doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com When the collection gets bigger-not good.

My Dad lost his struggle with lung cancer on Easter Sunday. In the middle of that day, while I was present, he asked his doctor to discontinue any and all treatment after he had seen all of us. I was blessed to have him in my life for so long, and to have the memories I do. I'll miss him. He would have been 80, next month.
My brother and I divided his modest gun collection. Many years ago, he suggested I take the hunting equipment, and my brother the fishing stuff, but, we liked the idea of splitting it better. The 700 and 742 Remingtons my brother can use for deer, the 241 Speedmaster that my Dad bought new will look good here. Brother took the A5 that Dad bought when he made Sergeant, (1951?) and a 3 1/2 inch chamber pump. I also took the Ruger 44 magnum carbine that dad took his last deer with, a little used SBE, and the Beretta Silver Snipe 12 that was the first gun I hunted with. This one is a bit odd, 26" barrels with modified/improved modified chokes. It's marked S-55, like every Silver Snipe I've handled. I'm not a fan of the single trigger, but, I shoot it well.
All dads guns were used, refinished, and/or modified over the years, they aren't collector's items. I hope my son is right-handed, and will get some use out of some of them. My Dad was one of just a few hunting partners I have these days.

The same week, a long time friend was charged with domestic assault-not convicted, just charged. All his guns had to move into my safe, too. Let me be clear on one thing-there was no assault. He is not a scumbag, and never will be. But, he can't be in possession of his guns until this is sorted out, and that might be a long while.
His girlfriend had his pride and joy, a 16 gauge NID, and that may be gone forever at this point. He has a new shorthair pup, and the prospect of missing this hunting season weighs heavily on his mind. He, also, is one of my few hunting partners.
I never imagined being in possession of so many guns could put me in such blue spirits. The safe is beyond full, and my shooting season is looking a bit lonely with these two gentlemen no longer in the field.
A full safe, is not a good thing, in this case.
Best,
Ted

The Fisherman by William Butler Yeats

Although I can see him still.
The freckled man who goes
To a grey place on a hill
In grey Connemara clothes
At dawn to cast his flies,
It's long since I began
To call up to the eyes
This wise and simple man.
All day I'd looked in the face
What I had hoped 'twould be
To write for my own race
And the reality;
The living men that I hate,
The dead man that I loved,
The craven man in his seat,
The insolent unreproved,
And no knave brought to book
Who has won a drunken cheer,
The witty man and his joke
Aimed at the commonest ear,
The clever man who cries
The catch-cries of the clown,
The beating down of the wise
And great Art beaten down.

Maybe a twelvemonth since
Suddenly I began,
In scorn of this audience,
Imagining a man,
And his sun-freckled face,
And grey Connemara cloth,
Climbing up to a place
Where stone is dark under froth,
And the down-turn of his wrist
When the flies drop in the stream;
A man who does not exist,
A man who is but a dream;
And cried, 'Before I am old
I shall have written him one
poem maybe as cold
And passionate as the dawn.'

Pete

Ted, My sympathy for your loss and difficulty. It is a mystery why we all suffer these things, other than it is life. Hopefully someday we will know the answers. I lost my older brother 2 years ago and will never be able to ask his wife about the things he left and she will never volunteer. At eleven years of age he sold greeting cards and bought a Marlin single shot 22lr, all on his own- that was my older brother. This was, of course, back when a boy could do those things. That little rifle is the only thing that I can think of, of his, I would like to have, but I remember him and his story and that will be enough. Best to you and yours, Kurt

Ted, I too am very sorry on the loss of your father. I lost mine 13 years ago and think of him everyday. We all know that he is in a better world. I'm sure that he's up there now doing some hunting and looking down on you with a smile for all the wonderful times you had together.

I do hope that your friend will be able to get things worked out so that he can go out with you. It is lonely without a good partner. I'm lucky that I have two young sons who love the sport, so for me I'll always have a good partner.

Again, sorry for all your bumps in the road of life. Things will get better. Just trust the good Lord to help you out.

All the best you.

Greg

Thanks for the poem, Pete. My Dad had a rough 2009, and when I got to the hospital at 12:30 on Monday morning, I was relieved to hear his pain was over. No more doctoring was what he had asked for, and received.

I consider death no more unnatural than birth, and hope that when my time comes, I can follow my Dad's example, with the same dignity, and bravely.


Thanks again, fellows.
Best,
Ted

My father passed on a numbr of years ago, I remember the day and everything that happened that day very well. He taught me to shoot and hunt and gave me my first guns, a Mossburg .22 semi auto rifle and a J C Higgins single barrel 16 gauge)for 2 different birthdays), then later an A5 Sweet 16. You will always remember the good times with your father, which is a good thing. You are fortunate to have had him for a good while, mine was only 55 when he passed on. May I also offer my sympathies on your loss.

I solved my problem of not enough space in my safe (unrelated to the above story completely) by buying a Browning vault door and building a reinforced concrete vault room in my basement. You can make one as big or as small as you want, the same door works just as well on either. Mine ended up about 7' x 6' inside dimensions, plus an offset of 3' x 3' which I shelved to hold my ammo. I use a dehumidifier made by RCA Whirpool, bought it at Sears, the discharge line is connected to the house plumbing system in my crawl space area, and it works great. I lined the rough concrete walls with a commercial carpet with a rubber backing on it, that prevents an occasional bump of a barrel from doing any harm, and looks great. I carpeted the floor with a RealTree pattern commercial carpet, and installed celotex ceiling tiles on the underside of the reinforced concrete ceiling. Everything together cost me only about 2 grand or so, (several years ago now) using my labor with help from one of my sons. It would take a jack hammer and a good bit of time ( and a lot of noise) to get into it. As much as you fool with guns you might want to consider something similar.

Ted, I can understand what you went through. I lost my Dad 10 years ago, and my Mother 11 months later, at 81, and 80 years of age. Neither wanted any heroics, nor did they wish to be in a condition to require a nursing home. I had no problems helping Mother make the decision about Dad and later about Mom. I work in a hospital and have seen so many that must try to keep their parents and loved ones alive at all costs, and really make them suffer , and wonder why. Death is a natural thing and will claim us all. Like you I just hope when my time comes I am allowed to receive it with dignity, and let it be not only a loss but a releif for my survivors.

Sorry to hear about your dad Ted.

Ted:
My mother-in-law who was 88 and a WW II Vet died here about 3 weeks ago. My wife had relocated her here about 5 weeks ago as she could no longer care for herself and the rest of the family was located here.
She did ok for a few weeks and spent the last few days in a hospice surrounded by us,her grandaughter and 4 great grand children with a "do not resusitate" order and died peacefully in her sleep.
I suspect it's the way she wanted to go as well as it was your fathers choice.
Jim

Ted,

Profound sympathy and deepest condolences at the death of your father.

Also regret to hear of your friend's difficulties. His is a serious situation, and he must have a lawyer advise on his course of action, including possible slander charges etc.

Regards, Tim