So I called my dad this afternoon and talked rifles with him for a while.
He said, "My grandfather did buy it new and I may have the receipt still, and am pretty sure I've got the catalog he ordered it from."
Nice.
So my great grandfather did buy it new.
(And built 1/2 of the house I grew up in, I owe him a big thank you. Too bad I never met him.)
He went on to add, "I think he paid 19 dollars for that rifle. It was 2 dollars extra for the half & half barrel."
I asked about him saying it wasn't that great of a rifle and he says, "Oh no, it's a nice gun. It just doesn't shoot quite as nicely as it did when I was a boy.[he was born in '37] That's the one with the barrel all pitted isn't it?"
It is. I think I'll build myself a steady rest and a tripod and see how it will do. I've only put 5 rounds through it the day he gave it to me a few years ago.
Time to go shooting soon.
I had him check the .22 Hornet. It's a Savage Model 23D, s.n. 211.xxx. Bolt action.
Same deal on that rifle, my great grandfather bought it new as well, then gave it to my granddad, who gave it to my dad. who won't let me have it. [I didn't ask]
I had a moment of panic when he said he couldn't find it in his closet.
"Oh yeah, it's the last rifle I shot the other day. I left it by the bedroom window."
"Coyotes?", I said.
"Yeah."
"You get him?"
"Nah, I just scared him off."
"On purpose?"
"Yeah." [his tone reminded me of a petulant teenager, think "Well du-uh!"]
Later he asks, "Why you asking about guns all the sudden? You're not gonna sell it are you? I'll kick your ass if you do"
I told him, "Don't worry I'll let your grand kids fight over it one day." [Girl's 4, boy's 6 mo's, so I have a few years to shoot it myself]
