Talk Among The Guys
It Was 1955...
With the 1955 deer season approaching, the guys decided to emulate
the authors in GUNS Magazine: (top-bottom) Artie’s Savage 99 .250 with
Kollmorgen 4X scope, Mike’s Remington 721 .30-06 with Kollmorgen
2 3/4X scope and Pat’s Winchester 88 .308 with Lyman All-American 2 1/2X scope.
December 23, 1954. Pat had rushed outside to adjust the TV antenna without donning coat or gloves and was regretting it. In fact, he regretted making the long drive out to his twin brother’s farm to help install the new 21″ console TV. Just because Mike’s wife and kids were in town doing some last minute shopping. Why did it have to be a surprise anyway?
Mike shouted from the house, “Okay, rotate it clockwise a bit … bit more … back just a touch … that’s perfect!” “Easy for him to say,” Pat thought, he wasn’t freezing his hands on a 50-foot aluminum pole. Pat hustled to the kitchen and the welcome warmth of the wood fire in the stove. Mike called from the living room, “You have to see this picture! It’s so sharp you can recognize people. What technology we have today!”
The gunrack by the door caught Pat’s eye. It held three deer rifles — his Winchester 94 .30-30, Mike’s Remington 14 .32 Special and their friend Artie’s Stevens 325 .30-30. Mike came in the kitchen for a coffee refill, humming the tune Home for the Holidays. “You were supposed to take your rifle and Artie’s back with you after we made the deer sausage. Don’t forget this time! I might need the space.”
After reading Al Goerg’s article in the April 1955 issue of GUNS Magazine,
the twins decided they needed .22 pistols. Pat got a Ruger Standard but
the holster became a bone of contention — both claimed it until
Artie put the matter to rest.
February 6, 1955
The two families had been passing a pleasant Sunday out at Mike’s farm. The kids tobogganed on a hill, rode in a horse-drawn sled driven by Mike and warmed themselves at the bonfire Pat was maintaining. Mike sat down on a stump near the fire and found a poking stick. Some people can build a fire and leave it alone, others have to be poking it constantly. Mike was one of the latter.
“You like reading stories about guns and shooting?”
“Sure,” Pat replied, “I read the shooting columns in Outdoor Life and Field & Stream at the barber shop. Always a month late of course but the price is right.”
“Yeah me too. There’s a new magazine out with articles only on guns, famous gunmen and shooting tips. The kids got me a subscription for a Christmas gift. Five bucks, can you believe it? They must have picked bottles all summer to come up with that kind of money.”
A magazine about guns? What’s it called?”
“GUNS Magazine.”
How about: “Pat’s sarcasm was legendary.”
“The publisher is a young Illinois fellow named George von Rosen. He’s either a dreamer or a certified genius. If the magazine is still being published 20 years from now, we’ll know it’s the latter. Anyway, I’ve read the January issue, you can borrow it if you like.”
A few military veterans got into commercial flying after the war.
A pal of Mike’s got this aerial photo for him. In 1955 an airplane
was a rare enough event the family all hurried outside to see it.
Starting Fast
The new magazine gave them plenty to talk about. The April issue saw a feature on celebrities called “My Favorite Gun.” The first column was on Adlai Stevenson, Democratic presidential candidate in the 1954 election. His gun of choice was an Ithaca 37 shotgun. Pat said, “Did you see the story on handgun hunting? It was by Al Goerg — do you pronounce it “Gorg” or “George”? With spring coming on and the gophers out, the farm gun rack now held their new/used .22 rifles — Mike’s Remington 550, Pat’s Winchester 74, both semiautos, and Artie’s bolt-action Winchester 69. “Artie just has to be different,” Mike said and Pat nodded agreement.
The May issue really got them going. It had a story on testing for a new military rifle, featuring the T-48 (the FN-FAL) and T-44 (the M14). Pat and Mike were aghast. Replace the M1 Garand that had served so well in WWII and in Korea? “They’ll regret this madness, mark my words,” Pat said as Mike nodded agreement.
The June issue featured a spirited defense of the Colt Single Action by Mel Torme, popular singer, entertainer and noted collector of Colt revolvers. TV westerns had revived interest in classic single actions. In July, Colt announced they would reintroduce their single action. The July issue also had a story on Winchester’s new rifle, the lever action model 88. Suggested retail was $123.95, $3 more than the model 70. July also saw the opening of Disneyland, not that either Pat or Mike cared, but it did give them powerful leverage over their kids.
When Mike gave Pat the October issue, he commented, “I sure like this guy Francis Sell. He writes from personal experience. Be sure to read his story on hunting waterfowl with a 20-gauge. Lucky has a used model 12 20-gauge at his store I might buy.”
The December issue told the story of Frank Hamer, famous lawman of the southwest, who passed away in July of 1955. It was one of several police-
oriented stories they had passed on to their father, Pat Sr., a peace officer for over 25 years.
December, 1955. Mike was at Pat’s house in town helping set up the new console with 23″ TV and record player. Over coffee Pat commented, “By the way, I got a hint from my kids they’re getting me a GUNS Magazine subscription, so your kids won’t have to. You can borrow the magazines after I’ve read them.”
“I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful Christmas tradition.”
