Yes, guilty! One of my first rifles was a .22 bolt-action single-shot Wards. Nothing fancy, nothing special. I just really liked it and it shot great. After racking up a few years and getting married for whatever stupid reason, I decided to sell it for nearly nothing. I missed it and lamented over that rifle for many, many years. About four years ago I was in a local pawn shop and lo and behold there it was up on the wall! I knew it immediately and told the owner, "That's my rifle!" I bought it immediately and brought it home. After removing the butt plate, where most have a recoil pad, there was the proof that it used to be my rifle many years before. Oh I lost a few bucks in the deal but it was certainly worth it to get that sweet little rifle back. I hope some others who are sharing their tale have a happy ending too.
I can relate to that story, many years ago, I had a bdl, 280, or better put, 7mm Express.
That thing shot lites out. Then, along came the first 7STW, that I owned. I was smitten over that rifle, And traded the 280, (7mm Express), towards it.
Well, the gun dealer took it to a gun show, and sold it. Years later, in unbeknownst to me, he bought it back at another gunshow, and it became his wife's rifle. Well, apparently, shedidnt like the recoil, and put it on the racks, for sale. Well, I frequented that shop quite a bit, and was in one day, and spotted it. I told the owner's wife, that was my rifle. She said no, it can't be, shebought it from a gunshow, shot it two years, and decided to sell it. Well, I had hand bedded it, and left tooling marks, just ahead of the recoil lug. She took it apart, and sure enough, there were the pre mentioned marks. We all looked st each other, in total astonishment, and I bought it back. This was more then ten years after I sold it.
I kept it for about 6 years, and you guessed it, a ugly divorce, left me near broke, and I had to sell it to buy fuel oil.
That rifle was a sweetheart! It was the start for my love affair with anything 7mm.☹
