I too read the new book about Hemingway and his guns by Calabi, Helsley and Sanger. My wife gave it for me as a gift. Since Papa loved his Model 12 I went out and bought three more, I already had a 20 gauge. Now Pat wishes she hadn't bought me the book.
I'm in my third Hemingway phase. I've done it twice before, once while in high school, once while I was overseas in the Marine Corps and now. My opinions of him have changed as I have changed. Just finished the bio of Valery Hemingway, who was Papa's daughter in law. She married Gregory, aka Gigi. She was also Hem's personal secretary for 18 months or so, this before she got hitched to Gigi. They met as Hem's funeral and married five years later. He had a pretty weird life too. Became a doctor, decided he liked to wear women's duds, which he'd done since a little boy and then he had a sex change operation when he got older! Changed his name to Gloria! Can you believe it?! He was estranged from his famous papa for a long time. Gee I wonder why! Gigi however was one heck of a shotgun shot, even when young.
Hem owned a Win model 12 and a Parker too I understand, but no mention of the latter in the book. Hem was a freak for Win model 21's and had a wonderful Beretta sidelock O/U. It's extant somewhere. Most of his guns have been lost. Mary gave most to Abecrombie and Fitch to be resold as used guns. People who bought them did not know they'd been owned by Hemingway. Maybe the salesmen didn't know either. The W.C. Scott that he used to blow his brains out "removed his entire cranial vault" was cut up by order of Patrick, his middle son, who was following Hem's fourth wife, Mary's directive. The bits burned and buried. Some pieces have been found, but she'll never shoot again! I think it was damascus btw and he didn't hesitate to shoot heavy loads in it.
Was Ernest Hemingway a smuck or a prince? I haven't made up my mind, which is what draws me to the study of the fellow. I haven't even decided if I like his writing or not, and I've read it all and most of the bios. I'll tell you two things about him however, he was a pretty good bird shot and he drank like a fish.
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