History

Les recently took Jacquie to the firing range.  They had a good time and returned with smiles.  Can't ask for more than that.  Plus there was a Groupon!

I had asked Les to check if they did gun repair there.  I inherited my Mom's gun.  One of the last times I saw Darrelyn, she said I needed to take it.  I brought it home and locked it up.  Mom had had it disabled many years ago.

Les and I had talked about us getting a new gun for me.  He actually gave me one for Christmas a few years ago, but I couldn't shoot it.  My grip strength is not strong enough for the slide action on it.  So he uses it.  The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see if Mom's could be fixed.  There are memories there.

She made sure I could shoot the pistol.  She had a friend who had a farm and we would go there and shoot at cans set up on hay bales out in a field away from the animals.  We also would walk the train tracks out to the bridge that went over the Tuscarawas River.  We'd stand on the trestles and shoot at trash floating down the river.  This was way before being on the tracks was illegal.  And way, way before pollution control caught hold and things were cleaned up.  It is actually a very nice, much cleaner river now.  But back then it was a moving shooting gallery.

So anyway, the firing range did not do repairs but they gave us the name of someone up in New Kent.  We went up there and talked to them; very nice people and most helpful.  We learned a lot.  The gun is a Smith & Wesson, .32 revolver, known as a lemon squeezer.  It was built in 1909 which is the year Mom was born.  While they were looking at the gun, Les thought he saw something in the barrel.  They looked and it was a note.  The note said that the gun had belonged to Grandpa Lou Beckett and was his pocket pistol.  He died many years before I was born so I never knew him.  And this explains where my middle name comes from!  The gun then went to Grama, then Mom. 

We left the gun there to be inspected, cleaned, and tested.  That took a little time because they had to order some ammunition for it - old gun and not common bullets now evidently.  They called us and said it had been tested and was in good shape and ready for pick-up.  We drove up Friday afternoon and got it.  It is now home and safely locked up.  I'll let you know how I do at the firing range.

Life is good.  Stay safe.  And God Bless America!