Old Guns Still used to Hunt, Let’s See Them

[Bucksnuff]

I took my Grandfathers 1926 Model 12 Turkey hunting this spring. He passed away in 1955, 10 years before I was born. All of his hunting was around here shooting ducks and squirrels in the River bottoms with this gun, the only one he had. My grandmother passed it on to me when I turned 12 and I used it until I got my first 1100. I’m sure he had a smile on his face when it roared back back to life this spring on this Tom I called in…
Anyone else have old guns they still use?

 

[gradeAchuck]

Great topic. Old guns still have a place and more often than not have come with memories, heritage, nostalgia, etc. Not saying there is anything wrong with new guns, just saying old guns are also cool.

Took this Savage 99 (300SAV) out for a walk in the mountain hardwoods (PA - Allegheny National Forestry) and got this dandy buck in the 2021 rifle season (he busted his right side during the after-shot tumble). Per the serial number the gun was manufactured ~1970. Always had a soft spot for the Savage 99's and bought this one used at a local gun shop. The metal is in great shape and the blueing is 90% or better but the wood furniture had some rough spots (looked like someone left cleaning agents on in before storing it away) so I refinished the wood myself. Yes I know that destroyed the collectors value, but since I intend to keep AND use this gun as hunting tool I wasn't too worried about it.

A couple years back my brother and I took our Dad and his brothers (our uncles) on a guided pheasant hunt (not many wild pheasants left in PA). Really more of a pheasant shoot than a hunt but we had a great time and I can tell it meant a lot to Dad/the Uncles. Dad used an Ithaca Model 37 (the ol' slam fire) in 16g, made in ~1949 according to the serial number, that he inherited from his Dad (our grandfather). My brother and I got one of the ring-necks mounted, along with a frame/picture from that day, as a fathers day present for the old man. If I can find the picture showing his gun I'll post it.

 

[mrcowboy]

Nice buck. My brother is in the Allegheny NF neck of PA. He'd be happy with a public land buck of that size. Swell buck.

 

[gradeAchuck]

Nice buck. My brother is in the Allegheny NF neck of PA. He'd be happy with a public land buck of that size. Swell buck.

Appreciate it, my family has had our camp on the outskirts of the ANF since the late 1970's and I've been hunting since I was old enough in the mid-90's. This is the biggest buck I've ever taken in the big woods. Bucks of that size are up there but they don't get big by being dumb. There is a lot of ground to cover in the big woods and the deer population is smaller than the big AG areas. I was more than a mile back from any road in an area I have seen deer in the past but to be honest, it was more of a right-place-right-time than my "superior" hunting skills.

 

[mrcowboy]

No, that's a great buck. Congrats. I need to get back one year and hunt with my brother and his nephew. They hunt a lot of state games lands also. Here's a few bucks that my dad killed in the early 70's. I have them hanging in our cabin. I believe they were all killed with his 30-06. I have that gun now. The bottom one is most memorable to me as I remember driving out with my grandfather to meet dad. Dad strapped it to the dodge dart and we drove home. I need to find that old photo. I was maybe 4 or 5.

 

[Bucksnuff]

Nice buck and Gun. I’ve got my grandfathers Model 99 300 savage that I shot my first deer with. Not sure what year it is but is has a Lyman Alaskan scope on it. Horrible small scope, but I need to get it out and try to shoot another deer with it.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Everybody else has seen it but maybe the thread owner hasn't. This is the WWII 1903A3 Springfield my dad built for me in 1962 at the Hungry Horse Dam shop. I restocked it in the early 80s after a horse wreck broke the first one. Three years ago I retired the 3x Weaver scope Dad put on it when I was in the Army. New 3x9x40 Nikon is kinder to my fading eyesight. Replaced the original battle worn corroded 30-06 barrel last year and added a Timney trigger. An adjustable rear leaf sight off a pre-64 Model 70 is in the mail as well as a set of Warne quick detach rings. I like the option to switch to iron sights in bad weather. It will be going to Africa again for the third time this August.

Edit: As I wrote this the postman dropped off the new rail for quick detach rings.

 

[OntarioHunter]

View attachment 191484I took my Grandfathers 1926 Model 12 Turkey hunting this spring. He passed away in 1955, 10 years before I was born. All of his hunting was around here shooting ducks and squirrels in the River bottoms with this gun, the only one he had. My grandmother passed it on to me when I turned 12 and I used it until I got my first 1100. I’m sure he had a smile on his face when it roared back back to life this spring on this Tom I called in…
Anyone else have old guns they still use?

You might want to think about replacing that stock. Don't want it to come apart again and smack you in the face. I see them up on eBay fairly frequently. I've been trying to find a replacement for my 16 ga Model 12. Previous owner sawed it off short. It was my first gun. A birthday present from Dad and Grandpa October 1964.

 

[Bucksnuff]

You might want to think about replacing that stock. Don't want it to come apart again and smack you in the face. I see them up on eBay fairly frequently. I've been trying to find a replacement for my 16 ga Model 12. Previous owner sawed it off short. It was my first gun. A birthday present from Dad and Grandpa October 1964.

I’ve been looking for one that looks similar on ebay myself. I’ve seen some that look newer and some in terrible shape. Good eye noticing that

 

[Ben Lamb]

1936 Vintage Greifelt O/U in 12 gauge. Retailed by the New York City store, Abercrombie & Fitch, originally. The dog is a 2017 vintage Black Lab from a breeder outside of Lolo.

