Last hunting season kicked me into gear when it came to refinishing the stock on the 110. I have collected a goodly number of deer with it over the last thirty plus years. The rifle is a trusted friend. But it reminded me of a large group of old shotguns and .22 rifles standing against a crowded corner in a local sporting goods store. They are well worn from use. The finish on the wood is not very good and the blueing is gone. Most of them are at least 50 years old. And nobody wants them because they do not look nice. The young guy who carried them duck hunting grew old. He cared for the shotgun, but then there was nobody who cared. It was sold at an estate sale for a few dollars.
I thought about one of my neighbors who is in his middle 80's and on his third wife. He had out lived the first two. He told me how great of woman his second wife was but cancer took her. He had out lived his son, and other then his current wife he has nobody. If he goes his possession could land anywhere. Old women show up every day at police stations and Sheriffs offices asking for them to dispose of firearms left by their husbands.
It crossed my mined that the experts had me in an early retirement program because most guys do not live five years beyond retirement from my old job. Some of my friends are already gone. One of them at fifty-six.
I decided that if my rifle went that way it would desirable enough for a place up on the display rack, and not rusting and gathering dust in the corner. A couple of friends now have more deer rifles then they ever imaged. Grandfathers, uncles, and fathers have passed rifles on to them as they grew told old to hunt or they have passed away.
I recieved a 30-06 that belonged to my father-in-law and some years later it became my son-in-laws first deer rifle. There was one condition, he was to keep it in the family.
I refinshed the wood on my rifle for less then ten dollars.
