An old fella gave my father a broken down Remington Autoloading Shotgun (pre Model 11) a couple years ago. It had been his fathers gun and was bought new as far as he knew. He'd hunted with it a bit as a young man then it laid under the bed for years and years. Was in terrible shape, forend busted, other problems. Dad passed it along to me, I handed it off to a friend who's a wizard at getting these old humpacks in shooting shape. I shot ducks with it opening day, I think the old gun breathed a sign of relief at seeing the sky again. Turns out it was a first year of production gun, four digit serial number once it got cleaned off. So I know a little history on it, but wish I knew more.
The one I really wonder about is an old punt gun I've got in my collection. Came off the Mississippi River at Chester, IL. Was bought by a picker at an auction in the late 1980's amongst some other junk. Sold the next day to a dealer who didn't think much of it apparently and sold it to a friend of mine a day after that. Was red with rust, full of mud daubers nests, wood dried out badly. Still had a load of shot and wadding in the barrel, hot drop #6, which he saved a few of. He cleaned it up, managed to bring it back into amazingly decent shape. He kept the gun for a few years then sold it to me. I've looked at it leaning there in the corner and wondered what tales it could tell time and time again. It's been used hard for a long time by the looks of it. Started life as a flintlock and was converted to percussion with an 1863 Springfield lock. So, I assume, it was made originally in at least the 1850's as I can't imagine anybody making a punt gun as a flintlock when caplock was available. Who made it? Who used it? How many long winter nights has it spent on the big river killing ducks for the St. Louis market? How many untold thousands of fowl has it killed?
Destry
