Childhood Memories

[TedH]

Funny how one little item you come across by pure happenstance can bring back so many memories from so long ago.

As a preteen farm kid growing up in the mid 70's I was no stranger to shooting a gun very early on. I got my first BB gun around 6 or 7 years old. Countless sparrows fell prey to it, trying to keep them out of my mothers beloved Purple Martin house. Not long after, Dad introduced me to his Marlin semi auto 22 and his High Standard Sentinel 9 shot revolver. I loved shooting at tin cans at the junk pile with those guns, but it was a rare treat, as ammo was not to be "wasted" just shooting for the fun of it.

On trips to the grocery store with mother, I would stop and look through the hunting magazines while she did the shopping. From the first time I saw one in an advertisement in one of those magazines, I was enamored with the H&R 622 revolvers. Never bothered mentioning it to anyone, because I knew it would be pure folly to think I could actually have one of my very own. Still, that desire lingered for years. I could imagine how it felt to hold in my hand, how deadly I would be to cottontails that crossed my path.

Fast forward 45 or so years. A friend that I occasionally do some gun trading with asked me one day if I'd be interested in an old 22 pistol. Well, sure, what ya got?
He hands me a yellowed old H&R box, and inside was my 622, paperwork and all. Instantly, in my mind, was that 8 year old boy dreaming at the grocery store magazine rack.
As I picked it up for the very first time, it felt exactly as I imagined it would back then. Though the box shows its age, the revolver appeared unfired, clean, and shiny as the day it was made. While the gun is not worth a day's pay to most, I would have given a week's pay for it at that moment. But no, my friend only wanted $135 for it.

Now, it's been shot a few times, and every now and then I'll pull it out and rub an oily sock over it, just to preserve it, and preserve those memories of my childhood that might seem trivial to some, but are priceless to me.

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[TraderVic]

I remember those adds and those revolvers. Way cool how one came your way after so many years. I think you'll have too much fun with it.
Congrats..

[gamekeeper]

A long long wait but a Cool story......

[AJMD429]

.
That happened to me with my Ruger Single Six Convertible. I really wanted one in high school but 'settled' for a Ruger Mark one semi-auto because I figured it made a better pair with my 10/22.

I finally got a used one when I was about 50.

[Bill in Oregon]

Ted, great to hear that that old dream gun finally found its way to you. It reminds me of the H&R top-break Model 999 that I owned many years ago.

[Pitchy]

Cool beans, great story.

[2ndovc]

Great story, Ted and a neat old revolver.



jb

[marlinman93]

My first CF handgun was the same H&R, but in a slightly different .38 Special configuration. I thought it was a wonderful handgun, and very nicely fit and finished. It also shot extremely well, but I eventually got enticed into selling it by snobs who told me I needed a "good gun" like a Colt or S&W to shoot.
That was way back over 50 years ago, and I still regret ever selling that H&R. I had the opportunity to buy a much earlier 1920's variation of their .22LR revolver a few years back, and jumped on it. So happily I own one of these fine revolvers again, and life is complete!

[Old No7]

Very neat! Great story.

I'd say that many of my "best" childhood memories (maybe even for "adulthood") involve the safe and legal use of firearms.

Some folks just don't get that..............

Old No7

[Scott Tschirhart]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Old Savage]

Great story, bringing back childhood memories.

[samsi]

Enjoyed the story, thanks. I've been reacquiring some of those childhood items too, it's an enjoyable feeling. I do believe that I've made a mistake in ignoring those H&R revolvers all these years.

[Old Savage]

1966