It was time to pull my rifles out of the safe to give them a bimonthly wipe down and the time doing this is getting longer every time
When is it time for adding to end for the love for these shooters?
All this started around 1954 when getting my first centerfire black powder cartridge rifle and I still have most since then. I just could never sell any of them But at 83 years of age I think the time has come for making a decision.

IMG_3710 by Kurt, on [bleep]
IMG_3162 by Kurt, on [bleep]

Wow, you do have some beauts!

Yeh, I love them all.
But it's time to think about thinning them out. I don't shoot most anymore because I lost a lot of my center vision a couple years ago from shooting on very hot days when it got up 115º and the doc said the heat raised the pressure in the eyes and caused the damage. I woke up early in the morning where the dawn light disappeared looking up at the skylight in the camper. It would completely disappear when looking straight at it and reappear when I scanned past it with both eyes.
Cant see through the tang sights anymore unless the sun is bright and I just cant get used to using a scope.
Age I guess is catching up with me.

Kurt

Kurt, hope you find a way to keep shooting. Those are some excellent rifles. Dandy Marlins and the Savage 99 as well.

I’m sure you’ll figure out what floats your boat and the others will find a good home.

They will end up with the Kids when I take the walk.

Beautiful especially the 77'.

Yes the 77 is a Axtell .45-2.6 very nice wood.
Too bad the Company went under.

Beautiful rifles, Kurt!

Ed

Some beaut rifles there. I'm at same place in life, just different reason! Net, similar!
Good Luck & Best!
John

Never, my good Sir, just having these guns around will do a man's heart [mind] a world of good, when i get to old too see or weak to carry them across a mountain to hunt i'll still have them in safes/racks to go by and spend time with each day reliving the hunts, animals, shoots, and in your case shooting matches, have it setup in advance to go off to a reputable auction house or have a few select friends buy your rifles after you're gone, that's what i will do.

As hell, get another one! You need one of the “hunter” carbines Bill Goodman has on order

Gunner your right. I just cant part with them That's why I have two wide bodied saves. My Daughter and Son have their names on some as well as my Grand Daughters. We all shoot.
I hope all is well on your end.

Kurt

P-C,

I did just that LOL,
Called Gail at CPA last September and told her I need another wimpy rifle and told her to build me another .38-50.

Kurt

The Marlins and the 99 Savage are my choice for lever rifles. On the Buffalo hide, the trapdoor and the 99 is a .300 Savage and the 39 Marlin have been with me since the late 50's early 60's. They have served me fine in the woods.

There you go! I do miss my Shiloh .40-50 SBN. It was light (relatively speaking of course) accurate, no recoil, lots of shots per pound of powder and 0 recoil. It was also a good deer round

I have an 1880 Trapdoor carbine and 50-70 Sharp's carbine in 50-70, circa 1863. I still hunt with them occasionally.
I am always looking out for a Sharp's rifle in 50-70.
Absolutely no need. Just want.

A carbine makes a good heavy woods hunting rifle in the .50 or .45-70. I always wanted a .50 Sharps Carbine and I have passed up a couple but they were more of a .52 cal. When I was a Kid back in the 50's I bought a roller in the .43 Spanish caliber for $14. out of the back pages of the NRA magazines. I couldn't afford a $25-28 dollar Sharps stacking hay bails in a hot haymow for .50 cents an hour all summer long so I got the roller. Been hooked on these old rifles ever since.
That Trapdoor carbine in the photo was a rifle that had bad erosion at the muzzle from the cleaning rod use and a bad dent down a little farther from the muzzle so I chopped it off and it turned out being a fine hunting rifle for the Michigan UP woods I used to hunt in.

Kurt

I agree with everyone here, it's never time to stop collecting guns, especially those beauties that you have. Memories are made and cherished with many guns. I don't have anything like your collection but still cherish those that I have. I have regretted selling some, although I have gave some to younger relatives. Those are really treasures!!!

I have a bunch of single shots personally, mostly Rugers, but a Shiloh as well, original 1885, and others. Even a Holland & Holland Field's Patent, which is a lovely thing.

