My first was an old Hopkins and Allen single 12 ,rickety old thing I bought from lawn cuttin money ...20 bucks I think it put me back ,I was 13 or 14 at the time but legally up here you have to 16 to own a firearm ...I never put too much thought in it .
About a year later my mile a minute mind ,came up with a jackass plan ...I got the hacksaw out and cut a pistol grip tang from 1/4 plate ,cut off the original and welded the new one in place ,re set the guts and made a set of grips ...the barrel was cut to 14 inches and a new short forend made...the ammo was high brass Imperials ,cut and emptied and topped off with a 12 bore round ball cast from my great ,great granddads musket mold ...I have never shot anything more uncomfortable ...bloody thing would almost cartwheel me ,but every 14 year old kid in town thought that I was a genius ...looking back with a shaking head and a big smile ,I think ignorance is bliss,and obviously blind luck was on my side !!!
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