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shooting on a shoestring
12-24-2021, 10:33 AM
It started with Dad’s little sister. She was in her 70s and living alone in a large house. She had kept, carried and used a round butt Model 10 snubby for about 50 years. But as she was slowing down she realized she was often “a long ways from her gun”. So she decided she wanted a second 38 for “the other end of the house”. But this time she wanted a square butt and 4” barrel.

When she talked to Dad about it and asked how to go about buying one, he told her “gotcha covered”. He had been using a square butt 4” Model 10 as his bedside gun for a couple of decades. So he gave it to her. She was tickled. Not only was it exactly what she wanted, but her big brother had given it to her so it was special. Dad was tickled because it put him in the market for a new gun.

Dad decided he wanted a stainless 38. He had never owned a stainless gun but had shot and handled a few of mine and liked them. He also wanted to try rubber grips. I guess he was feeling feeling like getting with the modern times.

Turns out I had a low mileage Model 64-3 that just needed a set of Pachmayr grips to be exactly what he was wanting. A few weeks later I gave it to him for Christmas. He immediately dubbed it his Christmas pistol.

293559

A few years later he passed. So it came back to live at my house again but it brought its new name. His Christmas pistol still brings a smile to my face.

semtav
12-24-2021, 10:47 AM
Nice !!

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rondog
12-24-2021, 10:58 AM
Awesome! But how's lil' sis? She OK?

shooting on a shoestring
12-24-2021, 11:13 AM
Lil’Sis passed about a year after Dad.

She lived in Texas. Dad was buying burial plots in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. He asked her if he should get one for her too. She was considering it. Dad was trying to talk her into it and said “C’mon, it’s got a great view!” Ha.

shooting on a shoestring
12-24-2021, 11:17 AM
I shot Dad’s Christmas pistol a couple of weeks ago. It just works for me. I think the Pachmayrs helped it fit me better. Actually I shoot it a little better than my Model 14.

Green Frog
12-24-2021, 11:47 AM
Congratulations on a great family Christmas story for this venue. It sounds like yours is a shooting family! Since the generation before you were shooters, are you carrying it on with the generation that follows you?

I know you miss you father as I do mine, but what great memories he left you. Have a very Merry Christmas.

Green Frog

curdog
12-24-2021, 12:43 PM
Cool story, thanks for sharing . Merry Christmas and God bless....................Curdog

Noah Zark
12-24-2021, 12:48 PM
Great story, even greater memories.

Noah

Harter66
12-24-2021, 12:54 PM
I wish there was a like button or something .
Posts like this make me want to share my own stories .

Texas by God
12-24-2021, 12:56 PM
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed this.
Merry Christmas!

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imashooter2
12-24-2021, 01:36 PM
I have a similar story with a model 38 Airweight. Nothing quite the same as shooting an heirloom. Thank you for sharing.

Ia.redneck
12-24-2021, 03:27 PM
Great story!
Guns with a family story are the best.

hoodat
12-24-2021, 03:54 PM
A 4" Model 64 is about as good as it gets for an "all round" sweet shooting gun with total reliability. Mine is an ex cop/security gun that has been converted to DA only with bobbed hammer. The DA trigger is so sweet that I don't even miss SA shooting with it. A few years back I had my right shoulder re-constructed, and was a lefty for about four months. I got pretty proud of how good I got at left handed/one handed shooting with it. jd

John Guedry
01-02-2022, 10:28 AM
My wife loves our model 15 Smith. Not so much prior to putting the rubber Pachmayers on it. No longer our model 15, now it's MY gun. Oh well I still have a very nice model 10.

T-Bird
01-11-2022, 09:51 AM
Beautiful story!