Just a gun story

SteveTX · February 06, 2020, 12:33:48 PM

After the previous post of the 10/22 and some comments it reminded me of a funny story. And how times have changed. So here goes.

My grandfather had a Marlin Glenfield .22 that was the first gun I shot. Well one that any powder fed projectile. I was in 4th grade when I was taught to shoot it. When I was in 6th grade our public school class raffled off an identical Marlin .22. Of all people my grandfather won it. My teacher called him over the weekend and tried to inform him he won. Back then he didn't believe in phone calls claiming he won anything and hung up on my teacher 2 times.

Well the following Monday at school I was told he won. Remember this was 6th grade! After school the teacher handed me the rifle and I proceeded to get on a school bus and ride for 20 minutes showing it to anyone that asked on the bus.

I have to say other than the cool part of my grandfather winning it was not even a big deal. I don't think the bus driver even knew until maybe seeing it going around in the bus. The whole experience I will never forget. Handing it to my grandfather was a high point in my childhood. It wasn't long afterward that the gun was given to me.

Just thought id share. Quite a dramatic change from today.

Mike Cork · February 06, 2020, 02:02:01 PM

That is a very cool story thanks for sharing...

Yes different times. I remember being in high school and my wood shop teacher had us bring our hunting riffles to class so that we could look at how the stalks were built. A couple of the guys in class choose building a stock as a class project. I must say the teach did have to get special permission but it was not that big of a deal.

Different times.... I got may ass whooped for lying, doing something wrong that I had been told was wrong, back handed for back talking, and if I ever handled a weapon unsafely I would haven't been able to sit down for a week... Common Sense went a long way to keeping me out of trouble when I was a kid.

I was not abused as a kid but if I was standing next to my father and he raised his hand too quickly I flinched....

I think our youth are missing that.

Smallie_Stalker · February 06, 2020, 03:33:38 PM

I was raised in a house where guns were openly and proudly displayed in racks that my father built himself.

All of us in the house knew which gun was which, what ammo went in what gun and where that ammo was kept too. None of it needed to be locked up. And not once did any of us kids think of sneaking one out of the house or threatening anyone who may have been harassing us by flashing a gun at them.

I remember being jealous at 6 years old of my brother who got a brand new .22 for his birthday that he picked out of the Sears catalog! My dad got a money order, filled out the form in the catalog and mailed it off. A couple weeks later my brother had his new .22. No papers, no registration required. Nothing. Just a mail order from a major department store.

Different times for sure.

twocold · February 06, 2020, 03:33:58 PM

Amen!!

SteveTX · February 06, 2020, 04:05:55 PM

Quote from: Mike Cork on February 06, 2020, 02:02:01 PM
That is a very cool story thanks for sharing...

Yes different times. I remember being in high school and my wood shop teacher had us bring our hunting riffles to class so that we could look at how the stalks were built. A couple of the guys in class choose building a stock as a class project. I must say the teach did have to get special permission but it was not that big of a deal.

Different times.... I got may ass whooped for lying, doing something wrong that I had been told was wrong, back handed for back talking, and if I ever handled a weapon unsafely I would haven't been able to sit down for a week... Common Sense went a long way to keeping me out of trouble when I was a kid.

I was not abused as a kid but if I was standing next to my father and he raised his hand too quickly I flinched.... I think our youth are missing that.

I did live in a small town in the middle of nowhere so that could have partially been why things were so relaxed. Everyone knew everyone else. That and if I did something bad back then I got the Principals paddle then he called home, then mom would spank me, then when dad got home from work I got it again. That worked for the neighbors and any adult that caught me messing up. Id get busted on my but and sent home like they were my parent. It was like the neighborhood watch for crime but for bad kids and they all had enforcement powers.

Lets just say mischief, bad behavior, or bad grades didn't pay worth a shit. But like most I deserved every spanking got. And if I got a extra spanking for something I didn't do I am sure it was deserved for something else they didn't know I did. At the time I hated it. But once I grew up some the why was glaringly obvious. I am glad my parents cared now. Look at the kids now days that were from the generations of don't touch my kids, and the I never spank my kids parents. Those kids can be spotted a mile away.

