My first gun was a Winchester Model 67, 22 LR Single Shot with a bolt action. Since I was a young girl at the time, my Dad shortened the stock.
It was and is an extremely accurate gun. It made it fun to learn to shoot.
My second gun was a very interesting rifle. I still have it and cherish it as part of my family's heritage. It was the FIRST Nylon 66 ever made. It was the Prototype for the first 22 gauge rifle with a lightweight plastic stock. My Dad's company worked on this project in the 1950s with Remington .
This rifle was WHITE nylon. In production, the Nylon 66 was wood colored and was not available in white. We tested this prototype model by leaving it out in the snow, dangling it off a cliff, driving over it with a Jeep and generally slogging it around all over upstate NY and the New Jersey Pine Barrens. It was a fabulous rifle and was destined to become a huge success.
My Dad's company, AL Hyde Company, worked with DuPont Remington on the design & development. It was my Dad's all-time favorite project. He helped Remington bring it the stage of mass production. Unfortunately there was a plant shutdown involving unionization, forcing the project to go to another manufacturer for mass production. We still have the Prototype White Nylon 66 today.
In the time that's passed, the only thing ever replaced was the front sight. The Nylon 66 remains one of the most accurate 22 rifles out there. As a kid, I used to hike for miles in upstate NY and always carried around the white Nylon 66. Why? Because it was so lightweight and I rarely missed the target.
It's a very nostalgic gun for me. We were told by the folks in the Fine Gun Room at Bass Pro in Springfield, MO that the Nylon 66s are becoming very collectible these days.
Thanks for the interesting Thread.
Sher