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I was standing at the counter buying yet another 1100 for $159 when a gentleman strolled up with his daughter a few years younger than I, and said hello.
Daughter had saved her money and was here to pick out her very own 1100 in 20 gauge. Dad was walking about 3 feet above the floor and made a wise crack about "maybe I will get my 1100 back from her".
"Daddy!" and she slapped his shoulder softly "I am not that bad!"
We all knew each other at this store and just how we cut up and razzed one another.
As usual, the nice gun shop owner, employees brought out the boxes for the buyer to inspect and choose the wood they liked best. They all looked great, so this young lady picked one with a serial number that she liked.
$159 , plus sales tax for the shotgun, and two boxes of shells, tin of Browning Gun oil tossed in at no charge.
Now at this time shotguns had fixed choked barrels, and she chose the Improved Cylinder model. She was going to shoot skeet, bird hunt and all.
She knew about pattern boards, how to reload, and non-toxic shot was not required for Migratory Birds, so she would, and did find the load for ducks in flooded timber.
She would also check out slugs for deer hunting.
Dad had already bought a fixed choke skeet barrel and would surprise her with this for her B-Day.
Which he did, and she was surprised.
She did everything with this gun, she had used one dad had, actually mom's, and this meant mom stole daddy's gun, meaning dad was back to using a old pump gun. Which he did not mind, just allowed him to make wise cracks, and get razzed at by everyone.
Just like mom's get the new car and dads get the "old one".
This is how the family dynamic just works....
I ran into this dad a few days later, he was by himself at this gun store.
He bought two more 1100 20 gauge shotguns with fixed IC barrels.
"Don't you dare tell my family, except the wife,she knows, she and I discussed this and what we want to do, and I have two more fixed skeet barrels on the way as well. These I am putting back for future investment."
I never told the family, a man's word is his word.
This daughter shot both 12 ga and 20 ga skeet events with her 1100 in 20 gauge. Later on she would borrow an 1100 in 28 ga and .410 for those events...then eventually get her own 1100s in 28 ga and .410. This is another story, as she won these guns...
Still she used this 1100 in 20 ga for everything, she was so surprised to get that fixed skeet barrel for that B-Day. She spent time with pattern boards and factory shells and reloads.
Just how we did / still do things in regard to shotguns.
"Hey dad, clean my 1100 and I will make some brownies". Or whatever she was going to do in the kitchen and dad had no problem cleaning daughter's gun.
"I am not a typical dad that can get worked by a daughter - easy to bribe perhaps, but my daughter cannot work me". - Dad would say.
Her shotgun was used for everything, including keeping her safe where she lived. She had lots of trigger time, and had taken some training on defensive use of shotgun, with her gun. Just a bone stock 1100, fixed choked barrel(s) and never has she felt unable to take care of herself with that shotgun.
Time passes, daughter finishes school, brings a boy home to meet parents and and next thing you know.
"Mom and I are going to be Grandparents!"
Few years go by and Granddaughter is sitting on Grandpa's knees and with family watching he presents a Shotgun to his granddaughter.
Serial number is looked at and "Oh MY! That number is right after mine! exclaims the daughter.
Sure enough.
Time passes and the family is gathered at the parents home. This dad calls this daughter into his "gun room" closes the door. He sits down on his "ugly but comfy" chair and calls her over to sit on his knee.
He reaches for another shotgun, an 1100 20 ga with fixed choke improved cylinder.
Daughter's eyes swell up, a tear plops and it is because this guns serial number is the one right after the one her daughter has.
Three matching guns, with consecutive serial numbers.
He tells the story of going back, buying two more 1100s and like granddaughter's , there is a fixed choked skeet barrel for this gun as well.
"Honey, set this one back, nobody's knows but your mom and a few other close folks. This one is for you to give to your grandchild , when you become a grandma, at the right time".
$159 was a lot of money at that time.
One cannot put a monetary value on some things, and I am sharing such an example.
No way to describe seeing a Mom, and daughter with consecutive serial numbered shotguns shooting, standing there side by side, and the looks on their face.
I do not have the 1100 I bought that day so many years ago, that is a sad story in itself.
"Would you like to shoot our guns, for old times sake?" I am asked
"I would be honored ladies" I replied.
"Well shoot mom's first, we would not want you shooting them out of order silly" - replied the daughter.
Which I did, and the guns still work as they always have, all these years with tens of thousands of rounds fired through them.
I hope someday to shoot the third gun, to shoot all three, and to hear again "well shoot them in order silly".
