Dad’s first rifle

[Scott Tschirhart]

My grandpa’s brother gave my dad a single shot .22 when he was about 10 years old and the rifle was picked up used. My dad is 84 now.

I found it in the barn a couple of months ago. It was covered in dust and rust. The stock was dry and worn.

Lots of time with steel wool and working by hand I put a nice rust blue on it because to buff it out just would destroy the nature of the old gun.

I think I did ok and I’ll give it back to him tomorrow.

[Scott Tschirhart]

The bore appears to be just fine. Must be that the wax coated bullets preserved it.

[Pat C]

Stevens model 15-A?

[Ysabel Kid]

What an awesome and thoughtful gift, Scott.

[JimT]

Well done!

My Dad gave me one like that when I was 10 years old. He had cut the barrel to 16" and shortened the stock so it fit me. I learned to hunt with it .... being a single shot I learned to make the first shot count. i had that gun til I was 16 or 17 and discovered girls and hot rods ..... or maybe that was 14 .....

[TedH]

Looks great!

[Pat C]

USMC sniper Carlos Hathcock cut his teeth on the Stevens 15-A .I believe his boyhood rifle is in the NRA museum.

[Scott Tschirhart]

That’s interesting. This was probably the first .22 I ever shot. Dad trained us by putting an empty .22 case on a board on the other side of the corral and we would shoot from a rest across a board on the other side of the corral. His dad taught him the same way. Same corral.

[horsesoldier03]

Nice Job, Cool Story!

[cas]

My dad's first rifle as well. And the first one I ever shot.

[gamekeeper]

Nice job I love to see a neglected gun brought back to life.

[Walt]

Scott, you did a great job....it looks beautiful!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Thank you. It’s not real pretty but this old gun is like me. Scars and all. Just cleaned up a bit.

[AJMD429]

.
I hope you're going to give him a good scolding for not taking care of his gun and putting it away properly...!

That was also the first 22 I ever had. I got it shortly after my dad died when I was five and we got evicted from our rental house and had to move to an abandoned farm he had just put a down payment on before he died. It became my responsibility to do pest control in the garden and then later on when we got sheep it was my job to keep wild dog packs from killing them.

That little 22 was great. I talked my mom into getting me a $12 Sears and Roebuck scope to put on it because even at that age I needed glasses. The crosshair is broke so I took it apart and made a little post sight out of the lid of a tin can.

Years later a friend of mine refurbished the gun and shortened the stock for my oldest child. It was much better than the little 'Cricket' ones in my estimation, partly because it was such a quality old gun but also partly because of the history involved.

[Bill in Oregon]

Scott, I'll bet your Pop will be plumb tickled.

[jeepnik]

Not a Stevens but the Winchester equivalent was also my first rifle. Ten seems to have been the magic age. Dad had won it in some sort of competition a few years earlier and kept it in itybox until my birthday.

[GunnyMack]

Great job Scott! Nice that it's still in the family, bet your Pop will be tickled to see it again. Ya better get him a brick of 22s too!

[Drawdown]

Great little 22, I got this one from a co-worker about 12 years ago. It looked like it had been in back of state highway dump truck when I got it. Reason I bought it was I knew it was Hathcocks first rifle. Well I cleaned it good, bolt disassembly and all. Took it to shoot it and was I amazed, best $25 I ever spent! I retired in 2016, decided to refinish it. Now no way I'd part with it! It shoots most all ammo well, but these Win Bulk 333, it'll drill a squirrel in head every shot at 40yds. If I do my part. I drilled 2 holes for quick extra follow up shot, and it being 2016, it just happened same year for Ky's commemorative quarter, so I laid one in Stock on back shows Boone crossing Cumberland Gap. I used to hunt right up to the Gap Park boundary, not far from the Gap. Rubbed about 10 coats linseed oil then put one coat Truoil on. It's beautiful piece wood!
Always planned to squirrel hunt with it, but I've just about quit squirrel hunting in last 10 years. But I know if I'd had this rifle years ago, it'd been dandy in squirrel woods. It and the Win Mod 67 are about alike, another great squirrel rifle! I shimmed the trigger spring some, took out lot the long military type travel, but it breaks clean and fairly light!

20240204_134334.jpg

20240204_134321.jpg

20240204_134554.jpg

[Drawdown]

I love the quick and easy takedown by one thumbscrew, in fact I've took it disassembled in backpack to my deer stands few times hoping fir a squirrel shot but just hasn't happened yet. In fact, ive not pulled the trigger on any game with it yet, but i will!

[Scott Tschirhart]

.
I hope you're going to give him a good scolding for not taking care of his gun and putting it away properly...!

I’m sure he feels bad enough about and I would not address my father like that. It’s good enough to give it back to him in better shape.