Old guns.
 

Went for a walk late this afternoon with this old Superpose. It’s a sweet old gun, 20 ga, nice and light, carries like a dream, and points exactly where I need it to point but what makes it really special is it’s history. A gentleman named John Thompson bought it new in 1959. John was a banker in my hometown. A distinguished gentleman, tall and lean with a shock of white hair. My parents were close friends of John and his family. After he passed away his guns were dispersed to his friends. A few years ago I tracked this one down and bought it.

John passed away 20-years ago this evening. He was a gentleman and a character. I wish I had been able to spend time afield with him when I was young but I’ll have to settle with his Superpose and that’s OK. I look at the thinning blue and a few dings on the stock and I know how they came to be. That’s what makes this old guns special.

https://i.imgur.com/TuMH8fZ.jpg

Very nice, too early for a Superlight, right?
Hidden Round Knob?

RKLT

Not only did you Super "Pose" it as a Superlight,
it looks as though it's a vent rib single barrel with a mag tube.

The 1950s era 20 gauge superposed guns were the best in my opinion. The fore-end was smaller and yes they were a joy to carry. I owned a bundle of them before I got interested in Parker guns.

It is very cool to know the history of an old gun. Even better you knew the gentleman who owned the gun. Good on you for tracking it down.

That's a beauty. I spoke with an appraiser from Morphy's last month, and he said that prices of Superposed are steadily dropping because the new "crop" of shooters are familiar with the name Citori and are bidding those up in price. They're so new to shooting they don't know what a Superposed is. With my birds eye eyeball it seems prices have come down somewhat lately and I'm considering picking one up. I should re-read my Superposed book I suppose.

My first Superposed was a first year 20 Superlite. To reduce weight, the comb was shaved down, making it razor thin. Recoil was tough. Sold it and bought a later version which somewhere along the way had an original Midas stock put on the Grade 1 gun. Got my only grouse double with that gun. Someone forced me to sell the gun and double my money. Still think fondly of that gun, however

I bought my first SuperposeD in early 1968 and have owned a dozen or so since in most varieties - RKLT, RKFT, STGP, including some stunning Pre-WWII and very early 1950s Grade Vs. Most have been 20 gauge, a few 28s, with a few exceptional graded 12 gauges, all Belgian guns. When the Citoris first came out I had little or no interest in them until I started seeing them at gun shows at a fraction of the price of the Belgian guns. Now I have them in 20, 28 and .410 gauge and am closing in on a 16 gauge (yes they made them but only for a few years). I truly believe they are the best value in an O/U in the under-$2500 class going for the basic models. Right now the market on 12 gauge Belgian guns is flatlined, but the smaller gauge prices are still strong, and the graded smallbores are still right up there in the mid-thousands, depending on gauge. Like the Belgian guns, the Citoris are built to last - you can wear them out, but they don't break down.

Jay,
Thats a nice story, I am glad you were able to track that gun down. There is an old stevens side by side .410 that I wouldn't mind tracking down. It was the first shotgun I ever hunted with.