Early Ballseye - My First Rifle And It Really Fired

My brother Raymond, my Aunt Mary, my mom and me
and my rifle. Happiness was a cork-ball firing cap gun.

I am guessing that was my first rifle, the one I got at Freedomland USA, it fits right into the proper timeline since Freedomland opened in 1960 and as you can see this photo was printed in May 1961. As I recall, I begged for that gun until I got it because my mom thought it was dangerous and that begging took some effort on my part. You can see though, it put a smile on my face and I loved it dearly, I guess most of all because (if it is the one of which I am thinking and it may or may not be that particular one) it really fired a bullet even if only a cork ball. Sure looks reminiscent of that one but if it is then it is missing the ramrod (which would be par for the course with other similar guns I have owned, heck I own at least one or two now missing the integral cleaning rod for it).

I may have had other guns sooner as I am pretty sure I had a set of six guns before this but until I uncover further evidence though, this will have to do as an image of my very first rifle. As I said, this was one was able to shoot cork balls, that is if a cap was placed on the priming pan and the hammer snapped down on it. You will note, I had my finger on the trigger because even back then, I had an itchy trigger finger. Maybe if I had not gotten it, I would never have developed the respect and love I have for firearms and shooting today - who knows. Whatever - I was not getting a Red Ryder BB gun like my brother had so I had to settle for it and was happy about it at that.

The other, unarmed folks in that shot are from your left to right: my brother Raymond, my Aunt Mary ad my mom. That was back right around when I turned 5 1/2. Life was good as long as I was ready for the monsters in it; and in that photo I was ready for them and happy about it. Never realized back then that one of the worst of them would turn out to be my own father - or maybe I did - although by then I am sure my mom knew it. Maybe that is why she relented and allowed me to have it and bought it for me. She wanted me to be able to grow up able to fight off the monsters like him. Oh well, I didn't need to shoot the bastard even if he deserved it but I am pretty sure that is why I wound up liking armed heroes so much - like Sinbad, the Lone Ranger, Commando Cody and later on Secret Agent Man. The Lone Ranger, him and Tonto were probably my favorite heroes, at that time anyhow.

Hi-Yo Silver - Away...and without further ado, I present an episode, The Legion of Old Timers (debuted October 6, 1949 - well before my time but almost on my birthday), because besides me being an old timer now, the episode has the complete introductory theme song that I loved so well.



All the best,
Glenn B