Come to Papa, because we’ve got some family stories to share.
It’s time to take some time out to honor the old man—unless you are the old man. In which case: thanks Dad, and Happy Father's Day!
At Crosman, this is a holiday we take to heart.
Many of us learned our love of airgunning and hunting and plinking at papa’s side. Our dads passed their passion for the sport down to us, and we’re handing it down to our kids.
Steve's First Crosman, and his Son's Inheritance
Our EVP Sales/Product Development, GM Crosman, Steve Upham, didn't come into Crosman cold. Back when he was nine, his dad bought him his first airgun-a Crosman 766 American Classic.
Steve grew up in the Adirondacks, where his backyard was six miles of squirrel-filled woods. That’s where his father taught him to shoot. He learned the ins and outs of safety and, like many of us, couldn’t wait to get old enough to go hunting with his dad.
And, sure enough, when he turned 12, his father took him along.
When Steve started at Crosman 23 years ago, he knew he had to find that original air rifle. He had his dad look and, sure enough, his folks still had it. It was well worn, but that was nothing the Crosman repair crew couldn’t take care of. A new valve had it holding air like new and they even found Steve an original box for it in storage. Steve got his first airgun back along with a note welcoming him to the team.
And now he’s teaching his own kids the joy of airgunning and hunting. Steve built a 20-yard shooting range in his basement for those freezing New York winters, and that’s where he taught his boys to shoot.
For his boys, Colby and Cal, their intro to airgunning was an old Crosman 262. Steve chopped down the stock so the kids could shoulder it, instilled in them the importance of gun safety, and passed on his passion. His boys have been shooting since they were five and both are now excellent shots. They learned on Crosman metal silhouette targets—little animal-shaped targets that make learning to shoot fun—and that equalled quality time with dad.
Both boys—now men—still hunt, and Steve’s pretty proud of all he’s passed on. Full marks for fatherhood, Steve!
Tom Takes Aim at Father-Son Time
Our Director of New Business Development, Tom Beecher, also wanted to weigh in on what Father’s Day means to us around here. He remembers walking along the lake as a young lad, trying his hand at plinking with the old man. His dad would tell stories about learning to shoot from his father while Tom took aim at leaves and twigs and anything else against which he could prove his growing mettle.
Eventually, young Tom graduated to a Crosman and bigger targets. Back in those days in upstate New York, they taught hunter safety courses in public school and Tom took them. He learned archery, big and small game hunting, and trapping. His favorite excursions were with his dad, though. They’d head out after squirrels and rabbits and waited until Tom turned 16 and legal for them to aim for bigger game.
Now, Tom’s got grown kids of his own. His daughter Keagan and son Finnigan both learned to shoot from their pop. While they mostly stick to target shooting, Tom remembers how excited Finnigan was to bag his first squirrel and how the real trophy was the time they got to spend together.
It’s a common refrain: anything we can do to spend time with our fathers and kids is priceless. So let’s take this Father's Day to remember all dad has done for—and with—us.
Hope you’re celebrating this Father’s Day with your family. We’re tipping our hats to you, dad, here at Crosman.