Guns that speak

[Tom Flanigan]

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this, but some guns “speak” to me and I never forget them. Some I own and these are included in the core of guns I’ll never sell but will pass down. These guns could be special because of provenance, excellence of the piece or both. Two that I don’t own that come to mind are Kevin McCormack’s “grandma’s” gun, a little 28 bore GH jewel that he once owned and Bruce Day’s gorgeous little CHE 20 bore “woodduck” gun.

Other lesser guns grow on you because of all the game you have taken with them and the memories they represent. I have a 20 bore PHE steel barrel gun, purchased last year, that is falling into this category. Both the gun and my little setter Jesse are new to me but I am already building great memories of both in the grouse woods this year. Lately I have been using the PHE exclusively for my grouse hunting since it fits me well and I shoot it as well as any grouse gun I own. I imagine that at some point I’ll add it to the core of Parker’s that I will never sell.