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Zee
Posts: 28,429 Senior Member
The Rifle that started it All!
Zee
Posts: 28,429 Senior Member
At 20 years old, I moved to another state and started managing a ranch for hunting.
While working around the ranch house one day, a man was building (welding) a new fence around the house. He happen to walk by my ranch truck and saw a gun magazine sitting on the seat. Later that day, he asked me,
”So, you like shooting?”
”Yes.”
”You ever shot long range?”
”No.”
”You want to?”
”Sure.”
”Take this jug and put it on the other side of the pasture next to that fence.”
”So, you like shooting?”
”Yes.”
”You ever shot long range?”
”No.”
”You want to?”
”Sure.”
”Take this jug and put it on the other side of the pasture next to that fence.”
He then proceeds to pull a rifle out of his truck and walk me through the fundamentals of shooting. Everything I should do and where I should hold the reticle. He loaded the rifle and told me to send it.
The jug exploded and my eyes got wide!! The hook was set and I knew what I would do for a living at that moment.
Little did I know that the man who did that on that day was an inventor, fabricator, shooter, and genius.
He became my “Founding Father” and over the next 5 years taught me, mentored me, advised me, and introduced me to people I needed to know. Including “My Mentor”.
I moved away and started my career. Even during my career, he and My Mentor were instrumental in everything I did. Helping me solve equipment issues and design the program that is now my baby and legacy.
My Founding Father lost his battle with cancer a month ago. He never had a son. But, treated me like one ever since I met him. At his memorial, My Mentor asked if there were any of his guns I wanted.
“I want the one that started it all!”
And he handed me my Founding Father’s .308 Winchester that they’d built together and I fired that fateful day.
And he handed me my Founding Father’s .308 Winchester that they’d built together and I fired that fateful day.
With watery eyes, I type this and say that I am complete. I possess the personal rifle from the man that shaped my life. He didn’t have to take notice of me that day. But he did, and it changed my life.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Replies
Pretty amazing how this rifle came full circle back to your hands after building a whole life for you.
It’s a °IIIII° thing 😎
We lost my Dad's brother a few years ago, and just this last month I was able to rehabilitate the 1950's .22 that he, Dad, me, and probably more than a few other siblings, kids, and assorted friends all learned to shoot on. I gave it back to my uncle's son (who looks just like him) and got in the first non-air-gun range day with his seven and four year old sons, while their Mom took the group photos. A rational person would have bought them a new CZ or something instead of re-line the barrel and replace the fire control, but no - that wasn't going to happen. Yeah. It chokes you up a bit.
Retire it? If you feel you've gotta, maybe "ring it out" on your 1-mile steel?
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
come to us.
A great pastor told me once, “God won’t give to you what he can’t get through you.”
It’s a °IIIII° thing 😎
A remarkable set of events beginning then and still continuing today.
I have no doubt you were initially fortunate in coming across that "Founding Father" as you did, then this event leading into meeting your Mentor and all that has followed.
However, I have also no doubt that you set about your work as a man should, absorbing, retaining and expanding on these teachings guiding you to become the Rifleman you are today.
Reuters, Dec 2020.
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Details on the build please.
He changed some things after I shot it. I recall it having a McMillan stock back then and now it has an HSP. It also had a different bolt shroud and it now has a 3 position safety.