Nobody beats Amazon with shipping time, so if you are a last minute shopper as I am, be sure to click the link above and take care of your dad or father-in-law on their special day. Now, Amazon is not going to have firearms or ammunition as I reference in the story below, but they will have the associated accessories your dad needs to enjoy the great outdoors and a trip to the sporting clay range. Also, new or used, you will find great deals on tools for DIY projects if, like me, you enjoy those!
Recently, some friends from church and I went to a sporting clay range that recently opened. This was my first time of visiting such a place, but I scored fairly well considering I had not fired my Beretta shotgun since becoming ill almost four years ago. In addition to the fun with my church guys, almost all stations were shaded by tall pines and were connected by a winding narrow gravel road. Golf carts were used to travel from station to station and provided us with the opportunity to soak in the great outdoors, nature's beautiful streams, rocks, and small waterfalls, all from the seat of the cart.
After returning home, I had this great idea of taking my dad there for Father's Day. Now, this is not going to be easy as my dad does not get out much, but I know how much he used to enjoy a good dove shoot. Another challenge is that he gave me his shotgun, a Remington 878 Automaster, several years ago so I know he will use being "a little rusty" as an excuse to try to stay home. The final challenge is that this shotgun, around 70 years old, has a tendency to fire when IT wants to instead of when the trigger is pulled.
I did some research on this shotgun and learned that only ~70k of these were made and they were made for approximately five years. The Remington 1100 eventually replaced them. During this research, I was able to find a schematic to how this thing is assembled. Now, this firing issue has been a problem for many years. In fact, it lead to dad retiring the gun. We have cleaned the powder residue from it ourselves and have had it professionally cleaned. However, with this schematic, I feel that I will be able to take it apart and thoroughly clean the remnants of the thousands of shots it has fired in its life. This shotgun is still in mint condition on its exterior and barrel bore, so it is imperative that I get the firing order repaired in time for our trip to the sporting clays range.
To make this day even more memorable, my brother is going with us. Dad does not know about the trip and his soon to be reunion with his old shotgun. And, no, he want find out here. He does not know about my blog, and would not read it even if he did as he is not one with the patience to read.
If you are not fortunate enough to have your dad or pop around physically, I am sure he is with you spiritually. Use the coming days to reflect on your past memorable times, perhaps your trips to the sporting clay range. Talk to him, laugh a little, cry a little.
No comments :
Post a Comment