Gun Infidelity

[mobirdhunter]

I sometimes feel like I'm cheating on a gun when I stop using one that's served me well to use a new one. Anyone else have that feeling?

Here's several of my one-time go-to guns that now have been "jilted" by me for another pretty face.

If you have a jilted gun and a photo, how about share it here?

Photos 1 & 2

One of my first good doubles was this little 28 bore John Dickson and Sons boxlock. I used this gun for more years that any other I have owned, and it accounted for more birds, including pheasants (we had them in the area back then), than any other gun I've owned. It came with a short stock with a leather covered recoil pad. Climbing an ice covered rocky bluff in NE Iowa after late season grouse, I fell and broke its stock. Jack Rowe made a replacement to my measurements, and the gun only improved my shooting. The quintessential grouse and woodcock gun, one season this little beauty took grouse in 5 states. I've not used it in over 6 years, and I feel guilty.

Photos 3 & 4

This CSMC Fox 16 gauge was ordered after Elaine and I visited the factory and got a personal tour from Tony. I wanted 29 inch barrels and a weight below 6 lbs. Tony delivered. I had my best dog, Prairie Trace, engraved on the floor plate. I took this gun to Montana where we added Huns, Sharptails, mountain Ruffed Grouse and Blue grouse to the checked-off section of my bucket list. It's a great gun for long and open shots especially, with a bit of weight forward to help keep my swing going. It has a special place in the safe, but hasn't seen daylight in a while.

Photos 5 & 6

I like back action hammer guns. I finally found one in 16 bore that fit my needs. This Cogswell and Harrison has 30 inch Damascus barrels, is tightly choked, high stocked, and weighs under 6 lbs. With a spreader load in the right barrel, it's a great prairie quail gun, and can reach out for them with it's left barrel. It takes pheasants over points by our dogs with authority. I had Brad Bachelder add a leather covered pad which only improved its fit. I shoot this gun as well as any I've used on wild birds.

[Woodcock survey]

You are a wealthy man in that you have the experiences each of these gave you, keep them in the Bank of memory and i hope you have the oppurtunity to make each of them you're go to gun again. I have 5 grouse guns and every year it is a fight with myself to use them all and i rarely succeed.

[Mills]

My harem doesn't seem to mind

[Craig Larter]

I own two guns that I have retired from hunting because my memories of both can't get any better and I don't want to spoil it. One is a 10ga AH Parker show gun that I killed 4 drake mallards and one blactk on my first hunt with the gun with 4 shots, 5 ducks. The second is my C-HE Super that Dana Tauber sold me before his passing and battle with cancer. I hunted one season with the gun and could hardly miss a duck. It's 31019 a C-HE with XE grade stock. Dana and the duck gods were smiling down on me.

[Keith Sirmans]

Man now I want to go see CSMC. Wow!

[Phil Yearout]

My first sxs was much lower on the food chain: a simple 16ga Stevens-made Springfield marked 5100. Twas my companion for many seasons and I sometimes think I shoot it better than any of my small arsenal - I once took a limit of four wild prairie roosters with four shots from that lowly old gun. I still have it; it's been demoted several times, moving down the row in the cabinet to its current resting place in a rack I made at the end of my desk for overflow. It has come out on the occasional rainy day...

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Phil Yearout

My first sxs was much lower on the food chain: a simple 16ga Stevens-made Springfield marked 5100. Twas my companion for many seasons and I sometimes think I shoot it better than any of my small arsenal - I once took a limit of four wild prairie roosters with four shots from that lowly old gun. I still have it; it's been demoted several times, moving down the row in the cabinet to its current resting place in a rack I made at the end of my desk for overflow. It has come out on the occasional rainy day...

Phil, One doesn't see many of those Stevens guns in that kind of shape. That's a beauty.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Craig Larter

I own two guns that I have retired from hunting because my memories of both can't get any better and I don't want to spoil it. One is a 10ga AH Parker show gun that I killed 4 drake mallards and one blactk on my first hunt with the gun with 4 shots, 5 ducks. The second is my C-HE Super that Dana Tauber sold me before his passing and battle with cancer. I hunted one season with the gun and could hardly miss a duck. It's 31019 a C-HE with XE grade stock. Dana and the duck gods were smiling down on me.

I'm sure I must have seen a photo of one or both of those in an article, but it would be nice to see one again.

[Craig Larter]

Garry here ya go.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Craig Larter

Garry here ya go.

Thank you! Wow...just wow. What a special pair. I can see why you hold them with such reverence.