doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Old versus new(er) guns?

Jon,

Great story about your uncle. Thank you.

I never had any family who hunted or were into guns. I was into hunting, trapping and fishing from a young age. My dad had deer hunted some as a young man and was pretty knowledgeable about guns but with the demands of a dairy farm and five kids he never kept with it. He did however, always make sure I had opportunities to hunt, fish and trap, as long as my chores got done.

Only a few of my guns have a personal attachment to someone from my recent past. The rest are all interesting guns, but ones which I know nothing of their history.

I can imagine from my Lefever's battle scars some of its story. The same with my Ithaca Lewis 10 gauge and Thomas Bland 12 bore. The lack of attachment doesn't lessen the enjoyment I get from my old doubles. I sure get some looks though in the duck blinds and even upland bird hunting. Some guys think the old guns are cool and some seem to think I'm a nut.

One guy I hunted with took a personal affront to my turning down his offer of the loan of his extra Benelli. I was using my Ithaca Lewis on a duck hunt with him and he just didn't believe anyone would opt for such a gun when "better" guns were available. The ducks were absolutely everywhere that day and I limited (seven birds) in 9 rounds. I find shooting the expensive bismuth and ITX, I am a lot more particular about my shots.

Hunting with old guns is enjoyable to me because it encompasses so much of what I enjoy. I like the search for a good old gun, loading for it, spending time practicing on the skeet or sporting clays range and finally getting afield with the old gun. The connection to earlier times brings extra enjoyment to the whole experience.

I can walk through the big box sporting goods stores and the racks of new guns will never turn my head. Put me in a shop with a rack full of used guns, especially old, odd or classic, and I will swoon.

yes they do. One of my favorite guns is a 12 gauge Cashmore made in Birmingham (okay, it's not a box lock) and marked in Christchurch New Zealand. I got it for well under $1000 from New Zealand back when that was possible a decade or so ago.

This is a picture about a dog on his first hunt ever, but the Cashmore is the gun in question. Nothing fancy but it works and works and works.