Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I was poking around on another shotgun board, one devoted to "Wingshooting and Fine Guns"....
Much of the material on that BB covers fine doubles, a subject in which finances have limited my participation. But, there was a thread on Browning's reissue of the vaunted Model 12, and pumpguns are a subject dear to my heart.
I like the Model 12 in both Winchester's classic and the re-issue, even though some sneer at Japanese made arms. Not me. If a rose is a rose is a rose, a pumpgun well made of quality materials by free people is a fine pumpgun is a fine pumpgun is a fine pumpgun.
But, one poster there, when 870s were cited, made the comment that Model 12s have more "Soul".
To him, maybe.
But soul is not a factory option. We install it one memory at a time.
Consider my oldest 870, mine since 1959. The story in the Archives here, "A Christmas Past", tells how my father gave it to me on a pheasant hunt.
Since then, it has taken game from dove to deer, busted clays, slapped down steel plates, and in 1971 or so in Venice Ca, it helped me convince two criminals that breaking into my apartment in the wee smalls was not only illegal, but a really stupid idea. It now is semi retired and serves as part of my home owner's insurance plan.
There's a lot of memories with that shotgun in it, and it has soul up the wazoo.
Or take Frankenstein, my over publicized parts 870. The tale of its birth, " A Kitchen Table 870" is also archived.
Since the lightning flashed and it sat up on the operating table late in the 80s or early 90s, it has taken much game, served well on divers ranges and functions at 100% regardless of the task.
Since I built it, it helped me take my only true triple on a quail covey flush, gone 11 snow geese with 14 shells, and helped me educate some folks that a shotgun need be neither pretty nor costly to be good.
It's a junkyard mutt with the heart of a thoroughbred. It takes love to make it beautiful, but it's not for sale at any price.
And it too has soul dripping off it like honey on a biscuit.
Some newer guns here are getting soul.
Number Six, my most recently acquired 870, was made in 1955 and lightly used prior to me. I'm changing that, and it has done well in the dove fields.
Number Four, AKA Jessica for the Allman Brothers instrumental, is a 20 gauge Youth model I got for the kids in the early 90s. They've moved on and a friend needed a youth stock for a 28 gauge 870 he got for HIS kids. I ended up with a straight grip stock on Jessica that redefined the term "Quail Gun" and made it a fast handling, light uplander. It's got some soul now, and I'll add to that as time allows.
In case you've followed all that, here's how to add soul to your shotguns.
It's not like bolting on a accessory. Or redoing the finish.
You use it. And you do that in the company of those you care the most about, family and friends
Use a worked over $50 bolt action 12 gauge to take a county record after a friend called it "The Ugliest Shotgun in Howard County".Also archived.
Or take a fast double on dove with an well known pumpgun while your oldest child, too young to shoot, watches wide eyed behind her miniature shooting glasses. Or watch said child, older, bust her first clay with another,similar gun bought just for her.
Or lend it to a friend when his autoloader seizes up to kill his first giant Canada goose.
Or just carry it through some pretty country, admiring The Creator's work.
Do that, and your shotgun will see soul showing up uninvited but quite welcome.
The best to all this Holiday Season.....
Much of the material on that BB covers fine doubles, a subject in which finances have limited my participation. But, there was a thread on Browning's reissue of the vaunted Model 12, and pumpguns are a subject dear to my heart.
I like the Model 12 in both Winchester's classic and the re-issue, even though some sneer at Japanese made arms. Not me. If a rose is a rose is a rose, a pumpgun well made of quality materials by free people is a fine pumpgun is a fine pumpgun is a fine pumpgun.
But, one poster there, when 870s were cited, made the comment that Model 12s have more "Soul".
To him, maybe.
But soul is not a factory option. We install it one memory at a time.
Consider my oldest 870, mine since 1959. The story in the Archives here, "A Christmas Past", tells how my father gave it to me on a pheasant hunt.
Since then, it has taken game from dove to deer, busted clays, slapped down steel plates, and in 1971 or so in Venice Ca, it helped me convince two criminals that breaking into my apartment in the wee smalls was not only illegal, but a really stupid idea. It now is semi retired and serves as part of my home owner's insurance plan.
There's a lot of memories with that shotgun in it, and it has soul up the wazoo.
Or take Frankenstein, my over publicized parts 870. The tale of its birth, " A Kitchen Table 870" is also archived.
Since the lightning flashed and it sat up on the operating table late in the 80s or early 90s, it has taken much game, served well on divers ranges and functions at 100% regardless of the task.
Since I built it, it helped me take my only true triple on a quail covey flush, gone 11 snow geese with 14 shells, and helped me educate some folks that a shotgun need be neither pretty nor costly to be good.
It's a junkyard mutt with the heart of a thoroughbred. It takes love to make it beautiful, but it's not for sale at any price.
And it too has soul dripping off it like honey on a biscuit.
Some newer guns here are getting soul.
Number Six, my most recently acquired 870, was made in 1955 and lightly used prior to me. I'm changing that, and it has done well in the dove fields.
Number Four, AKA Jessica for the Allman Brothers instrumental, is a 20 gauge Youth model I got for the kids in the early 90s. They've moved on and a friend needed a youth stock for a 28 gauge 870 he got for HIS kids. I ended up with a straight grip stock on Jessica that redefined the term "Quail Gun" and made it a fast handling, light uplander. It's got some soul now, and I'll add to that as time allows.
In case you've followed all that, here's how to add soul to your shotguns.
It's not like bolting on a accessory. Or redoing the finish.
You use it. And you do that in the company of those you care the most about, family and friends
Use a worked over $50 bolt action 12 gauge to take a county record after a friend called it "The Ugliest Shotgun in Howard County".Also archived.
Or take a fast double on dove with an well known pumpgun while your oldest child, too young to shoot, watches wide eyed behind her miniature shooting glasses. Or watch said child, older, bust her first clay with another,similar gun bought just for her.
Or lend it to a friend when his autoloader seizes up to kill his first giant Canada goose.
Or just carry it through some pretty country, admiring The Creator's work.
Do that, and your shotgun will see soul showing up uninvited but quite welcome.
The best to all this Holiday Season.....
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