One thing I've noticed over the past 10-15 years is many components, like brass, are increasingly difficult to obtain for some of the more esoteric cartridges. Jamison I guess went under a few years ago, which was a good source.

I wouldn't mind acquiring another BPCR, in a lighter rifle and cartridge, better suited to deer & pigs, but many of those cartridges are not easy to source for components.

I think it's probably best to stick to 45-70 for those BPCR type rifles or for something light the 38-55.

I've got an Marlin chamber in 375 win and I simply for the cases from 30-30 brass.

I love my .50-90 Shiloh. The big guns are fun with black powder

Never sell. Take them all with you in the end.

Glad to see the 99 in the group. My favorites!!

The 99 is a .300 savage and I also had a .22 HP when I was a kid but it disappeared when I was in the service.
The .444 Marlin short tube second from the top I carried when I Kayaked the Yukon river in 2000 after I retired. It kept the hunger away
The .44-77 forth from the right is my favorite hunting rifle as well as the trapdoor Carbine.
The 50-2.5 and the .45-2.4 are my go to for the matches and I still use the .50-2.5 when the conditions get tough at the Quigley and the Baker MT big hill. It never let me down. The 400 rounds I carry for the .50 are empty when I go home.
All the rifles have a special place with me and I wont part with them till I go under.

Kurt

Kurt

Did the same thing starting ten years back! I've got one 50/90 left with a new Badger barrel! Wish it was gone! Just could not sit at the loading bench akin to what I could 30 years back. Those rifles keep you 'humping' if you're gonna shoot them; takes more work than many realize! Now...I shoot my 6.5 x 47 Lapau and the 6MM Dasher. No recoil and accuracy many wouldn't believe! Hey....quit humping that snow coming soon. We don't need to do sh.t like onto that any more! Take care!

I turned 80 this summer, and have already down sized. If you have kin that would like certain ones, get them to them now. If you have a wife, save her the frustration of what to do with them after you passed.

I missed several family heirlooms after my brother's wife sold them after he passes.

Otherwise they will be auctioned off with the estate if the executor doesn't care

I have 5 years on you but I'm only 26 between the ears and I still shoot them all but more of the lighter calibers since I had retina separation twice now shooting the large capacity shells. Going in later today to see what they can do to fix the eyes so I can see better again.
Those rifles already have the finger prints on them on who want them. The whole clan shoots except my Wife. She is my coach and spotter.

Good to see you still looking down at the grass my friend. Hope all is well on your end.
I see that you're down sizing to the girly calibers LOL so am I LOL.
I have 2 .38-50's already in these last two years

Stay well Rick.

Kurt

For me it will probably be when the pursuit is o long fun. Hardly do I buy a rifle that I am not contemplating the next one to research and buy. The research, comparisons and pursuit is half the fun

Can't tell you why it won't shoot but I can tell you it is not shot out. Old soft iron barrels would shoot out but not modern steel muzzleloader barrels. My renegade shoots just like it did when I bought it , even with the .54 barrel that I added . I use a .530 round ball and .018 patch and 65 grains of FFG Goex for target shooting and the same but with Dupont FFG for hunting. Even a smooth bore barrel should shoot better than a 7" group at 50 yards.


PS: Even a pitted barrel will usually shoot a group plenty good enough for hunting out to 100 yards.

You never know how much is enough … till you’ve had too much!
Looks like you’re still having fun and have a good ways to go yet🦊

Since they’re going to your children anyway, consider passing some along now while you can enjoy seeing them using them. While I don’t have much, and nothing like you do, I’ve suppressed my inner packrat a time or two and passed stuff on to my sons, and not stuff I was done with by any means.

Gunner,

The rifles already have their name on them. I don't have any Grand Sons but I have four grand Daughters that have been shooting my rifles and down the line I will most likely also have a Great Grand Son or G-Daughters. Heck I might even take Calamity my Favorite .50 Shiloh with me to the other side.

This little Gal is now 16 and she shoulders that .45-70 Rifle very well.
IMG_1426 by .com/photos/leadpot/]Kurt, on [bleep]

We all shoot.
IMG_1425 by .com/photos/leadpot/]Kurt, on [bleep]