Hemingway's guns

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Don and King, I was just trying to redirect Steve to the "correct Mr. B" as Don has done. Google is a dangerous weapon in some cases, but this was obviously an honest mistake on Steve's part.

Thanks for the heads up. I never, ever try to ruffle feathers. I am just chatting and thinking, nothing more. I enjoy a free exchange of ideas and I yearn for discussion with people who have either "been there" or who know something. I find small talk drab. Mr. Brown's comments have been extremely interesting to me and have caused me to think and then re-think.

Hotchner in Hemingway's Guns which I read again last night said that Hem did not like overly fancy guns, but we've all seen that amazing O/U shotgun. According to the same source the W.C. Scott 12 gauge was not a very fancy gun, but a workhorse. A long barreled pigeon gun.

Hem had a fine collection of guns. It would have been fun to stand with him, G & T in hand, and listen to him as he took them down one at a time and told a story about each. None of us, I think, admire the man in a hero worship sort of way, but rather we find him compelling and for many valid reasons.

As for the appropriateness our discussions? I haven't had so much fun behind a key board for quite some time.

[King Brown]

Bill, my father and I with same names worked the same craft. We decided there would be no Jr qualifier. Let the world think we had seven-league boots, appearing here and there throughout the world like the Scarlet Pimpernel. Our interests were so wide and varied there was confusion, of course. My son has the same name. Still no Jr which we consider a little over the top, an affectation. We let people think what they want to think, to hell with it. To keep to our sporting interests, I'm told Kingsley in Old English means King's Wood (of birds and animals for the monarch's pleasure). My grandmother admired Charles Kingsley. I imagine you've gone through the same with Bill Murphy. Regards, King

[Bill Murphy]

King, my Grandfather was William Murphy, who was a community leader, owned a couple of businesses, one a "cafe", one a distributorship of alcoholic beverages. He also ran a pigeon ring. I, as you, am not anything but the same name as my Grandfather, without embellishment. However, Steve mistook you for someone who is not related to you in any way, an error in trusting google.com as Don mentioned.

[Robert Delk]

"Snows of Kilimanjaro" was probably the first movie I ever saw as a child. My mother was a fan of EH and took us when it came out.I read some of his books as a child also. I read "The Old Man and the Sea" when it came out and my mom bought a copy. I wonder if my early love of fishing was encouraged by that book.I suppose he "postured" some,many men do, and thought of himself as tougher than he actually was.Something else we are prone to do. "Everybody wants to be a bad ass" as we used to say in my outfit in Vietnam.The truth of combat,with enough of it, would have soon dispelled any thoughts of finding "glory" in it. I still like EH,I grew up with his books, but his reputation as a bully and "wantabe" put me off. I understand him some as we fought some of the same battles of family and emotional issues and am very sorry he could not find the help he needed.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

As we sit around the fire, that the internet has created, listing to the stories told by men of varying experiences it certainly provokes thought and ideas and opinions....

[Stepmac]

I just googled the Hemingway Society. It takes Hemingway lore to another level.

[Stepmac]

My wife gave me my copy of Hemingway's Guns for Christmas. I rooted through my gun collection to see how many Hemingway guns I own. I had one Model 12, an early 20gauge with a Power Pac hung on its end. I have the three screw in chokes, Long Range, Mid-Range and Short Range so I thought it would be okay. Like many Browning designs old John liked to utilize the energy of recoil. Even the Model 12, a pump of course, used recoil to unlock the action after the shot. If one dry fires the shotgun you have to push forward on the pump handle, which mimics recoil and unlocks the action. Otherwise you can't get the pump to cycle. That Power Pac afixed to the muzzle of the little 20, which is like new, takes so much kick out of the gun that it will not cycle! That's why the gun looks so new. It wasn't used. I'm not sure what to do. That Power Pac has a one inch gap between the end of the muzzle to where the load enters the choking chamber. Will a plastic wad strip off as it makes the jump?

I'm not sure what I should do. If I chop the Power Pac off then the barrel will be 23 inches long. With the Power Pac afixed it's 28, which I like. I might removed the choke and thread the barrel, and screw in a choke device that extends from the muzzle and re-afix the Power Pac. This will reduce the gap the load has to jump, but it'd be expensive to do.

[Stepmac]

Since I read about Hemingway's model 12's I now own three 12 gauge guns, one a 1923 Nickle Steel full choke, a like new 1962 12 mod, and a beat up one that I've opened to IC. I have a 1938 16 full, that fits me like a glove. So I'm pretty well Model 12'vd.

EH owned just two model 12's. His first a 1928 gun that after thirty years of heavy use, he declared worn out. It was sent back to A & F to sell. The other he bought from a bell boy that had a choking device. I think he bought in 1958.

BTW: If any of you have a Model 12, 12 gauge that is worn the point that the barrel wiggles, Brownell's stocks a shim that will tighten up the gun like new. Same part works for a 97.

Sure I love my Parkers. But the Win Mod 12 with it's machined solid steel receiver is pretty darn neat too.

[Autumn Daze]

Steve, Other than my beloved Parkers the only other shotgun I own is a Model 12 two barrel set.

[Stepmac]

EH's first model 12 was a 1928 gun. I went out to locate one. This is the one I bought. It was cheap...$250. It is a 1923 gun marked Nickel Steel. I lengthened the chambers and eased the forcing cone just for grins. I like the wear on this gun. I seldom reblue a gun. If it works it's fine with me.