Red Ryder BB Guns For Christmas
By Todd Cannon
I believe I was 6 years old so this would have been the Christmas of 1972, but if someone else thinks they remember it differently I will listen to a good argument. Although I am almost certain it was no later than Christmas of 1973.
Karl, Dave and I all had presents under the try that were small round tubes. When we opened them up they were yellow tubes of Daisy BBs with a black cap. I think it held 200 BBs. Once all of the presents under the tree were open there did not seem to be any purpose or use for the BBs. I actually wondered if we were just meant to find some creative use for them. We had made slingshots out of Y shaped tree branches, several rubber bands knotted together, and some scraps of leather the summer before and I wondered if the BBs would be to small to use in that. I also thought about the thin straws they gave us when we bought milk for lunch at school. I wondered if I could use one of those as a pea shooter and the BBs for the thing to shoot.
Then Dad opened the Living room closet door and pulled out 3 BB guns. I was soooo excited. It honestly never occurred to me that Mom and Dad would give us BB guns for Christmas. Later that day Dad took us out into the Field and set up a target in the snow. I'm pretty sure we would shoot at cardboard half gallon milk cartons. These were just cock and shoot BB guns not the pump kind so they were powerful enough to go through the front of the milk carton but not the back so they just stayed in there and rattled around until we emptied it out. Dad showed us how to load the BB guns and how to brace the stock behind one knee to get leverage while we held the barrel with one hand and cocked it with the other. Even with this method I was not strong enough to cock mine so Dad had to do it for me every time I wanted to take a shot. He did always have me try for myself first though. After several days, maybe even weeks, I was finally able to do it myself.
I know Doug had a BB gun too but I think that first Christmas it was just Karl, Dave, and I but I could be wrong. Doug, do you remember when you got your BB gun? I still have mine out in my garage. The handle you use to cock it is broken off so you have to hook a finger into the trigger guard to cock now. It still even has some BBs in it. I haven't shot it for several years but I did teach Kristopher to shoot it when he was 5 or 6 years old and we were living in the apartment in the 1600 North house.
Most people I talk to now, including Tressa and Kayla, are very surprise to hear that I had a BB gun at 6 years old. They are even more surprised to learn that these BB guns were not kept in a locked cabinet somewhere,but that we kept them under our beds, or leaning in a corner of our bedroom or really just any place they would fit. We took them out back to shoot whenever we wanted. No adult supervision required once I could cock it on my own. Obviously different times but we all still have both eyes and I don't think anyone has any permanent injuries from our BB guns. But, we did have LOTS and LOTS of fun with them over the years.
I believe I was 6 years old so this would have been the Christmas of 1972, but if someone else thinks they remember it differently I will listen to a good argument. Although I am almost certain it was no later than Christmas of 1973.
Karl, Dave and I all had presents under the try that were small round tubes. When we opened them up they were yellow tubes of Daisy BBs with a black cap. I think it held 200 BBs. Once all of the presents under the tree were open there did not seem to be any purpose or use for the BBs. I actually wondered if we were just meant to find some creative use for them. We had made slingshots out of Y shaped tree branches, several rubber bands knotted together, and some scraps of leather the summer before and I wondered if the BBs would be to small to use in that. I also thought about the thin straws they gave us when we bought milk for lunch at school. I wondered if I could use one of those as a pea shooter and the BBs for the thing to shoot.
Then Dad opened the Living room closet door and pulled out 3 BB guns. I was soooo excited. It honestly never occurred to me that Mom and Dad would give us BB guns for Christmas. Later that day Dad took us out into the Field and set up a target in the snow. I'm pretty sure we would shoot at cardboard half gallon milk cartons. These were just cock and shoot BB guns not the pump kind so they were powerful enough to go through the front of the milk carton but not the back so they just stayed in there and rattled around until we emptied it out. Dad showed us how to load the BB guns and how to brace the stock behind one knee to get leverage while we held the barrel with one hand and cocked it with the other. Even with this method I was not strong enough to cock mine so Dad had to do it for me every time I wanted to take a shot. He did always have me try for myself first though. After several days, maybe even weeks, I was finally able to do it myself.
I know Doug had a BB gun too but I think that first Christmas it was just Karl, Dave, and I but I could be wrong. Doug, do you remember when you got your BB gun? I still have mine out in my garage. The handle you use to cock it is broken off so you have to hook a finger into the trigger guard to cock now. It still even has some BBs in it. I haven't shot it for several years but I did teach Kristopher to shoot it when he was 5 or 6 years old and we were living in the apartment in the 1600 North house.
Most people I talk to now, including Tressa and Kayla, are very surprise to hear that I had a BB gun at 6 years old. They are even more surprised to learn that these BB guns were not kept in a locked cabinet somewhere,but that we kept them under our beds, or leaning in a corner of our bedroom or really just any place they would fit. We took them out back to shoot whenever we wanted. No adult supervision required once I could cock it on my own. Obviously different times but we all still have both eyes and I don't think anyone has any permanent injuries from our BB guns. But, we did have LOTS and LOTS of fun with them over the years.
Todd, I don't remember exactly when I got my bb gun. I do remember when you three received yours, and I was so jealous! Of course, this happened a lot while I was growing up, and mom or dad would need to explain to me that I was just simply too young yet. At 6 years old, you might have also been too young!
ReplyDeleteSo, I got my bb gun, probably when I was 6 or maybe 7 years old. I don't remember when it happened exactly, but I got one for Christmas later. I don't still have it. It might have been the gun featured in Jona's escapade when he was shooting the horses across the street from the Orem house. That story is in the original contest, no need to repeat it here. Jona was using his new pump-action bb gun, but mine (or his own) Red Ryder bb gun was the one confiscated.