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Old January 27, 2021, 04:43 PM   #1
bamaranger
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I took a 98 yr old hunting today!

No, not my granddad........but a Remington Model 14, cal. 30 Remington, mfg. in 1913, second year of production!

I snicked 5 obsolete 170 grain Core-Lokt cartridges into the spiral magazine tube, cycled the pump, and watched the entire mag reciprocate and deliver a cartridge to the chamber. The action cycled like oiled ball bearings on glass. A bit of fiddling, and I finally got round #6 into the tube, the process a bit tedious, just like when I was a kid, age 12. Down the trail a quarter mile or so to my stand, the old rifle was a joy to carry, light, sleek, balanced........no more of an incumbrance than a stout walking stick.

A bit of anxiety as dawn broke. In the pines, the semi-buckhorn rear and bead front (painted white) was a bit hard to make out until we got good light, then I was OK. I sure don't have a 12 yr. olds eyes anymore! A heavily used trail snaked through the thick stuff, a mere 30 yds away, if a buck came through there, he was in big trouble. The wind was perfect, buck sign nearby, we'd see.......

While on stand, I admired the old rifle, really in VG+ shape. I'd acquired it in 1982, it was not the rifle I'd started with, my Dad traded that one away. But it was just like "mine", and I had to have it, and spent $350 seasonal ranger dollars that really should have been spent on something else, to take it home from a shop in central PA.

How many mornings on stand had this old rifle seen? How many different hands had carried it afield? How many deer had it taken?

I'd not killed one with it, that was for sure. And no buck showed this AM either. But it was great hunting with an old acquaintance, even if adopted.
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Old January 27, 2021, 04:48 PM   #2
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Back in the day people had fewer guns, traded them when they wanted but had guns made of quality and that had character.
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Old January 29, 2021, 05:07 PM   #3
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I am a fan of taking old guns hunting. I have several Savage 99s I take out occasionally, one of them is a 99f my dad bought when he got out of the Navy in 1946. I own several old Winchesters I would enjoy going on a hunt with. A friend and I were supposed to go hunt Montana last year, but COVID got in the way of all my hunting and fishing plans last year. I used to hunt with old guns a lot more, but I used to hunt a lot more. There is just something about a 100-year-old gun out for a morning hunt that makes the day special.
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Old January 29, 2021, 05:47 PM   #4
eastbank
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i like useing older rifles and shotguns, winchester and remington. i have killed quite a lot of small and large game with them. from 1873,s in 38-40, 44-40 to a 1876 in 45-60 and a 1886 in 40-82 ect, and winchester model 1897 and model 12,s and winchester 62-61 pumps with winchester 69-72 bolt .22,s. other. than cleaning them i have had no problems with them, knowing they did the job(some over a hundred years) and will do the job they were intended for today.
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Old February 3, 2021, 04:19 AM   #5
bamaranger
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I'm an idiot.............

OK, basic math!

Current year: 2021
mfg date 1913

age of rifle......108, NOT 98,..... I'm an idiot!
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Old February 3, 2021, 01:13 PM   #6
reinert
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Made a trade last summer and got a #1 Remington sporting rifle in 44/77 caliber (rolling block). It's a nice old tight rifle with a minty bore and was built at sometime back in the late 1870's-early 80's (near as serial # data figures from the old Remington files). Bagged a nice whitetail doe with it last fall using a 480 grn. cast bullet, and 77 grns. of 1.5 FG Swiss powder. The shot was near 70 yds., through both ribs, with the bullet passing through to bury itself in the hill on her offside. Needless to say, she didn't go far before piling up, and the old B.P. round was certainly "enough gun" for the job. Packed it on a few elk forays last fall, but never got an opportunity for a shot. Plenty of gun for an elk, and never a second thought for usage on that critter, either. Got a paper patch mould coming for it within the next couple of weeks to give that route a try. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with a good, accurate reload using that method for ammo to feed the old roller come next season.
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Old February 3, 2021, 01:33 PM   #7
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Congratulations to you and the senior citizen!
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Old February 3, 2021, 02:59 PM   #8
Ricklin
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Senior citizens

Since I am less than one month away from officially qualifying for that status personally....

I wish that I worked as well as my guns do. My guns are older than me, and I can guarantee they "work better" than I do.

My brides pistol was made in 1920, it's as good as it ever was, accurate and reliable Colt 1903.
My back fence trap gun is over 100, and again it is in better shape than me. It works perfectly, just like new, I do not.

I do love my senior citizens. I challenge you to find items that are over 100 that work as good as new.

I do reckon that we are a far more complex machine.....but I can wish!
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Old February 3, 2021, 11:21 PM   #9
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I think you need to re-do the math. That is 107 not 98!
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Old February 4, 2021, 12:58 AM   #10
bamaranger
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wow

I actually went and redid the math......funny!
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Old February 4, 2021, 06:02 PM   #11
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My deer rifle is a Remington Express 30-06 from around the 1930s. That old Mauser action still runs smooth and is easily “minute of Bambi” accurate. It was my grandfathers, my dad said he loved that rifle. I do too.
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Old February 5, 2021, 05:21 PM   #12
Scorch
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Quote:
I'm an idiot!
Over the years, I have fallen in love with girls, women, fast cars, old guns, airplanes, you name it About the only one I still pay attention to is old guns. So I'm an idiot, too!
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Old February 11, 2021, 12:30 PM   #13
4V50 Gary
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108 is near senior abuse. Naw, glad you had a good time.
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Old February 12, 2021, 12:42 AM   #14
Pathfinder45
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Good old guns rock!
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Old February 12, 2021, 11:55 AM   #15
Ricklin
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When we consider the big picture?
Cartridge based firearms have really not changed much in the last 150 years or so.
Yes, incremental improvements have occurred.

It is fun to speculate what the military has that we know little about.
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