached it. Keeps the info with the rifle always.

I have a Marlin 336 built in 1953. It's chambered for .35 Remington.

It was my father's first deer rifle. He bought it new and paid for the bulk of it with money he made trapping.

Dad shot his first buck with it. It got passed to me and I shot my first buck with it. I passed it to my daughter and she shot her first buck with it. We're trying to get my granddaughter her first buck with it.

I have a few old Winchesters, Springfields, and Remingtons. 1920’s - 1950’s.

Grandpa, dad, then me. The wood and bluing isn’t very good, from a valuation standpoint.
No problem selling my old guns, that I purchased, that no longer fit my needs. But, the heirloom guns stay.

Starbits -

Excellent idea. I'm gonna start doing that.

Jack

I do have some old family guns lever and bolt that have done a good job as meat getters. My folks bought me a new rem. 700 22-250 in 1970 to replace the win 94 25-35 for my go to gun. The 700 is on it's second barrel and it has killed anything I wanted it to.
My wife and I don't have lots of family that I would leave any guns too, but have given some to friends. Also have a bunch of knives to let go some day. Some stories of my old guns were law breakers so I keep them locked up in a safe.

I've got a Remington 788 in 243 that was my dad's. My dad, my grandpa, my uncle and my 2 boys all killed their first deer with it. It was the only rifle I carried for about 35 years.

Id have to write a book with many chapters to record what my Savage 30 06 110 would have to say.
One that comes to mind is one day we got a bunch of flanger marker signs to put up on the railroad for winter.
They forgot to drill the bolt holes in them at the shop so I took a black marker and made two marks on eaxh one where the holes needed to be drilled.
Then I told one of the section men,go stick all those signs up over by the trash burner.
then I loaded up the savage and proceeded to punch holes exactly on the dots on all the signs.

"Trusty Rusty", my old Mossberg 500. That thing has killed more than a big boat load of deer as well as other game. Man is it ugly, I've got it stashed in a cabin in SE Alaska, mainly just a bear defense gun now, and also shoots a few ducks when I need them.

My cleaning method after it's been drenched in salt water is to submerge the entire gun in a creek and cycle the pump a few times, dry it near the stove, and then give it a drenching with PB Blaster,