Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
As of 9 PM last night, I had 50 hours on the books for this week. I needed some down time, so I joined the usual suspects at PGC this morn. Had a great time.
Our ages ran from the early 30s at a guess to the early 80s. A couple new faces and some old ones. And then there were the guns....
Two model 12s, one a trap grade and one a field grade 16 gauge in great shape. Recently the owner picked it up for a song.
Two Trap 870s, my TB and a new guy's TC, made in 1966 and with killer wood. It also had a factory issue 34" barrel with Fuller choke. The owner shot well with it and I busted a couple test birds nicely.
Talk about inertia. Once started, the thing swung like a wrecking ball.
I also brought Number 6, it needed exercise badly.
A pair of Model 21s graced the scene. Both with great wood, and quite effective.
AJ, our senior shooter, used an Ithaca 4-E he picked up 20 years ago as backup for his 5-E. Another masterpiece of claycrunching art made in the 1930s.
And Doug Kelly had a real prize. He brought a Live Pigeon gun made in 1928. It was a sidelock with good engraving, a raised, "Floating" rib and a M/C stock. The guy at Purdey's that regulated this knew his stuff. The barrels only touched other metal at the breech and the muzzle.
Doug said it'd take six figures and a couple of years to get a matching new one. I have no reason to doubt him.
Pigeon guns have some weight to them, since pigeon shoots allow 1 1/4 oz loads. It too, busted clays nicely for me when Doug was kind enough to let me try a few rounds.
So we shot trap, handicap,and Chinese trap. We tried each other's shotguns, bantered and joked. We made some shots and applauded the other's best efforts. We had one heckofagoodtime....
At the end, one guy set up a chrono and we clocked our loads. My 7/8 oz loads went an average of 1204 FPS, with 4 of 5 going between 1206 and 1230. This was 5 feet from the muzzle.
Doug tried a 1/4 oz Pigeon whacker. It went 1290, advertised as 1300 FPS MV. Close enough, I trow.
And now the point to all these maunderings. Some of these shotguns have 70 years or so of service behind them. The newest was made in 1978. They have untold thousands of rounds behind them. Maybe hundred of thousands for the oldest ones.
Quality lasts. So do shotgun skills once acquired and used regularly.....
Our ages ran from the early 30s at a guess to the early 80s. A couple new faces and some old ones. And then there were the guns....
Two model 12s, one a trap grade and one a field grade 16 gauge in great shape. Recently the owner picked it up for a song.
Two Trap 870s, my TB and a new guy's TC, made in 1966 and with killer wood. It also had a factory issue 34" barrel with Fuller choke. The owner shot well with it and I busted a couple test birds nicely.
Talk about inertia. Once started, the thing swung like a wrecking ball.
I also brought Number 6, it needed exercise badly.
A pair of Model 21s graced the scene. Both with great wood, and quite effective.
AJ, our senior shooter, used an Ithaca 4-E he picked up 20 years ago as backup for his 5-E. Another masterpiece of claycrunching art made in the 1930s.
And Doug Kelly had a real prize. He brought a Live Pigeon gun made in 1928. It was a sidelock with good engraving, a raised, "Floating" rib and a M/C stock. The guy at Purdey's that regulated this knew his stuff. The barrels only touched other metal at the breech and the muzzle.
Doug said it'd take six figures and a couple of years to get a matching new one. I have no reason to doubt him.
Pigeon guns have some weight to them, since pigeon shoots allow 1 1/4 oz loads. It too, busted clays nicely for me when Doug was kind enough to let me try a few rounds.
So we shot trap, handicap,and Chinese trap. We tried each other's shotguns, bantered and joked. We made some shots and applauded the other's best efforts. We had one heckofagoodtime....
At the end, one guy set up a chrono and we clocked our loads. My 7/8 oz loads went an average of 1204 FPS, with 4 of 5 going between 1206 and 1230. This was 5 feet from the muzzle.
Doug tried a 1/4 oz Pigeon whacker. It went 1290, advertised as 1300 FPS MV. Close enough, I trow.
And now the point to all these maunderings. Some of these shotguns have 70 years or so of service behind them. The newest was made in 1978. They have untold thousands of rounds behind them. Maybe hundred of thousands for the oldest ones.
Quality lasts. So do shotgun skills once acquired and used regularly.....
