When I was a teenager the guy next door, an elderly Italian immigrant next door was rumoured to have a Winchester 351. I had one rifle at the time, a 303 Ross. I was tempted to ask him about the gun, but he was the local back-room barber too and I quit getting haircuts around the time I heard he had that gun (1968) so was reluctant to go see him with my shaggy locks and talk about the gun and didn't pursue it. But the fact that that gun had been so close and possibly accessible as he was quite elderly at the time haunted me for years.
Then today I got together for a visit with a high school friend I hadn't seen in at least 45 years and we started talking about guns. He mentioned that he had a 351 Winchester he'd inherited. I mentioned the gun I had heard about belonging to an old italian guy next door and he said "Was that Beni Perlini?" I said "No, it was Joe Kilby."
He then explained that his father, who was known locally as a gun collector in the 1960s and 70s had purchased his 351 from Perlini. Well, I knew that in those days there were only two old-time Italian immigrants to the village we lived in and that there was probably no doubt that Perlini had got the 351 from old Kilby and then sold it off to my friend's dad.
Now my friend has it. I never knew of course that I would ever hear of that gun again. Funny how the world goes round.
Then today I got together for a visit with a high school friend I hadn't seen in at least 45 years and we started talking about guns. He mentioned that he had a 351 Winchester he'd inherited. I mentioned the gun I had heard about belonging to an old italian guy next door and he said "Was that Beni Perlini?" I said "No, it was Joe Kilby."
He then explained that his father, who was known locally as a gun collector in the 1960s and 70s had purchased his 351 from Perlini. Well, I knew that in those days there were only two old-time Italian immigrants to the village we lived in and that there was probably no doubt that Perlini had got the 351 from old Kilby and then sold it off to my friend's dad.
Now my friend has it. I never knew of course that I would ever hear of that gun again. Funny how the world goes round.
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