|
Last June, I drove to Connecticut to drop off one of my Model 21s to have Pauline Muerrle engrave it. I leased a car, threw my dog in the back seat, drove up and dropped it off at a gunsmith's in Southport and returned in October to pick it up. It was about an eleven hour drive each way. WE spent each night in the car at a Mobil Service Plaza in Fairfield. On both trips, I got up around 6:00 a.m. and since the gunshop didn't open until around 10:00 in the morning, I had the chance to drive about 20 miles to the Winchester plant/building in New Haven, (after having my breakfast at the McDonalds there at the Service Plaza). I guess it was something that had always been on my bucket list. I had the time of my life. It was a little rough on my nine month old pup. She did get car sick and made a mess in the car on the second trip. But everything turned out okay. She loves to travel. Before she was a year old she had been in eleven different states. When I found the gunsmith's shop, it was on the rear of the Sturm Ruger Building. So, I got to see two gun enthusiast's landmarks. The smith took my gun apart, sent it to Pauline and when she sent it back, he reblued the gun and repaired whatever was making the gun "double". He did a fantastic job on my TRAP model. I have probably told this story before, but here it is again....... I bought the gun from Steve Barnett at The National Gun Day gun show in Louisville around 20 years ago. The first time I took it out to try it out, it doubled on me. I took it home, stuck it in the safe and never fired it again. I sent to the Cody Museum, got to paperwork and much to my surprise, the final inspection was September 11, 1947. They told me it was more than likely shipped the next day which was the day I was born. It was shipped to Von Lengerke and Antoine in Chicago, the store that supplied the gangs of Al Capone with machine guns. (I try to tell people that he ran 25 straight with my gun, but no one ever believes me. Ha-ha!!) I walked around the Winchester building, took several pictures and movies and had a great time. I wish I could have gone inside the factory end but the fear of breaking in and getting arrested kept me from that. Because the older part of the building is deteriorating, I managed to pick up several bricks and pieces of brick as souvenirs. I have them to give to some of my buddies here at home. Pauline was so gracious doing the 21-4 pattern. She did a fantastic job. And I had the time of my life. Here are some of the pictures I took. I read that the city remodeled part of the building as condos or apartments and the rest of the building sits.
| 