Reeder Custom Guns - When I was 16-17 I had amassed a small

Collection of firearms I truly enjoyed and learned to shoot. During the school year our house was broken into. All these except for the 550 Remington, and Beretta .25 were stolen. I still have that one. Some others too that are not shown, a Navy Arms double ML shotgun.

I found one in a gun store and got it back some 7 yrs. later (the ML double). We later recovered the High standard revolver but it was stolen again. The entire episode really jump started my interest and collecting. The replacing of what I had lost.

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FIRST ARTICLE 1967
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working on a loading dock. Most gun writers have a "real" job too. You were an educator? That's something some might not know and find interesting.

Writing as a hobby or for pleasure is one thing. Having to do it as a job or requirement is another. I'm currently trying to get inspired to write my quarterly article for a professional journal on a topic I have not much passion for. It's a drudgery! I'm close though, on the 3rd cup of coffee and my tail is bushed out.

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Years ago I had the mate to your FIE 22. I determined the FIE stands for "Fine In Emergency". It shot much better than a gun built that cheaply should. I thought that if left on the dash of a car during the summer the frame might melt.

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The first store bought gun of my own. My dad got it for me for my 10th birthday in 1973. It was $36 new at Gibsons. I wanted a H&R with the case color frame and an extra .30-30 barrel, seemed a no brainer to me as it would cover all the bases, shotgun and rifle. But it was 30% more at $50 and a 20 ga. My father liked the .410 bore.

The guns had a pot metal frame with unique styling. The levergun look. That lever only opened the action, no connection to anything else. I had a little trouble with my extractor having a burr on it and sticking sometimes. Like the time I shot some .303 British out of it trying to making all brass .410's to use. LOL

*The M94 Winchester .30-30 was a run of post-64 (around 1969-70) that had maple wood.

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The lever when lowered had sort of a falling block type action where you dropped in a round. We sold some way back when but I kinda hated to put them on the rack. They had a painted finish and crude stock to metal work. I kinda think they were aimed at the K-Mart crowd. It made the H&R look like a Weatherby. It probably would be a $400 gun these days but didn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.They made them from the mid 60s for maybe 10 or 12 years.

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Handguns;

Crossman 454 CO2 bb DA repeater. It was quite powerful I killed a Grackle by shooting through my grandmother's screen window and hitting it at about 15 yds by a trash can. Hard to pry the wires back straight so she wouldn't see.

Ruger MK1 standard auto. Black eagle on only one side of grips, older gun. Dad found it in a used car he traded for. I shot turtles to 100 yds. with it, killed squirrel and Cottontails too.

FIE .22lR/.22 Mag dual cylinder gun. Gold plated trigger, hammer, screws, cylinders. I liked it but it spit debris badly in .22 WMR. I've never seen another like it.

SILE Italian 1858 Remington C&B .44 with custom sights, rear off a Browning rifle. Yes, it is loaded in the photo.

High Standard "Longhorn" 9-shot .22 DA swing out cylinder revolver. They were way ahead of their time and bring around $400 a copy today. Drift adjustable rear sight too. W-104 I think is the model.

Older Ruger Bearcat. I carried it often. Accurate to maybe 20 yds. on small critters, shot at frogs and turtles to 75 yds. at the pond.

Beretta .25 ACP model 1915 with WWII stamps. I traded for it, had $7 in it, sold it for like $85. Now they are close to $500.

Dad's 550 Remington .22. He sold the GRIT paper in the 40's and early 50's. Bought a Whizzer motorbike with the proceeds. He ran the bike under a car in a little wreck and it scared him. He told me he traded the motorbike to a guy for the .22, a good squirrel dog, and $7 cash. I still have the rifle!

Grandfather gave me the Remington 552 Speedmaster when I was 9-10. I bought a 4x15 Tasco scope for it on sale at Western Auto for $3. It made me a sniper!

The Maple stocked Post-64 .M94. I thought it was a cannon!

The Ithaca M66 .410 I mentioned below.

Grandpa gave me this 5100 Stevens 16 ga. too when I was 11 I think. He killed a nice 8-point buck with it once while squirrel hunting from only a few paces with #4 shot. Blew a fist sized hole in it's neck. It kicked horrifically being on a 20 ga. chassis. It was stolen as mentioned but I have a literally identical replacement I bought.

Dad's Sweet 16 Browning 25-1/2" IC plain barrel. It kicked like a mule too. Nice old bird gun. Dad replaced it (actually I bought it for him) with a 1100 Remington 20 on a 12 chassis. I still have it.

In brief that's some memorable history right there!

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When I was 16-17 I had amassed a small

1956-1957 (17 YEARS OLD)

That is very neat. I now you had a few jobs

FIE 22

Whats that lever action, 3rd from right?

Looks like an old Ithaca Shotgun I used to have...

That is an Ithaca M66 .410 shotgun

Ithaca made the gun in 12, 20 and 410 gauge,

All these have a story, in brief....