The talk about forgetting guns has been useful ....

[JimT]

helps us realize we are all human not without the ability to make mistakes. However, all the "forgotten" guns mentioned so far have only been for a few days or at the most, a week. I forgot one for nearly 20 years!

A while back I was sitting at my desk when my phone rang. It was John Linebaugh. I had not talked to him in quite a long time and we caught up on where we were and what we were doing. Then I asked him, "What can I do for you John?" He said, "Well, I am getting ready to retire in a year or so and I was going through my gun safe and found a pistol you sent me years ago." I said, "Really? What pistol?" and he said, "An old model Ruger Single Six."

And it came flooding back to me!

I said "Oh my gosh! I had completely forgotten about that gun!" We figured out that I must have sent it to him in the early 2000's. I had been talking with him about building a 5-shot .38 Special on an old model Single Six. I found a good deal on one from Jack First and had bought it. I shot it some and then sent it to John. Then I had gotten busy with Mission Trip to Alaska and told John to wait. A couple years passed and I had a hunt in Alaska that I was doing and then a hunt in Africa and after that a Mission Trip to Mozambique and shortly after that we started making plans to move to Mozambique and I completely forgot about the Single Six. And so did John!

I told him, "Well keep it John. You've had it longer than I did." but he said no, he was cleaning up his books and would ship it back to me.

When I got the gun I realized I had done some work on it before I sent it to John. It had the gripframe from my old .45 Ruger before I had John rebuild it. And I had done a trigger job on it. I sent the gun to Gary Reeder and had the barrel cut to 4 5/8" and Super Single Six front sight installed on it. And now I shoot that gun more than most any other gun I own. I really enjoy it and am happy I forgot it for all those year and never made it into a .38 Special.

The Forgotten Single Six

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and it helps me remember an old friend who has left this life 'way too soon ....

[gamekeeper]

I give anything to receive a phone call like that...

[Griff]

Excellent post Jim. Glad you got it back and enjoy it so much. I once owned a Single Six and traded it for a Marlin 336 in .30-30. When my Dad moved from AZ to TN he mentioned that he wanted to hunt bears... so I gifted him the 336. After he passed, my Mom gave me his guns, and my son his 10-22. I asked about the 336 and she said he'd traded with one of my cousins for the 10-22 so he could teach my son to shoot... The summer my son turned 8 (1996) he spent back there with my folks and got to shoot that 10-22 quite a lot. A memory he still holds dear to this day!

[Ysabel Kid]

I give anything to receive a phone call like that...

Me too!