I was using some of my old man's tools and found a cardboard box of these, which he bought back in the early 70s.
Pretty good childhood memories. I'd just sit and watch him reload ammo or clean his guns after a sunday of shooting at the club. I still remember the smell of many of the products he used, like that Winchester oil, a German stuff called Ballistol Klever, Hoppe's # 9, Lee Alox and such...
Good times.
Just the smell of any of those reminds me of my dad cleaning his guns after a day of hunting.. Good memories indeed...
I love the smell of Hoppe's in the morning... smells like... victory.
"...pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field;
that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,
shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome, insects of the hour."
-Edmund Burke
Smell related memories are some of the best!
I welled up a little - must be something in my eye
Kenny Belmont
>:^{I)>
Same here. After my dad passed I ended up with all his shooting and maintenance gear. Including this work stand he made for the M70 and his collection of M1 and M14s.
"Sunday shooting at the club" brings back a lot of memories of family trips to tournaments, the sites, smells, outdoor banquets in Germany complete with the big glass boot full of beer. I was about seven years old. All of his trophies and medals are boxed up in the garage.
Dad at the indoor range he opened on Ft. Jackson in 1967.
Miss you old man.
On SmartPhones:
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But That only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." Frank Herbert.
Great story, TT.
Was your dad a competitive shooter?
"When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."
Yes. He was also a sniper in Korea at the age of 17. Long story there.
Earned seven bronze stars and a purple heart in Korea in 11 months. Then Army commendation medals in Viet Nam. As a grade school kid I used to "go to work" with him on Ft. Jackson during summers where he was range master. After one particular day training, after the recruits had left, an officer unboxed a new M-16. At that time the M-14 was still the issued rifle. As a ten year old kid I was on the firing line with the old man, a couple of other soldiers, an M-14, the new M16, and for comparison, an AK-47. "This is what we're going to, this is what we're up against." Shot the hell out of some 5-gallong coffee cans that afternoon.
Sorry for the hijack, firearm related memories of the old man run deep. He passed away two years ago and I brought his remains to the National Cemetery here in Memphis.
TT
On SmartPhones:
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But That only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." Frank Herbert.
Sounds like your dad was a fine father and a great soldier, TT.
My wife attended the basic electronics course at Ft. Jackson during the summer of '77. What a hot and humid sonofabitch it was. Otherwise, Columbia was a pretty nice town. I remember that most residents took the passing of Elvis pretty hard -- every local radio station played his music non-stop for like two or three days.
"When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."
Hope you guys don't mind.......
I sort of did a moment of silence - just seemed appropriate.
Was on the DMZ 84-85, not a sniper, but at active Artillery Firebases.
My dad was a hunter/shooter, I grew up with that - the smells the sounds, the talk, the lessons.
When I got to basic training, I had NO trouble with marksmanship - regardless the weapon system.
I think it also teaches safety, patience, deliberation, Decisive action and coordination, not to mention discipline, respect and responsibility.
My opinion - YMMV etc
Kenny Belmont
>:^{I)>
+1Originally Posted by FrankJohnson
Time to pull out the Hoppes and give everything a good clean and lube.
Might even clean the Tele hardware with it.That will be an interesting sight/smell juxtaposition when the case is opened.
On SmartPhones:
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But That only permitted other men with machines to enslave them." Frank Herbert.
Salute!
"...pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field;
that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,
shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome, insects of the hour."
-Edmund Burke
I ain't American, so the last war we were involved in was WWII, and I am too young to have that kind of memories, but I kinda know how you feel, my great-uncle fought with the allies (Brazilian army officer in Italy) and he was very close to my old man, I grew up listening to my dad telling me all about the war stories and gun related talks and drills with his uncle...
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