Favorite Firearms: The ‘Little Twenty’ Bought By Dad

by
posted on May 16, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Winchester Model 37

I started with BB guns at an early age, but my passion for firearms really began the day my dad bought me a 20-ga. Winchester Model 37 single-shot at a gun show in 1962. My dad was able to negotiate with the dealer from a $20 asking price to $18. I can still remember walking to the truck, proudly displaying my gun to everyone walking by. I’ve still got that little gun, and although it’s now worth probably 10 times what we paid for it, no amount of money could get it away from me.

All of my firsts were taken with that little twenty, from squirrels to rabbits to doves. I learned to depend on that one shot, and I give it credit on those days that I shine in the field. I tried to be careful with it, but along the way it has picked up its share of character marks; it was never abused, just used. As I got to an age where I could feed my passion for guns, I acquired many other firearms. Then, one day, as I was going through the many guns in my safe, I came across that little 20 gauge, which hadn’t been fired since my oldest son was 10. I picked up that little gun, and it took me back to the many hunts my dad and I shared and the hunts I shared with my son.

My dad has since passed on, and I miss him dearly. But every time I pick up that little twenty, I see him kicking on a brush pile, trying to send a rabbit my way. I hear him yelling “Over!” to me in a dove field. And I see him bargaining with that poor gun dealer over an $18 gun that’s worth a million to me.

—Dennis B. Rhea

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.