When I was about thirteen or fourteen, my shotgun was a Montgomery -Wards bolt action 16 ga. I hated it. M-W had a Winchester Model 21 field grade in the catalog for $325. We were farmers and had made good crops for several years running. I wanted a 21. Dad and I had a contract. I do certain things well, do some really hard chores, and Dad would consider it. I met or exceeded expectations. Dad agreed and said we would do it. (this took some time.)
Then I got cold feet. The family kind of needed a second car. We had a new Mercury, but there were times when we needed another, then Mom was pregnant with my sister, almost 15 years my junior. That clinched the deal.
I offered dad a proposition. Forget the shotgun, and lets go partners on another vehicle. Deal. Now then, then don't .think that I did not have my self interest in the deal. Not all was mature reasoning. See, there was this brown eyed girl that lived a few miles away. Long story short, a few years later I married the brown eyed girl, and I still have her. With my track record on guns, I would likely have traded it away years ago. Not long after we married, I came up with a nice pump gun. Life was good.
Jack
Add: over the years I have owned lots of shotguns, many I wish I still had.
My all time favorite is a fifty year old Browning Superposed 20 Pigeon Grade, which handles as an extension of my body. It fits so well in factory form, that I set up both a Binelli Montefeltro 20 and an 870 12 with the exact same drop and cast. They work also. I suppose that I have owned at least six or seven 12 ga Superposed. They are heavy and do not handle as well as a field gun for me. Targets, yes- field, no. I finally stumbled into a Beretta 687 SPIV, that does well hunting and clays. I have also had la Light 12 A-5 for fifty years. Wish it had been a 16, but it was my choice at the time. I have several more, nothing spectacular other than my minty 42. Love me some shotguns and bird hunting. Jt
Last edited by jt402; 11/09/13.
