M12's and Humpies- et al
I have a foto from a 1930's magazine showing a youngish Wm. Clark Gable and Johny Barrymore shooting the then new game of skeet at Barrymore's estate. Barrymore is holding a side-by-side (closed) while Clark has a humpie with a cutts comp- with the bolt open and locked rearward (as it should be until you are your peg and cleared to shoot)-
I love the Model 12- have both the Madis book and the Riffle book. In the later is shown very ornate M12 Trap guns belonging to both Gable and Roy Rogers (or if you prefer Lumbard- then Rodgers I suppose)
Lumbard- Lombard-- OK Southern- Sothern. In the Madis book a beautiful blond actress with a M12 Trap and a Sun Valley shooting patch is shown, but her last name is mis-spelled as Southern (easy mistake) it is Ann Sothern. From what I have read, she had a 96% or higher average at trap with that Model 12.
Hemingway mentions his M12 in his book "True At First Light" where he used it (sans 3-shot plug) to dispatch a wounded leopard he had shot from a tree limb with his 30-06. The wounded killer cat had taken cover in a mangrove tangle- think class 3 jungle canopy here. But I don't think Hemingway was a "cognoscenti" on the Model 12. His gun bearer had loaded with with SSG buckshot- he wrote "Not trusting those shells, I tripped the ejector and reloaded with No. 8 birdshot--etc"
Two things, allowing for the fact I have never hunted in Africa, come to my mind here: I would prefer the greater shocking power of 00 12 gauge buckshot to anything else at close range, and- the ejector on all Model 12 shotguns is mounted on the front bolt face- first series rounded bolt, and later series square faced bolt-on the open port receiver side as the gun is assembled and "in battery"-- What I believe he meant was "I tripped the cartridge stop and thumbed out the buckshot loads"- No big deal.
After his father died by SIGSW in late 1920's, Hemingway claimed his guns- both the Colt pistol his father used to end his life with, and possibly the shotguns, perhaps that's where the Model 12 originated. They first came on the market in 12 (and 16) gauges in about 1914, known as the Model 1912 with a nickel steel barrel. My guess is, Hemingway's shotgun was much like my favorite- a 1937 mfg. 12 30" full field grade with a solid rib barrel. My late father shot it steadily until he gave it to me in 1981-I have done so since, a year ago I replaced the carrier latch spring- all other parts are as from 1937 and it is only one set of notches away from the factory take-down adjustment on the 90 degree interrupted threaded ring.
True story (language changed a tad, as this is a genteel forum) about Carol Lombard's first date with Clark Gable- maybe 1938-ish. After a wine and dine evening at the Brown Derby, they go back to Gable's place for a nightcap. Old Clark takes this as a sign that Miss Lombard wants to spend the night in his bed. So after a sip or two, he said to her: "Honey, why don't you go into the bedroom, get undressed and into bed- I'll be right there- to which she replied- 'And why don't you just $%#^ in your hat, Big Boy'? And I thought the late Betty Davis was "salty"_ wow. What a shame Carol died on that USO tour in a plane crash. My kind of lady indeed.
I am more of a "Bogie" fan than of Clark, BUT- if he went from enlisted PVT. to Major in 4 years- as a pilor in the USAAF- not too shabby.
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