$159 was a lot of money back then - no amount of monetary value can be placed on these guns today, or in the future.
Steve
Daughter had saved her money and was here to pick out her very own 1100 in 20 gauge. Dad was walking about 3 feet above the floor and made a wise crack about "maybe I will get my 1100 back from her".
"Daddy!" and she slapped his shoulder softly "I am not that bad!"
We all knew each other at this store and just how we cut up and razzed one another.
As usual, the nice gun shop owner, employees brought out the boxes for the buyer to inspect and choose the wood they liked best. They all looked great, so this young lady picked one with a serial number that she liked.
$159 , plus sales tax for the shotgun, and two boxes of shells, tin of Browning Gun oil tossed in at no charge.
Now at this time shotguns had fixed choked barrels, and she chose the Improved Cylinder model. She was going to shoot skeet, bird hunt and all.
She knew about pattern boards, how to reload, and non-toxic shot was not required for Migratory Birds, so she would, and did find the load for ducks in flooded timber.
She would also check out slugs for deer hunting.
Dad had already bought a fixed choke skeet barrel and would surprise her with this for her B-Day.
Which he did, and she was surprised.
She did everything with this gun, she had used one dad had, actually mom's, and this meant mom stole daddy's gun, meaning dad was back to using a old pump gun. Which he did not mind, just allowed him to make wise cracks, and get razzed at by everyone.
Just like mom's get the new car and dads get the "old one".
This is how the family dynamic just works....
I ran into this dad a few days later, he was by himself at this gun store.
He bought two more 1100 20 gauge shotguns with fixed IC barrels.
"Don't you dare tell my family, except the wife,she knows, she and I discussed this and what we want to do, and I have two more fixed skeet barrels on the way as well. These I am putting back for future investment."
I never told the family, a man's word is his word.
This daughter shot both 12 ga and 20 ga skeet events with her 1100 in 20 gauge. Later on she would borrow an 1100 in 28 ga and .410 for those events...then eventually get her own 1100s in 28 ga and .410. This is another story, as she won these guns...
Still she used this 1100 in 20 ga for everything, she was so surprised to get that fixed skeet barrel for that B-Day. She spent time with pattern boards and factory shells and reloads.
Just how we did / still do things in regard to shotguns.
"Hey dad, clean my 1100 and I will make some brownies". Or whatever she was going to do in the kitchen and dad had no problem cleaning daughter's gun.
"I am not a typical dad that can get worked by a daughter - easy to bribe perhaps, but my daughter cannot work me". - Dad would say.
Her shotgun was used for everything, including keeping her safe where she lived. She had lots of trigger time, and had taken some training on defensive use of shotgun, with her gun. Just a bone stock 1100, fixed choked barrel(s) and never has she felt unable to take care of herself with that shotgun.
Time passes, daughter finishes school, brings a boy home to meet parents and and next thing you know.
"Mom and I are going to be Grandparents!"
Few years go by and Granddaughter is sitting on Grandpa's knees and with family watching he presents a Shotgun to his granddaughter.
Serial number is looked at and "Oh MY! That number is right after mine! exclaims the daughter.
Sure enough.
Time passes and the family is gathered at the parents home. This dad calls this daughter into his "gun room" closes the door. He sits down on his "ugly but comfy" chair and calls her over to sit on his knee.
He reaches for another shotgun, an 1100 20 ga with fixed choke improved cylinder.
Daughter's eyes swell up, a tear plops and it is because this guns serial number is the one right after the one her daughter has.
Three matching guns, with consecutive serial numbers.
He tells the story of going back, buying two more 1100s and like granddaughter's , there is a fixed choked skeet barrel for this gun as well.
"Honey, set this one back, nobody's knows but your mom and a few other close folks. This one is for you to give to your grandchild , when you become a grandma, at the right time".
$159 was a lot of money at that time.
One cannot put a monetary value on some things, and I am sharing such an example.
No way to describe seeing a Mom, and daughter with consecutive serial numbered shotguns shooting, standing there side by side, and the looks on their face.
I do not have the 1100 I bought that day so many years ago, that is a sad story in itself.
"Would you like to shoot our guns, for old times sake?" I am asked
"I would be honored ladies" I replied.
"Well shoot mom's first, we would not want you shooting them out of order silly" - replied the daughter.
Which I did, and the guns still work as they always have, all these years with tens of thousands of rounds fired through them.
I hope someday to shoot the third gun, to shoot all three, and to hear again "well shoot them in order silly".
$159 was a lot of money back then - no amount of monetary value can be placed on these guns today, or in the future.
Steve
