In 1976 my grandfather, Lambert Bartolini, gave me my first .22 cal. rifle. It had sat in the back of his closet on the east side of the back porch since sometime in the '30's. He told me he had taken it as payment for working on some one's car during the Depression and had stuck it in the closet. I don't know if he ever shot it. Probably not...he wasn't the type.
It was a Marlin Model 50 .22 cal. semi-automatic that fired from an open bolt. Very unusual for the time. It was almost scary at the thought of walking around with an open bolt, ready to slam a shell into the chamber and fire it at the same time. I don't think that was common practice then and it wasn't common practice for me although I only shot the rifle one time.
I was only fifteen and wanted to shoot the gun real bad. There wasn't a place to safely shoot it around town but I knew where there was...Plumfield! So, me and Billy Russell got on our English Racers with the rifle in an old gun case and headed on the back roads to Plumfield.
First we made our way to Denning school, then to Orient Road, and on to Denning Cemetery. Road by all the Wallace and Lucus graves then down the hill past the dairy farm, past Lil' Betty Ann's trailer, then left toward Cambon Lake Road.
Heading south we soon made the right turn onto Cambon road and past Ellis Clausen's house to the lake. Not much of a lake but it made for a great place to go motorcycle ice skating and making out on Homecoming night! Another left turn and you were headed to Gordon Hammon's house. At the knobby-headed tree in front of his house you turned right headed to Dennis' house. Fly past Dennis' house, over the hill, through the woods and power-slide into the Swinging tree.
There, at the Swinging tree, Billy and I shot my rifle for the first time, smoked some Cool cigarettes, swung off the big oak tree into the Big Muddy River, and generally had a great time. The five or six miles in July weather across chat roads was worth it! I have never fired that rifle since.
I recently found out this rifle was made between 1931 and 1935. And only 5000 were made. That makes it at least seventy-five years old!
A page out of the patent for this rifle.
It was a Marlin Model 50 .22 cal. semi-automatic that fired from an open bolt. Very unusual for the time. It was almost scary at the thought of walking around with an open bolt, ready to slam a shell into the chamber and fire it at the same time. I don't think that was common practice then and it wasn't common practice for me although I only shot the rifle one time.
I was only fifteen and wanted to shoot the gun real bad. There wasn't a place to safely shoot it around town but I knew where there was...Plumfield! So, me and Billy Russell got on our English Racers with the rifle in an old gun case and headed on the back roads to Plumfield.
First we made our way to Denning school, then to Orient Road, and on to Denning Cemetery. Road by all the Wallace and Lucus graves then down the hill past the dairy farm, past Lil' Betty Ann's trailer, then left toward Cambon Lake Road.
Heading south we soon made the right turn onto Cambon road and past Ellis Clausen's house to the lake. Not much of a lake but it made for a great place to go motorcycle ice skating and making out on Homecoming night! Another left turn and you were headed to Gordon Hammon's house. At the knobby-headed tree in front of his house you turned right headed to Dennis' house. Fly past Dennis' house, over the hill, through the woods and power-slide into the Swinging tree.
There, at the Swinging tree, Billy and I shot my rifle for the first time, smoked some Cool cigarettes, swung off the big oak tree into the Big Muddy River, and generally had a great time. The five or six miles in July weather across chat roads was worth it! I have never fired that rifle since.
I recently found out this rifle was made between 1931 and 1935. And only 5000 were made. That makes it at least seventy-five years old!
Susan Sakonyi and I made that ride one time. Too many stray dogs for me!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother cool story, Scott. Your adventure reminds me of the bicycle gang in the movie, "The Sandlot".
ReplyDeletethat gun seems dangerous!!
ReplyDelete