 

[nhenry]

1936 Vintage Greifelt O/U in 12 gauge. Retailed by the New York City store, Abercrombie & Fitch, originally. The dog is a 2017 vintage Black Lab from a breeder outside of Lolo.


View attachment 211082

Not to be dramatic, but I love your dog

 

[Ben Lamb]

Not to be dramatic, but I love your dog

Careful what you wish for

 

[44hunter45]

You might want to think about replacing that stock. Don't want it to come apart again and smack you in the face. I see them up on eBay fairly frequently. I've been trying to find a replacement for my 16 ga Model 12. Previous owner sawed it off short. It was my first gun. A birthday present from Dad and Grandpa October 1964.

I’ve been looking for one that looks similar on ebay myself. I’ve seen some that look newer and some in terrible shape. Good eye noticing that

Try Numrich Arms aka Gun Parts Corp. . Check and keep checking back. Their inventory is fluid.

Gun Parts & Firearm Accessories | Numrich Gun Parts

Numrich Gun Parts Corporation, America’s leading supplier of current and obsolete gun parts, accessories, and military surplus since 1950.

www.gunpartscorp.com

 

[Bucksnuff]

1936 Vintage Greifelt O/U in 12 gauge. Retailed by the New York City store, Abercrombie & Fitch, originally. The dog is a 2017 vintage Black Lab from a breeder outside of Lolo.


View attachment 211082

Nice dog and gun. Had no idea Abercrombie and Fitch was a high end sporting goods outfitter at one time. They are far from being that now, they probably don’t even like guns.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Nice dog and gun. Had no idea Abercrombie and Fitch was a high end sporting goods outfitter at one time. They are far from being that now, they probably don’t even like guns.

At one popint, pre-ww2, the company was one of the largest outfitters in America. Their high end firearms section was amazing, lots of European & English imports, often times marked specially for A&F. The Greifelt is engraved w/the name and address. I bought it from Griffin & Howe and paid the extra $80 for the history of the gun, and it was originally purchased by the largest furrier in NYC in the 1930's, then it was brought back to A& in the 40's to resell, as the owner got divorced & the wife didn't want it.

The dog is a dingus, but she's getting better as I become less of a horrible trainer.

 

[44hunter45]

Nice dog and gun. Had no idea Abercrombie and Fitch was a high end sporting goods outfitter at one time. They are far from being that now, they probably don’t even like guns.

Gotta get yourself some Robert Ruark novels. In his day, no sensible hunter would ever go to Africa without a stop at A&F in New York City, of all places.
I believe they later had a branch in Nairobi.

My old piece is nothing like anything @shrapnel, @Ben Lamb, or @BrentD will post, for sure.

1916 Winchester 1894 "Eastern Carbine" in 30WCF. (30/30 Winchester) Serial Number 828XXX
According to the Cody Museum, an Eastern Carbine must have come from the factory with 20" round barrel, tang sight, and no saddle ring. When they registered this rifle, they said it was one of 160 known specimens.

 

[nhenry]

Careful what you wish for

View attachment 211084

delicious

 

[44hunter45]

Have a couple 40's vintage Mausers which have been sporterized. Don't judge me! I got them partially done. Both are out for Winchester safety conversions and new barrels. In my mind that kinda of resets the vintage clock.

One is an M96/38 in 6.5x55. New barrel is actually a little FASTER twist at 1 in 7.5. 26" I will feed it 156 Norma Oryx and 160 Hornady RN.
The other was a WWII vintage BCD K98. It is now a 26 "1-12 .35 Whelan.

Also have this 1948 Stevens Squareback 520. Found an original green canvas case to replace this case at a pawn shop a couple of years ago. A favorite of trench fighters in several wars. If you hold the trigger down it will fire on the forward stoke.


Also have a 1939 Winchester Model 74 Semi-auto .22 Short only. It was a gallery gun once upon a time. It came to me with four holes drilled and tapped on the side where it had been chained to the midway bench. It was also "de-accurized" by a ring being cut into the rifling about 4" in from the muzzle. Every one of these I've ever seen has that ring in it if you look. At first I thought it was a leaf curler bee remnant.

A workmate gave it to me because the operating handle had been broken off. His dad was a retired CHP who had picked it up off the road. It had a lot of road rash on the metal and the stock. I spent $5 at Numrich for the part and I had a shooter. We can debate whether I destroyed a collector piece, but I like a shooter. I filled the holes in the receiver. I put it in the lathe and trued up the welded spots, counter-bored the muzzle out to .250" down to where the ring was in the barrel. You have to really be looking for it to notice the bore out.

It's waiting for a 400 grit sanding on the lathe and then a hot blue with a Birchwood-Casey kit. Looks OK and shoots true. I steamed out the dents in the stock, but I have not done the desired oil finish yet. Every once in a while, this gun comes out for the young 'uns to shoot. It holds 21 rounds of .22 Short. Kids today can pull the trigger as fast as any of us could back in the day. That ammo just got too rare and expensive to waste.

This is Idaho - It sluices Ruffed Grouse with the best of them.

 

[Ben Lamb]

That 520 is wicked cool. Nice shotgun!

 

[OntarioHunter]

I’ve been looking for one that looks similar on ebay myself. I’ve seen some that look newer and some in terrible shape. Good eye noticing that

The problem is finding one of those old shotgun stocks that isn't either cracked or ready to crack from wood being saturated with oil at receiver. Dad taught me to always store shotguns muzzle down so gun oil doesn't run into the end grain of the stock. Not a good idea to store rifles that way but won't hurt a shotgun.