I still have two full boxes, my father must have hid them from me when I was a teen or they would have been gone. They were on sale, $1.99.
As far as the purpose of the leather hand guard, shoot a round of trap on a hot summer day without it and you'll find out the purpose. I just hold a little lower on the trap house when it's on my gun so I can see the bird leave the trap house without obstruction.
