If you could have just one rifle back ?

[7stw]

I've traded away more weapons over the years than I currently own. That said, I nearly always regret moving a firearm down the road. The only one I have sold simply as I needed money was a lh m700 lss in 300 Winchester. I needed earnest money for the house my wife and I now own, so down the road went my "extra" 300win. The rifle shot well, but I was simply too broke 14 years ago to buy into a property without selling it.

Been there, done that. Lefty, i did the same thing, back in 2013, when I bought my house. My gun cabinet took an enema, and hasn't been the same since.
But, as you stated, i didn't have as much as I thought I needed, and had all those pop up things, that popped up when I bought the house, you know the drill.
Trying to fill it up AGAIN.

 

[Pa Grizz]

Mine would be a 6 MM in a Remington 600.When my daughter hunted she was real short and had to cut the stock down.The weekend before deer season in Pa opened I ran into a guy and his son who was real small for his age.They had been looking every gun shop in the area and no luck.The little guy was walking with his head hung down and I told him to wait a minute.Went and got the 6mm ,Fit him perfect.Now I have a grandson who could use it,but the father will not come off it after 10 years.The boy shot his first deer with it that year and it's not going anywhere

 

[Barrelnut]

Would like to have my 70's vintage Marlin 336 in 35 Reminton back. Took my first deer with it.

 

[glbhunter]

I can't believe you guys sold some of your guns to buy a home. I already feel a lot better. I've got to fess up. I did the same thing some time back and it as haunted me ever since. I sold a browning 22 challenger pistol, a T-bolt 22 rifle, a Remington 722 300 savage rifle that my dad had given me and a couple of shot guns.
I had worked up a great load for the 300 sav. I did some comparing with loads 300sav and 308 and decided to try H335. I came up with a load with 150 bronze point that chronographed with a friends early model chron. We achieved 2945 fps. Back then I remember him changing some sort of paper screens every time. Oh and I used a big old cast iron press from Herters . Dad and I used that load for many years, and took a lot of game with it. Wow! Im gready, I'd love to have them all back, mostly the 722.

 

[CanardNoir]

Summer of 66 or 67 I bought my first rifle. 700 rem in 270 win. Put a 2-7 Redfield scope on it and was taught how to reload 130g bullets for it.
It had the best wood I have seen on a over the counter m 700.
This was back when hawks were considered varmints. There is no telling how many I shot. I fell in love with a new 7mm rem mg and traded it in.
I hope we learn from our mistakes. Have had 3 custom rifles built in the last few years all using old 5 or 6 # actions.

I had a very similar 60s-relationship with a Mod 700 Heavy Varmint - I bought a then-fixed 12X Redfield scope and developed a 52-53gr BTHP load that made raptors explode like a feather pillow. I later took three (3) very respectable whitetail deer, with one carefully placed .22 cal. shot per each. But the ranges were all under 150 yards.

Are raptors really not "considered varmints" any more?

 

[CanardNoir]

I can't believe you guys sold some of your guns to buy a home. I already feel a lot better. I've got to fess up. I did the same thing some time back and it as haunted me ever since. I sold a browning 22 challenger pistol, a T-bolt 22 rifle, a Remington 722 300 savage rifle that my dad had given me and a couple of shot guns... I came up with a load with 150 bronze point that chronographed with a friends early model chron. We achieved 2945 fps. Back then I remember him changing some sort of paper screens every time. Oh and I used a big old cast iron press from Herters . Dad and I used that load for many years, and took a lot of game with it. Wow! Im gready, I'd love to have them all back, mostly the 722.

Over the years, I bagged an elk and three (3) mule deer with Remington's old bronze point projectiles, and back in the day, they were my first-choice for hunting. But I do still have a pair of Herter's snake boots that were back-then-said to have been made from the hide of a Cape Buffalo!

But the decline of Remington Arms began with DuPont's initial sale to an investment group, and the bronze point along with a lot of other good things the brand offered are now history...

The times they are - changin'...

