[Glenn Bartley]

I cleaned some of my guns the other day, and I have to say that it is always sort of a trip down memory lane when I do so. I think it is the aroma of the Hoppes No. 9 that brings back memories of childhood matches at summer camp, or of shooting my friends 22s when in my young 20s, or of my own early experience shooting at the range as a Border Patrol Agent, and of my experiences hunting, and later on as a Special Agent and as a firearms instructor, and of course of taking my own son shooting. It is simply an aroma that I have always associated with guns and one that has almost always been tied to good times with guns.

Maybe I had best get my son to clean some of the guns so this magical aroma will someday do the same for him.

I fully understand why PO Tackleberry wore it as aftershave in the movie Police Academy and why his gal pal was attracted to its scent. Now if only I could get my wife to wear some as perfume. Great stuff and great memories, it is truly a sort of magical elixir...

So tell me what is it that triggers your fondest memories of past firearms events, shooting experiences, gun handling, collecting, etc...?

 

[andy]

I always used GI Bore cleaner, and the stink is not something I recall with any fondness at all. I only did it every 2000 rds or so.

 

[Glenn Bartley]

Andy,

Yeah ok, I can understand that. I can even understand that some people will hate the smell of Hoppes - but there must be something that triggers off fond memories of firearms related activities. What is it that does it for you?

 

[TODD 3465]

For me it's one holster I dug out of retirement. Which is a GI style flap holster that I purchased over 20years ago at a local surplus store. It was made with plain unfinished "natural" leather. I camo'ed it in a woodland type pattern with some permanet magic-markers from a hobby store then treated it with SNO-SEAL.

Used it for several years as a field holster for both a 1911 and a Security-Six. The pic may not be clear enough but there's another hole in the flap so it would close when the Sec.-Six was in it.

Now my 1911 retro project resides in it.

 

[RIKA]

When I was very small (before my parents were divorced) Dad took his 12ga shotgun out at midnight on New Years eve and fired a couple of rounds. The shotshells were the very old paper kind and they have a distinctive smell that is totally unlike modern shells. I will always remember that aroma with pleasure and memory of happy times.

RIKA