As a kid, I thought my old man's 311 16gauge w/Tenite stock was the be-all-end-all shotgun. It fueled my lust for things two-barreled. To my (minor) chagrin, he bought me a new 12gauge Ithaca M37 for my HS graduation in 1970. It served me well until I was through college and shopped for my first double which was an L.C.Smith, then a Fox Sterlingworth, then another Smith, and another Smith, and another...
I still have dad's Tenite stocked 311 16gauge, but the only reasons I hang onto it are nostalgic in nature. Crude in detail compared to many other makes, and with horrid balance, it does remind me of my roots and as such holds a place of honor in my collection (along with the single shot 12's that I initially hunted with).
