Favorite Firearms: A Birthday Gift From Dad

by
posted on March 22, 2023
Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver

When I was growing up, my father was one of the bigger Smith & Wesson collectors in Northern California. This led him to have an acquaintance with Roy Jinks of S&W. I remember Mr. Jinks and his family coming to California and staying at our home. One night at dinner, my mom served artichokes. Since he was from the east, where it was not a common dish at the time, Mr. Jinks asked politely, “How do we eat these?” It was a funny moment from my childhood.

As an avid collector and shooter, my father started us all off at an age that many people today might think was much too young to introduce children to the sport. I was 4 years old when I shot my first M1911 at our local gun range. He instilled in me, my brother and my sister the importance of safety and handling from the moment we could understand. It was both an education in responsibility and an appreciation of the history behind the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

This brings us to my favorite firearm. In 1957, my father purchased a Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver in .357 Mag. for my birthday, to give to me when I was of age. This revolver is a beautiful example of the craftsmanship and quality of S&W. I gladly received it at the appropriate age, but I had already shot it extensively before then. It has always been a good shooter and has been lovingly taken care of.

I have both the original box and its receipt kept safe and protected. When the time comes, my son will be the recipient of what has become a family heirloom filled with wonderful memories and meaning.

—David Edmonds

Latest

Memorial Day Sagi
Memorial Day Sagi

The Price Of Memorial Day

The military and firearm industries, more than any others, understand freedom is not free. Some paid the ultimate price while serving in this great republic’s armed forces and their willingness to go in harm’s way to protect our freedom is honored each year on Memorial Day.

The Armed Citizen® May 29, 2023

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Selby & The Superposed: A World-Class Shotgun Afield

A protégé of one of the world’s most famous professional hunters recounts his mentor’s generous gift of an over-under shotgun—one representing yet another seminal design from the greatest firearm genius in history.

Demand For Firearm Training Fuels Range Expansions

All those new gun owners since COVID-19 are not shying away from training. It’s a trend reflected in nearly every industry survey to date, and those observations are now verified by the heavy investments being made by training facilities.

Product Preview: Obsidian Arms Complete AR-15 Armorer’s Punch Set

Designed with input from professional armorers and made in the United States, Obsidian Arms’ 12-piece punch set for AR-style rifles and pistols is also accompanied by a lifetime warranty.

Training America’s First Aerial Gunners

America was born as a nation of riflemen, and that foundation of marksmanship carried over to the fledgling pilots and aerial gunners training in America. One of the biggest problems that the Air Service faced, particularly in 1917, was an embarrassing lack of machine guns.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.