What Imbues a Gun With "Soul"?

[Ed Blake]

Originally Posted by John Campbell

Gentlemen:
The thread on the recent Fall Southern raised an intriguing question about certain guns having "soul."

So... rather than divert that thread onto a side road, I thought I'd post a new topic focused on a gun's soul.

As we can all agree, many Parkers have it. But a K-80 apparently does not. Neither would some plastic stocked Bennelli semi auto or Turkish box lock. Maybe even a thoroughly flogged and varnish slathered Trojan or Fox Sterlingworth would lack soul.

So... if we limit the issue to double guns for the sake of brevity, the question is:


Exactly what IS "soul" as applied to a Parker or other double gun?

And... which guns have it? And what guns don't?

Sorry to bust your bubble John, but my K32 has soul, at least IMO.

[Bill Murphy]

Ed, my K-32 has soul too, as I mentioned in an earlier post. Daryl's comment about picking up a gun and saying to yourself, "I can shoot this gun." comes from a shooting man, not a gun collector. Daryl and I both have a few collector guns that don't give us that feeling of "I can shoot this gun". However, some others, not neccesarily collector guns, but some that are collector guns, are guns that we know we can shoot. Sorry to say it, but "soul" is usually identified by people who know which end the shot comes out. I find it hard to believe that someone who has not paid his dues in shotgun shooting, either at game or competition shooting can identify soul in shotguns.

[Kensal Rise]

Ed:
I was just following opinions on another thread. So my bubble is intact. However, there appears to be an interesting range of opinion and insight so far!

As I see it, members have a few key positions. But they also pose some dichotomies:

• Japanese guns have no soul. But how about American guns? Or English? Or German?

• Soul can come through owner involvement/interaction. But is that soul or sentiment? And would someone recognize that quality 50 years from now?

• Soul can come via the wear and tear of use and age. But does that give a worn and torn Stevens soul? Or just a bad complexion?

• Enduring service can impart soul. But just because a $500 Trojan on Gunbroker served its original owner faultlessly, does it have soul?

• Craftsmanship and provenance could grant soul. But does the Czar’s Invincible have soul? Or notoriety?

• Does sentiment equal soul? I’d love to have my childhood Stevens/Fox back. But its value to me is personal. Is that soul? It would probably be a clunker to anyone else.

• Does efficacy equal soul? If a person makes every shot with a cut barrel VH, is that soul? Or simply good fit combined with human skill?

• Does soul come from fine materials and craftsmanship? If so, a Japanese Browning might compare to a AH Parker in soul. (Or a Toyota pickup might have as much soul as an S-Class Mercedes.)

• Does soul come from a name? Parker made about 250,000 guns. Does each one have a soul because it’s a Parker? Purdey made a fraction of that number. Does each Purdey have a soul?


I don’t know any of the answers. This may be a proverbial search for the Holy Grail.

(apologies to Monty Python… )

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by John Campbell

Ed:
I was just following opinions on another thread. So my bubble is intact. However, there appears to be an interesting range of opinion and insight so far!

As I see it, members have a few key positions. But they also pose some dichotomies:

• Japanese guns have no soul. But how about American guns? Or English? Or German?

• Soul can come through owner involvement/interaction. But is that soul or sentiment? And would someone recognize that quality 50 years from now?

• Soul can come via the wear and tear of use and age. But does that give a worn and torn Stevens soul? Or just a bad complexion?

• Enduring service can impart soul. But just because a $500 Trojan on Gunbroker served its original owner faultlessly, does it have soul?

• Craftsmanship and provenance could grant soul. But does the Czar’s Invincible have soul? Or notoriety?

• Does sentiment equal soul? I’d love to have my childhood Stevens/Fox back. But its value to me is personal. Is that soul? It would probably be a clunker to anyone else.

• Does efficacy equal soul? If a person makes every shot with a cut barrel VH, is that soul? Or simply good fit combined with human skill?

• Does soul come from fine materials and craftsmanship? If so, a Japanese Browning might compare to a AH Parker in soul. (Or a Toyota pickup might have as much soul as an S-Class Mercedes.)

• Does soul come from a name? Parker made about 250,000 guns. Does each one have a soul because it’s a Parker? Purdey made a fraction of that number. Does each Purdey have a soul?


I don’t know any of the answers. This may be a proverbial search for the Holy Grail.

(apologies to Monty Python… )

To answer your question, I have a honest worn, non abused Trojan that just looks like it was taken care of and used well. Running my hands over the gun it oozes soul out of every pore.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by John Campbell

• Japanese guns have no soul.

Well then that eliminates all those Jap Parker's a good many of you hold in high regard

[Fishtail]

It's important not to over-analyze 'soul'. It's simply one of those things that if you have to have it explained to you, you wouldn't understand.

It's like trying to analyze why there is a marked difference between Rodie O'Donnell and Andie McDowell when in chronological, scientific, and socioeconomic terms there is very little difference in the two.

[Setter Man]

Great question. Plenty of elements go into it but there is no way to quantify it or define it objectively. All I can say is that I know it when I see it.

[King Cobb]

With guns.....It starts with quality built gun, proceeds to being associated with a known and respected brand, has a dominant history to the gun maker, was a practical gun when made, looks used but not abused, bonus points if it has family history.

This is why colt revolvers and 1911s appeal to me while non colt 1911s do not.

I have a colt AR15 that is fun to shoot, but it has as much soul to me as my trash can, it is a largely impractical gun. My winchester M70 supergrade does have a lot of soul.

Branding also plays a role, that's why I like colts and not Rugers of any kind. I like shooting Rugers but they don't bond with me.

All else fails, the gun just speaks to me.

[Ed Blake]

The K32s soul comes from the 80 year old Cuban-American trapshooter from Miami who ordered it in 1971 from Hal DuPont and took excellent care of it for 40+ years before I got it. He got too old to shoot and like all of us, had to unencumber himself of some "stuff".

[Mike Franzen]

There are guns that just seem to have an attractive quality that goes beyond, "That's a nice looking gun". Guns with soul reveal themselves at the first encounter. They stir an emotional connection that makes you want to hold them, point them, feel the wood and metal. Their ability to do this has nothing to do with who owned them or the experiences they survived. The sum of their parts create a harmonic vibration with kindred spirits that that makes them want to bond. A couple years ago my good friend Jim DiSpagno sent me a set of 20 gauge Damascus barrels to be evaluated at a testing facility. When I removed them from the package and held them in my hand I knew immediately I had to have the rest of that gun. I didn't care what it cost, what issues it might have or where it had been. I called Jim and told him how I felt and he agreed to sell it to me at a fair price. Now it's my gun. I can look at it or shoot whenever I like. And every time I do I get that same feeling in my soul all over again. What's that worth?