Favorite Firearms: Granddad’s Winchester Model 62A

by
posted on December 6, 2022
Winchester Model 62A

In the late 1930s, this .22-cal. Winchester Model 62A rifle was owned by my paternal grandfather, Richard Shoemake. During the Great Depression, he was hired as a master pumper for the Sun Oil Co. His job was to manage 14 active oil wells on the Cuellor Oil Lease, near the town of Freer in South Texas. At the time, getting the job was a miracle and a story in itself. He and my grandmother would raise five sons on the lease, living in a small company-owned house set on blocks, with screen doors and a tin roof.

From ages 4 to 6, I lived with my grandparents. The land was flat and full of prickly pear cactus and mesquite—harsh by most standards, however, I was too young to know the difference. Every day was an adventure for me. In addition to the horses, cattle and working cowboys on the neighboring ranches, there were deer, javelina, cougars, bobcats, rabbits, dove and quail. It was the land my grandfather actually lived off of—the oil for salary and the game for food. By the age of 5, I was introduced to this .22-cal. pump—that was 65 years ago.

The Model 62A is still in perfect condition. I had the firing pin reset, though it lacks a nut on the pump handle. I take it out of the closet every now and then and set it across my lap. I then pick it up and aim it at the ceiling. Since I know it’s empty and not on safe, I click the hammer back to safe, then wait a second and thumb the hammer on back to the second click. Those two clicks are music to my ears. I’ll do this over and over, until I feel the past come all the way forward. Such is the meaning of a favorite firearm.

—Mike Shoemake

Latest

Revolutionary Art Of Don Troiani
Revolutionary Art Of Don Troiani

The Revolutionary Art Of Don Troiani

By using surviving artifacts, eyewitness testimony, accurately reproduced uniforms, original firearms and the thorough study of battle sites, Don Troiani has done more than imagine what happened 250 years ago. His art is as close as it can get to a true representation of what period combat would have looked like.

The Armed Citizen® April 21, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Captain John Parker's Fowler: Witness To History

While thousands of firearms were used in and around the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, few survive today. One survivor is the flintlock fowler used by Capt. John Parker of the Lexington militia.

New For 2025: Mossberg 590M Standoff & 500 Slugster Pump Shotguns

The Mossberg 500 is one of the most popular pump-action shotguns ever made. That doesn’t keep the company from making updates and improvements, as evidenced in the new-for-2025 590M Standoff and 500 Slugster series.

Preview: Warthog Sharpeners V-Sharp Elite A4

Warthog USA’s V-Sharp Elite A4 pairs the company’s most feature-packed portable blade-sharpening unit with a detachable wooden base for added stability.

The Men & Guns Of Lexington Green

On April 19, 1775, 250 years ago, approximately 80 armed militiamen from Lexington gathered on their village green to confront several hundred British infantrymen. The events of that morning began a conflict that would ultimately establish the United States of America.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.