[Grady Clay]

Congratulations guys;

This is about the most civil, pleasant and informed discussion on this subject I have seen. Clearly this is a “hot button” topic for many.

Clearly here in the USA a firearm has been a necessary tool for survival from the 18th century wilderness through the “wild west.” After the era of gunfighters and a spat of Gangsters in the probation era, firearms were still mostly for sport, military service and almost as an aside for police work.

With the advent of “cheep” guns (Saturday Night Specials), everything changed.

As I was growing up and as a young adult, most police never used a firearm other than for practice. As I learned firearms as a pre-teen (‘40s-’50), there was only hunting and target practice. I never even saw a “human silhouette” target – only animals and bulls-eye. I only hunted birds, fowl, rabbits and rodents, mostly at home in Kentucky but some in the Chesapeake East and Mountain West.

When I graduated from college, I owned a .22 pump that I used from age 6, a .22 bolt action eventually fitted with a good Redfield scope, a Winchester Model 12 20-gauge that I used hunting from age 8, a Parker Brothers 12-gauge side-by-side field gun, a 30-06 Colt-Sauber fine rifle, a Remington 30-06 bolt action. All other than the Colt-Sauber are pre-WWII. There is also my dad’s WWII M1 .30 carbine. Note that there are no hand guns.

I and my two younger brothers learned proper handling from a VERY early age. There is no such thing as an unloaded gun. No matter what you treat every firearm is if it is loaded and ready to shoot. There was never a loaded gun in the house. The firearms and ammunition were (and are) always in separate locked cabinets. Even today I disable, lock, disassemble everything and spread the parts among two cabinets – even the percussion muzzle loaders.

In the ‘60s and ’70, I bought some weapons – a S&W .44 Mag “Dirty Harry” long barrel. Great fun with targets, a rubber grip and .44 Specials. It probably has had 8000 rounds through it. Occasionally I take it camping when bear and mountain lions are prevalent. I think shooting into the ground (with a Mag load) would scare off any animal.

I also have a nice Colt 9 mm “Officers Special” (circa ’75) – never fired.

I had Chris understanding all this from an early age (muzzle loading at age 7 seated with legs crossed with a tripod .50 caliber percussion “carbine”.)


I want to find a new pair of sequential S/N Colt manufacture 1911A1s with all the tools and manuals. I’ll get Chris to build a presentation case.

I think the most important I want is a pre-WWII Model 12 12-gauge. This is the quintessential field gun for waterfowl.


So, that is my firearm experiences. Sorta like collecting Porsches. You can take them to “events”, you can enjoy the technology and history and more. You can also give the keys to an unqualified drunk or allow it to be stolen by criminals and watch the resulting carnage.

Best,
Grady