It was a quick trip outside this morning to fill that feeder and give Gabbi a short walk, and I observed once again that the air is clearer and purer and the sky bluer when the winter temperature is frigid cold. The night-time moon nearly glows while bright stars never seem closer. Too bad it's so hard to stay out long to experience it.
But back to my chair. I opened the magazine and saw a photo of a gun. A beautiful side-by-side shotgun. Now, what kind of shotgun would I look for if I were in the market. So I started daydreaming about ordering a gun.
The magazine photo showed a sleek Italian-made box lock bird gun. Then I did a little research to decide how I would have my gun built. The first thought would have to be the gauge. For me, it'd be between the 20 and the 12. I know some other gauges are popular, but my choice would be as stated, for reasons I won't go into here.
I'm a tall fellow and like long barrels so I'm thinking 30 inches -- maybe 29 in a 20 gauge. The gun comes with fixed chokes, but some extra cost will add screw-in choke tubes. I'll spring for the tubes to make it versatile for all upland game birds. Flush mount tubes, of course. It's taken me a while to get used to extended choke tubes protruding out the end of muzzles on single barrel guns and over/unders, but when I've accidentally seen a couple of side-by-sides with them I could only turn away and hope to keep my mouth shut.
My new gun will have a splinter forestock with two triggers before an English-style straight buttstock. A coin finish and standard wood and dimensions (15-inch length of pull. Nice.) will suit me fine. A concave rib at another extra cost, OK. I'll skip a few of the other options as this gun is already priced way more than I've ever thought of spending on a gun.
Yes, that graceful double gun is the one for me. Then I turned the page and, oh!... two eye-catching over/unders!
The truth is: I'm not in the market for another gun. I don't even want another. I like what I have and sometimes I just have to admire the fine workmanship and details that made a good shotgun something special. No, for the shooting days I have, I'm well off.
Al
ReplyDeleteI think a side-by-side shotgun with a 30" barrel or even an over-and-under would suit me just fine; I'm not picky.
My nephew called me yesterday to share some great news—he finally got his dad's two shotguns from his mom. One is a lightweight 20-gauge Browning, a nice shotgun, and the other is a 12-gauge Ithaca 37 pump. Both of these guns hold a wealth of memories for me. I remember all those years we spent hunting together. He mentioned that the Browning is worth between $700 and $900. My brother took great care of both guns, especially the Browning. He said the guns will eventually be passed down to his oldest son, who enjoys quail hunting. Sometimes, I wish I had kept my Remington, although hunting opportunities would be very limited where we live now. Stay warm and safe looking for an early Spring
Bill, thanks for the comment. I enjoy gunning as much as fishing and have used a variety of shotguns. I like them all. Your nephew's 37 is a classic & that Browning might be worth more than he thinks. Of course, a passed-down family gun is priceless.
DeleteWe had a short crew at the gun club Sunday for one very chilly round of Skeet. The afternoon was then spent around the woodstove and crockpot full of pheasant/pasta and coffee. Yeah, an early Spring would be welcomed!