Quote from: Smallie_Stalker on February 06, 2020, 03:33:38 PM
I was raised in a house where guns were openly and proudly displayed in racks that my father built himself.

All of us in the house knew which gun was which, what ammo went in what gun and where that ammo was kept too. None of it needed to be locked up. And not once did any of us kids think of sneaking one out of the house or threatening anyone who may have been harassing us by flashing a gun at them.

I remember being jealous at 6 years old of my brother who got a brand new .22 for his birthday that he picked out of the Sears catalog! My dad got a money order, filled out the form in the catalog and mailed it off. A couple weeks later my brother had his new .22. No papers, no registration required. Nothing. Just a mail order from a major department store.

Different times for sure.

Smallie guns were the same here. I mean they weren't everywhere but they were around. Certain corners near doors had a loaded shotgun leaning in it. There was a gun rack in a room or two and a closet always had a few. OK well they were all around now that I think about it. But the thing was as a kid I knew I might as well suicide if I touched any of them without being told to. And the funny thing was I was never told dont touch them. When your raised around them its like being raised with a fireplace. You dont go stick your hand in the fire you know better and yet you never had to be told.

That is pretty neat knowing Sears just sent one in the mail to you guys. You are right times have changed.

Captsteve · February 06, 2020, 04:32:58 PM

We went to school with guns hanging on racks of the rear windshield of our pick up trucks. No big deal. The last day of school, several us would ride our horses to school. Yes i lived in just outside of a very small town in southeast Texas.

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SteveTX · February 06, 2020, 04:48:41 PM

Quote from: Captsteve on February 06, 2020, 04:32:58 PM
We went to school with guns hanging on racks of the rear windshield of our pick up trucks. No big deal. The last day of school, several us would ride our horses to school. Yes i lived in just outside of a very small town in southeast Texas.

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Oh yeah I remember that when I was in high school. Still in a small town in North East Texas. I had the very .22 I mentioned in my back glass. Never a issue ever on school premises or not. But I did get a serious look from a cop when I drove to Richardson TX just north of Dallas to see my mom and some friends. I was almost to the mall on a street with I think like 35 mph speed limit. I was just a kid in a rednecked out Chevy truck, loud echo tips and big mud grips. I was only about 17 had long hair like girl, just a 100lb skinny punk kid driving. Yup I recall I had his attention as he nearly broke his neck looking at me. Either it was end of shift or he didn't want to write up all the violations that just went through his head because he never turned around. I honestly think he convinced himself it was a pellet gun.

Pipepro · February 06, 2020, 09:08:37 PM

Nice story Steve.

When I was in High School speech class, I did a speech on how to clean a Shotgun. I carried the gun into the school (in a case) and left it with the Assistant Principal. Before class I walked down to his office and got it, and carried it to the classroom where I did my speech. After class I just took it back out to my truck and put it behind the seat. No one batted an eye. Just about every truck in the parking lot had a gun or 2 in them, mostly so we could hit the woods running after school let out.

Its a different world for sure.

Jacobguy · February 07, 2020, 07:31:29 AM

I'm 16, a junior in highschool and hearing about this stuff amazes me, keep in mind I've been shooting since I could hold a firearm but if I brought a gun within school grounds there would be cop cars surrounding me and a swat team ready to take me down... the society we live in today... You gentlemen really did grow up in a better time frame, compared to nowadays...

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Oldfart9999 · February 07, 2020, 08:15:37 AM

When we lived in Watertown during the fall I would get home from school, change my cloths, grab my 20 gauge, head to the bus stop and hop the bus out to a friends home in the country, nobody flinched. When we moved to Rochester we lived in a suburb that was an extension of the city, during hunting season I could be found either hunting or walking along the road to home after hunting, nobody, not even the cops were bothered by it. During the summer I could be found walking down to a farmers field or to some open land to hunt groundhogs. Now I'd be arrested, my parents would be arrested, the news would have me as a terrorist out to commit all kinds of mayhem, we are what we vote for, funny thing is I never voted for this crap.
Rodney