What are friends for?

[Adam Helmer]

Last Saturday night at the square dance at my American Legion Post, a fellow in our set had just retired from his business and told me he was cleaning out his store. In the distant past, he provided merchandise to a fellow short of cash and "took in two rifles" in lieu of cash. I asked what did he accept? The fellow said, "I dunno, they are .308s I guess." I arranged to see the rifles and both were bolt actions. I asked him what he wanted in the way of money. He said I got $90 in parts, so give me $100 and the two guns are yours. I gave him two Fifty dollar bills, pronto.

I got an Excellent Rock Island High Number Model 1903 .30-06 rifle and a Very Good Remington P-17 .30-06 serial number 8XXX. This is the lowest Remington P-17 serial number I have ever seen in all my life; one of the first ten thousand ever made! Both rifles had M1907 leather rifle slings that have dry rotted from being set by for decades. One rifle had a nickeled brass oiler cleaning kit in the stock.