Oh Wow ....at now 78 years old I cannot count all the rifles I've ever owned...much less liked... starting with the Sako 243 my grandfather "gave me half of" as a wedding present, and made me pay him for the other half of the money he was due, from the guy who'd borrowed $500 and never paid a dime of it, ...it was a very good thing that GF took the SAKO as collateral. 10-15 years later I got hired a couple times in the Sporting Goods Industry after we moved back to Texas from my gypsy life schlepping consumer goods in Florida, Illinois, Arkansa & the western half of Tennessee, and my wife and family living in Dallas. 1st with a territory of the eastern half of Texas with a major sized SG warehouse 1 of 3 regional operations - Berns in Denver & the EllettBro's in Chapin SC. Then a 5 state territory of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas for Stoeger.
My very first rifle was a Springfield 03-A3 30'06 that had been "sporterized" by a bored fireman in his down time...cost me a little less than a $100 as I recall for the rifle that still had it's steel butt plate, but would shoot mil-surp ammo - a dozen rounds for a dollar kind of ammo, in the palm of your hand sized group's at 100 yards, and kick the snot out of me when I crawled the stock to see a 100 yard target thru the peep sight.
I'll have to think about this ...so look back here again if interested. Ron