 

[Deputy819]

.280 Remington Model 700 ADL Mountain Rifle Stainless/Synthetic. I received it as a Christmas gift @ 1990 (strike 1), was my FIRST rifle (strike 2), and the man who gave it to me was a POWERFUL father-figure in my life and, sadly, is no longer around (BIG strike 3 for me). I sold it to buy a lesser expensive rifle AND some beginners reloading equipment. It sat on one of my local gun store's shelves for several months collecting dust and several times I would go inside and consider buying it back, but never did. Eventually someone saw it, snagged it up and I've never laid eyes on it since then. That one haunts me....

 

[CanardNoir]

Sell a gun??? Don't understand the concept??? Gun ownership is a one way door in my world. Appreciate form, fit, function of anything that goes bang. Still have the Daisy BB gun, Stevens Jr rolling block that I learned to shoot in the basement with when Mom went to the grocery store on Saturday mornings, and the Sheridan 5mm air rifle I squirrel hunted with in my urban backyard. Guess that is why I own more safes than most people own guns. I'm a lucky guy!!! Life has been generous to me.
However, I do wish I could have several guns back that were stolen from my Dad's home in 1978....they would be mine now that Dad is gone. A Springfield 1903A3, a sporterized Mauser 8mm which Dad got from an old friend's estate, and a Fox double that I learned to hunt pheasant with. All sentimental items.

Similar experiences, but when Mom was away my Dad would setup a Sears & Bell Telephone book back stop in the living room fireplace. There I learned to shoot .22 shorts in single-shot Winchester with a thumb trigger. Mom did mentioned that the house "smelled funny", a couple of times.

But it's the coffee table & sofa cushion barrel rest that is difficult to duplicate in the field, today.

 

[glbhunter]

Over the years, I bagged an elk and three (3) mule deer with Remington's old bronze point projectiles, and back in the day, they were my first-choice for hunting. But I do still have a pair of Herter's snake boots that were back-then-said to have been made from the hide of a Cape Buffalo!

But the decline of Remington Arms began with DuPont's initial sale to an investment group, and the bronze point along with a lot of other good things the brand offered are now history...

The times they are - changin'...

 

[glbhunter]

Ya those bronze points were good bullets. You know that talking about Herters pretty well dates us, but that's OK. However, I see some Herters stuff once in a while, are they the same co. We knew back then. Anyone know?

 

[Mike 338]

There is 1 rifle I would like to have back to be a safe queen. In 1967 before all the gun laws. I ordered a Sako Finbear 7mm Rem Mag from Herters. I got a post card from the mail carrier and had to go to the post office and pick it up. It had a beautiful French Walnut stock.I had bought 243 Win. Sako Forester at the Rod and Gun Club in Chinon France. Finbear was its big brother. Hoped to use it to Elk, Caribou and Moose hunt with.
A wife and kids later, Times got rough and I had to sell it, To pay the bills.
When I went on my first Moose hunt. Bailing water out of a canoe, Made me happy I had a Rem. 700 SS 338 WM instead of that beautiful French Walnut Stock on the trip.

Divine intervention my friend. Not for you. For the gun.

 

[Norm Benson]

When I was 13-14 I managed to let my dads Savage 99 .30-30 takedown rifle with half moon stock get stolen. I had gone someplace with friends, and my brothers were baby sitting the neighbors kids.
While we were gone someone came by and seeing an easy opportunity, they grabbed the guns the .30-30, a Remington Nylon 66 in apache black and a Remington 760 Gamemaster in .270.
We are 90% sure who grabbed them, but the cops weren't interested, and I regret it to this day!

 

[Barrelnut]

When I was 13-14 I managed to let my dads Savage 99 .30-30 takedown rifle with half moon stock get stolen. I had gone someplace with friends, and my brothers were baby sitting the neighbors kids.
While we were gone someone came by and seeing an easy opportunity, they grabbed the guns the .30-30, a Remington Nylon 66 in apache black and a Remington 760 Gamemaster in .270.
We are 90% sure who grabbed them, but the cops weren't interested, and I regret it to this day!

Ouch! Though I was the only one with that kinda luck. Welcome to the forum.

 

[IndianaMatt]

Unfortunately there are several I'd like to have back. The 2008 financial crisis was especially hard on my family and it was keep my guns or have Christmas for the kids.
In a Gander Mtn parking lot is where I sold most of them. I don't regret doing it and would do it again today.