Posted 12 years ago
walksoftly
(167 items)
This is where it all began, I found this gun 43 or 44 years ago. I was out with my Dad checking on the cattle at calving time, I bent over to pick up a stick to protect myself & this is what I pulled out of the mud.
It has always intrigued me as to who was the original owner, & how did they come to lose it on the edge of a marsh. As a seven year old I came up with all kinds of interesting stories, like hunting Buffalo or a settler protecting his family. As I got a little older I realized that it was too small & ineffective for either of those situations.
The rifle is a 1894 Stevens Favorite 22LR, it's intended use was small game & pests.
This type of rifle action is known as a pivoting block type, or swinging block, since the breech block is pivoted on a pivot screw in the mid section of the receiver. Upon activating the lever, the breech block pivots, or swings down to expose the chamber.
The second image is one from the Web for comparison.
David I think I know who's gun that was it was my Uncles :-) I think you were on his farm that day remember :-) send it back LOL
great post and a wonderful story . Love it ! Hope all is good in Canada and where's the cool weather you usually send down :-( Very very hot here .
I'll have a look & see if he scratched his initials on it somewhere. Maybe he got off the train & came down our way looking for some fresh meat for lunch, but the mosquitoes made lunch of him so he dropped the gun & ran the 2 miles back to the train! :-)
Too hot here as well, can't help you there. :-(
They had tornado warnings up in Saskatoon last week, our daughter & her boss were trying to figure out what they would do if one showed up. (she works on the second floor with only one exit)
Thanks official & Mani for the love.
What a great find and story!!!
Thanks for the love & the comment, packrat.
It was only a year ago that I was able to determine the brand of rifle, based on one that I had seen that looked the same.
If only this type of find could talk.
Thanks miKKo for the love.
Thanks for the love & the comments Phil & fhrjr2, A lot of gophers met their demise with one of these pointed there way.
We always want to fill in the blanks don't we fhrjr2, I wish it could tell me more, who owned it was he young or old, were they using it for sport or to make some extra money? We'll never know but as I did as a young boy you can let your imagination run wild.
Thanks for the love, Bellin, trunkman & Hedgewalker.
A very good start. Now you have me trying to remember where my collecting began.
I bet that find excited you and put inside you the desire to collect everything that interests you!! I know my first find did that to me! GREAT FIND!!!!!!! ( Started the old proverbial Ball Rolling) :-)
Glad you all stopped by for a look, thanks for the love, pw-collector & trgrubaugh.
Thanks for the love & the comment, billyg, got you thinking now:-)
Thanks for the love & the comment musikchoo, I was a very excited little boy, I remember going to school & telling everyone what I found. And yes it did start the ball rolling, I guess if you're going to start something you may as well start big.
Thanks for the love, vintagemad, Mani & madvan.
Thanks for the love, Marc112, H02 & beachbomb.
A terrific find and even better backstory, walksoftly. It has inspired me to do my own experience in another thread. Thanks ~ it's a story I've always wanted to share.
Thanks for the Love & comment, Pencil-n-g