My first CF rifle was an 03-A3 Remington when I was 16. I hate to say it had been "Bubba" sporterized because it was a really nice job. The barrel had been cut and crowned at 19" and a ramped gold bead front sight properly soldered on. The stock had been reworked in a very craftsmanlike manner to a Mannlicher style with a steel forend cap. The barrel and action was very neatly, full-length glass bedded. It had the original sight in the back, and was still parkerized finish. The 4-groove bore was bright and shiny. I loved that rifle. My friend, who handloaded with his father, provided me 130 grain hollowpoints loaded over 49 grains of Hi-Vel Number 2. They blew woodchucks to smitherines. I had been in the lgs in Ogdensburg, NY on a Friday night while my mother was grocery shopping (she'd drop me and, usually, one of my friends, off to hang out there while she did the weekly grocery run to the "big city.") A guy came in with it wanting to trade it on a Sheridan 5mm pellet rifle. The Sheridan, at that time, was $27.50. Don, the proprietor, gave the guy the Sheridan and $10.00 boot for the Springfield. When the guy left, I asked, Don, "What are you going to get for that?" Without hesitation, he said, "Just what I've got in it, $37.50" I asked, "Will you hold it for me while I get some money together?" He put it up on the rack with a "Sold" tag on it. I went in to visit it once in a while over the two or three months it took me to pay it off. The fall before I went in the Navy, I let a guy borrow to deer hunt with. I never saw it again. Lesson learned. I will say that he ended up paying for it, more than I had in it, but I sure wish I had it back.
The lgs owner was a gentleman by the name of Donald Awan. My brother just texted me his obituary this Saturday past. He died at 93. He was one hell of a good man. I'm sure our Campfire friends DannyL (of maple syrup fame) and Mart (now of Washington and Alaska) know who I'm talking about.
