Well, I am pretty excited. When I was 12, I got my first centerfire rifle, a Winchester lever action. I had been wanting one something bad; in fact, I my grade 5 science project was on the 30-30 ( I won 3rd place
). I had a paper route and had saved up $310, all of it allocated to my firearm fund. One day I saw an ad in the paper for a Sioux Carbine (30-30) and a Cheyenne Carbine (44-40) for $350 each. Wasting no time, I presented this ad to my father. With a little convincing we were in the car and on the way, he said we could probably haggle and get one within my budget. Let me tell you, to a 12 year old those fancy boxes and gold recievers looked MIGHTY fine! Which one to choose? The price was the same, but the Cheyenne Carbine came with a box of limited edition ammo. Oh the agony of it, it was like waiting by the tree on Christmas morning at 5:00am wondering why no-one else is awake. Finally I decided on the 30-30. The excitement was unbearable, I couldn't wait to get home and clean it (never mind that it was new) and practice snapping it up to my shoulder. The 20 minute drive seemed like an eternity. When we got home I proudly showed my mother my rifle. My father had gone to the bedroom to put his feet up and was talking with my mother when I knocked on the door. In my hand was a yellow envelope with the carefully organized bills, carefully recounted to ensure all of it was there. I went to the side of the bed and presented it to my father. "Keep it son" was all he said. He passed away 15 years ago and the memory still brings a tear to my eye.
Years later our house was broken into while we were on holidays...my Sioux Carbine was gone.
Today I bought another one, and while it is new and doesn't have that "special" scratch on it from a Chilko Lake Mountain Goat hunt, it will do. I can hardly wait for it to arrive. I'm like a kid again...please hurry Mr. Postman!
). I had a paper route and had saved up $310, all of it allocated to my firearm fund. One day I saw an ad in the paper for a Sioux Carbine (30-30) and a Cheyenne Carbine (44-40) for $350 each. Wasting no time, I presented this ad to my father. With a little convincing we were in the car and on the way, he said we could probably haggle and get one within my budget. Let me tell you, to a 12 year old those fancy boxes and gold recievers looked MIGHTY fine! Which one to choose? The price was the same, but the Cheyenne Carbine came with a box of limited edition ammo. Oh the agony of it, it was like waiting by the tree on Christmas morning at 5:00am wondering why no-one else is awake. Finally I decided on the 30-30. The excitement was unbearable, I couldn't wait to get home and clean it (never mind that it was new) and practice snapping it up to my shoulder. The 20 minute drive seemed like an eternity. When we got home I proudly showed my mother my rifle. My father had gone to the bedroom to put his feet up and was talking with my mother when I knocked on the door. In my hand was a yellow envelope with the carefully organized bills, carefully recounted to ensure all of it was there. I went to the side of the bed and presented it to my father. "Keep it son" was all he said. He passed away 15 years ago and the memory still brings a tear to my eye. Years later our house was broken into while we were on holidays...my Sioux Carbine was gone.
Today I bought another one, and while it is new and doesn't have that "special" scratch on it from a Chilko Lake Mountain Goat hunt, it will do. I can hardly wait for it to arrive. I'm like a kid again...please hurry Mr. Postman!
