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Yeah I'm still in trauma myself. I tried to throw my rifle across the stream when we were playing combat. But I broke the rifle because the pretend stream was the neighbors asphalt driveway. So I graduated to a Crossman 760 Pellet rifle and spent my time blowing up Matchbox cars and plastic army men. And you know how that goes.

Today it's FALs, AKs, SKSs and Mini 14s.

I should probably thank my parents for depriving me so heartlessly of that toy. I carried the sting of that humiliation around with me for years right up to the day I walked into my local firearms shop and saw a man laying out about 50 different rifles and shotguns on the counter.

He was telling the clerk that he was getting a divorce and had to sell everything fast. I scanned the counter and there it was; an Springfield Armory National Match M1A.

I picked it up and asked the guy "What's he offering you for this?"

"Four hundred dollars" was the rather morose reply.

I said: "I'll give you $500.00 for it right now."

He looked at me and said "Sold."

That was about 15 years ago and I still have that piece. It's the most accurate rifle in my collection. I can hit things with that at distances I won't even try with my bolt actions.

Now the shopkeeper wasn't all that happy with me, but I've been doing business with him since I was twelve. He grumbled a bit, but eventually he got over it.

BTW I've still got my Crossman 760. My son and I shoot it in the backyard when we're not messing around with his paintball or Airsoft guns.

Great pellet guns those Crossmans. I've had mine since I was 13. It did have to go back to the factory once, but they repaired it without the least hassle.

Take care,