doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What did your grandfathers and father use?

My maternal grandfather drove a truck and later, a cab in a little place called New York, NY. I don't know if he ever fired a gun. He had no time for fishing when he made a trip with my family to the BWCA when I was a skinny kid, circa 1972 or so. He lived his entire life in New York city and thought it was nirvana. He may not have had much money, he left me a broken Elgin wind up watch when he died. Still have it. Still broken.
My father was orphaned in the stock market crash of 1929, and raised by foster parents. They never adopted him, I suspect because he represented a check every month, but, by all accounts treated him exactly as the other kids. His father didn't hunt much from what I understand, but was considered an excellent fisherman, a good skill to have in order to keep a family fed during the 1930s. He saw to it that my father had a single shot 410 and a like .22 rifle for hunting. Dad "inherited" a family "hairyloom", a double 12 of some sort from his father's father, but, it was quite rough even then, perhaps the late 30s to mid 40s. My dad restocked it as a school shop project, and it looked OK, according to family legend. I don't know where it is.
Dad used an Ithaca 37 pump that had been given to him by the CO at his duty station in New Orleans, LA until he made staff sergeant in the early 1950s. The 37 was in a locker with some other "recreational" stuff, and Dad was the only guy who used, or took care of the gun. Being free, you can imagine what it looked like. I'm told he couldn't miss with that old gun, by people who got to hunt with him at some fabulous duty stations (Colorado, Alaska, Hawaii, California). When he got promoted, he bought a solid rib A5, which he still has to this day. He was a Garand guy all the way during his thiry year career in the USMC, and though all his hunting guns should be autoloaders, too. He does own a Beretta Silver Snipe, but, never really warmed up to it. I used it, a lot, as a kid. I imagine it will end up here, another righthanded gun in my lefthanded world.
Best,
Ted

My father: A .410 single at first, I believe, and who knows what after that. After WWII an old English-grip tournament grade Model 12, which he shot as if it were an extension of his will. Then, near the end, an 1100.

His father: A Crescent Arms hammer SxS 12 ga. with 2 1/2 inch chambers.

That M-12 was my first shot with a shotgun at age 6. I used it in my early hunting days when dad wasn't around, until he bought me a brand new 20 ga M-12 in 1964 ($65 on sale at a hardware store in Montana - still have it of course). I was the only one of my siblings interested in my grandfather's double. As a teenager I loaded 2 1/2 inch shells and shot it a bit, taking some game. The Model 12 went back to the factory for overhaul a few times, as Dad shot it extensively. The last time, in the '70s, Winchester unfortunately replaced the receiver and barrel with new Y-job parts, totally destroying the history and value. The only thing original left was the English-grip stock and the magazine tube. Several years after my father's death, I divested myself of both guns, giving Dad's Model 12 to my youngest brother, who still takes deer, waterfowl and woodcock with it in Connecticut, and selling the Crescent. Perhaps it is understandable that I fear someday I will regret selling that clunky, loose, old SxS meat gun, my only material connection to a grandfather I know from stories and pictures, who was gone before I arrived.

My mother's father had two 12 gauges, a Model 12 and an NID, and both remain in the family. My other grandfather wasn't a shooter. My dad was primarily a rifleman, but he had one shotgun, a 16 gauge Ithaca Mod 37, which my brother still has.

Winchester 97, still in the family and in great shape -- works for me.



--Tinker

My dad hunted his whole life, with a Remington model 11, bought used in the '20s. He loved hunting bobwhite quail over dogs, squirrels next. (in western KY). Don't know if he ever shot at a skeet or trap target. I never knew my grandfather to hunt. Other grandfather died when I was about 1 year old and I'm pretty sure he never hunted(Chicago).

On my fathers side of the family back through my great- great grandfather, no one ever owned a gun. On my mothers side nothing is known beyond my great-grandfather, and he never owned a gun. I was the first. It caused alot of grief at home. When I was old enough to hunt alone, I bought my first hunting license and a very old stevens bolt action 20 gauge with lawn mowing money. The gun was so worn out, the bolt stop was gone. Everytime I got a shot and tried to work the bolt for a second attempt, the bolt would fly out the back of the receiver. I don't ever remember getting a second shot at anything.
My father took me to a magistrate friend of his and tried to convince him to come up with a way that he could keep me from hunting.
As I sat there waiting to hear about a law that would prevent me from being allowed to hunt, my dreams were fading rapidly. To my surprise the magistrate asked my dad if I was getting into trouble with alcohol or drugs. Dad asked" what does that have to do with anything"? The magistrate told him if he knew how lucky he was that hunting was what I wanted to do, rather than the things the other kids were doing, he would buy a gun for himself and go with me. That never happened, but he never tried to stop me again.
Dad was a volunteer fireman. He gave his life in the line of duty 2 years ago. I really wish he would have come along with me one time. Just to watch a bird dog work and see the happiness the dog shows while doing what he was born to do would have been enough for me. I think he would have understood then why I do what I do.

Bill

For as long as I can remember, my father shot a 20 ga Ithaca field grade Flues. It had 26" barrels and might have weighed 5 1/2 pounds and probably had 3 1/2 inches of drop any a HRBP. He passed it on to me. It was a kickin' SOB, but I always enjoyed shooting it. Probably would have been more fun to shoot with 3/4 oz. loads than it was with the 1 oz. that we both always shot.

Neither of my grandfathers was alive when I was born but my maternal grandmother had a Parker that had belonged to my grandfather. I don't know the grade, I only saw the gun once when it was in a corner of my first cousin's house. My father taught me to shoot a rifle but he did not hunt and I was on my own when it came to shotguns. David

My grandfather used a Fox 20 ga for grouse and woodcock hunting in northern Michigan. I believe his 12 ga was an Ithaca and he used that for pheasant hunting, primarily in southern Michigan. I have little memory of the Ithaca. He had several other shotguns, one being a 16 ga Remington model 1100. I know he duck hunted and I dont know which gun he used for that.

I remember my grandfather taking me grouse hunting for the first time when I was about 12 (1959 was a while ago). It was at our cabin in northern Michigan and I recall being extremely proud that he was letting me use his revered Fox 20 ga. The engraving was quite extensive and I would guess it was maybe an XE or DE. To my recollection I never hit a thing that day, but it did start a love affair with grouse hunting that has continued for the last 50 years.

My father did not bird hunt and sold these guns probably 35 years ago. I have lusted for a higher grade Fox ever since then. I have toyed with the idea of purchasing a CSMC Fox for the last decade, but every time I talk myself into it, they raise the price again and I put off the purchase.

Very good thread. I am like several, who have picked up the sport without family history. My 11 year old son and I went out this year for quail and dove, first times for us both, and we're both hooked. His main goal now is for us to move him out of the suburbs. Maybe in forty or fifty years, he'll be using his dad's guns with good memories. Thanks for the stories.