by Die Judicii » 17 Jan 2017, 12:42 pm
When I was 13 yo I was looking through some ruins of what was a small stone single room building that was built by convicts.
At one end, only the foundation stones were visible.
Under one of these I found a small stone pocket that had what used to be a Winchester .22lr pump action hammer rifle.
It had been cut back to minimum length to form a pistol.
Only an inch of the metal tube mag was left, that could be gripped to cock it and hand feed a single round.
Only the metal tangs that the stock would have been attached to was left at that end, and were bent to form a crude handle.
Apart from some corrosion externally, and a missing hammer spring, it was in pretty good condition.
I cleaned it up, fitted a new spring, and it was able to be used as a single shot pistol.
The bore had been filled with some sort of grease, and was in pretty good condition.
I can't remember the serial number, but it was only 4 digits
I wrote to Winchester USA asking for any possible info, but never received an answer.
I contacted the Sth Aust (was living there at the time) Firearms Branch/Police, and gave them a description of it including the serial number, and they said they were coming out to view it.
But,,,,, no-one ever turned up.
I had it in my possession for many years, and used it with rat shot on a few snakes in my sheds.
Eventually after Port Arthur, I cut it up, and threw it into the sea while working on a cray boat.
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.