When I was 13 my Dad gave me my first gun -- a stainless Ruger Single Six in .22LR/.22 Magnum with the 5.5 inch barrel. I learned to shoot with that gun and shoot several times a month with it.
When I was in college, after my parents divorced, my Mom wanted a gun for home protecton, now living on her own. The only gun I had for her was the Single-Six. She never liked it, and neither her or I was happy trusting her safety to a .22 Magnum. Money was tight, and the Single-Six was sold to a friend to purchase a .38 snub nose Taurus. $200.
Now, 15 years or so later, I was missing that gun. I have two daughters to teach to shoot -- and would have liked to have that Single-Six to teach them with.
Well... That very same Ruger Single-Six sat under my tree on Christmas. My wife tracked it down from the friend it was sold to -- and bought it back. It had been fired a few times, but had everything it was sold with in basically the same condition. Better yet, my friend sold it back to her for exactly what he bought i for -- $200.
I was moved. A big thanks to my wonderful wife and my friend who did more than he had to... Its a Christmas gift I won't forget for a while -- and its the only gun in my collection (mmmm--besides the R-9) that I can say I will never sell.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
