Originally Posted by Topgun 3006

Yep, Dad got me started when I was 5 or 6 way back in the early 50s and he had two original Springfields that were in excellent shape. I don't even recall where/when he got them it's been so long ago. He sporterized one for me and had it blued, the barrel cut off slightly and recrowned, the bolt turned and the safety redone on it. I had bought property up in northern MI early in 73 and then a new Chrysler to get back and forth reliably from down here. I didn't even have a rifle to hunt with up there, as it is all shotgun down here in lower MI where I live and after buying the land and car the money was a little tight. He surprised me and brought it up from Texas that November deer season and I ended up killing a nice 8 pointer in an all out blizzard opening night when I shouldn't have even been out hunting. I guess it was just meant to be because that buck almost walked right over top of me it was snowing/blowing so hard. I can remember that just like a lot of other hunts just like it happened yesterday! I killed an awful lot of stuff after that with it until I sort of retired it and started using the pre 64 Model 70, Ruger, and Sakos he passed on to me when he quit hunting in his early 80s. He died 5 days shy of 89 on 9/11/11.