Gun Show This Weekend

[724wd]

not the biggest show, but there was plenty to look at. seems like it was either fantastic or junk... not a lot of in between. beautiful doubles, drillings, customs and stockers... and worn out mosins and sks's for too much money. there was a geha 12 gauge for $175 i looked at, but what do i need one for? i looked hard at a 44 receivered 8mm semi custom. nice action: intact waffenamps/swastikas, military barrel, macthing bolt, ok sporter stock, junk stamped bottom metal poorly inletted. $250 - could get for $225 or so. guy had another semi custom, but the action wasn't as nice. decided not to do it - besides, i only had $195 on me! =) saw a CZ that was nice for $275. bolt looked hacked. had my 3 month old daughter with me, had lots of trade offers, but she wasn't crying, so i passed. and then i saw it... a chipmunk .22. $225 on it, which is really high, but i dont see them often. with soft case, almost new condition (other than an added tang sight, which is now gone) i couldn't pass it up. $195 and a mildly upset wife, it's worth it. still a bit high, but i can sell the tang sight, and the case is a $25 option. nice piece of walnut, clean gun... hope she likes it!

 

looked briefly at 2 Steyr M95s, but at $500 (!) i passed. same guy had a M48 for $550 and a turk non-k.kale for $500! goofy dude!

[Horsefly]

When those Chipmunks first came out,they were 115.00 at the shows,and now most I see are around 200.00,no matter what the condition.They sure do have nice walnut.I wanted one for my kids when they were little,but times were hard and they got too big for one by the time I could swing it.Now I'd like to get my grandaughters one,but need to hurry,'cause they're growing faster the my kids did.My mother,nephew,and younger brother all have one,and they're in mint condition,but nobody will turn loose of theirs.Sounds like your liking being a daddy.Pretty rare now-a-days.Jerry

[Dr.Hess]

I bought a single shot .22 at a gun show a couple years ago. I think it is a Remington, but I forget the model number. Maybe 514 or something. It's old. I saw it at the show with a $25 price sticker on it and worked him down to $20. The bolt handle was missing. I bought a universal handle and brazed it on. Shoots pretty well. It is spot on at about 50 yards, but the step adjuster for the rear sight is missing. Guess I need to make one of those. I have a couple of step-grandchildren, but I don't think they are ready to handle the responsibility of that.

[fritz]

Single shot .22s bring back memories to this old man. My first real rifle was a Springfield bolt action single shot, the one where you cocked it by pulling the cocking knob (like the '03 military rifle had) back. It was a very safe design, and I never shot myself with it, or shoot a hole in the mattress like I did with a pump action.

 

It was passed down to me (sorta, you know how those things go) from my dad. He shot a lot of hogs with it, using .22 shorts. That was the start of a long day of work---butchering a big fat hog and making cracklings and lard and soap out of the fat.

 

mmm, I can still smell the aroma from that old iron kettle with all the fat boiling in it. And the aroma from the smokehouse with the bacon and the sausage being smoked after it was made and hung up.

 

But, those days are gone now for me. I hope that you can bring just a bit of it back to your children and grandchildren, by giving them an old single shot .22.

 

BTW, I still have the old rifle.

 

 

fritz

[swamprat]

I bought both my grandson's a Chipmonk. I got the orginal ones made in Oregon, the newer ones made here in Kansas are not the same quality. Had to hunt to find the second one. Fun little trainer rifles for the junior set. But they do out grow them fast.

 

Swamprat