doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The vintage All - American waterfowler

Last millenium I was buying any gun that had condition and was priced right. (actually it had to have condition that was good for the price).

I have ended up with a Grade 1 NID 12, 28" bbls, a Flues Field Grade with 30" bbls, and a Parker VH on a #2 frame w/30" bbls (apparently the most common variation of Parker).

All three guns are choked F&F, I should start waterfowling more often.

Lowell- If I were to pick the classic gun to lay in a john boat and subject to rain, snow and water shaken from an old Lab, I could think of none more appropriate than a Stevens Model 325. Heavy and hammered, it could, and many did, absorb any abuse the old timmers may have heaped upon it.

Not pretty in the refined way valued by gentlemen, I can imagine no more classic gun for the john boat and no guide meat gathering crowd.

Cary

A post duck hunt photo of my father when he was probably 16 or 17 (he's 81 now), hangs on my folks refrigerator. At his feet lay 4-5 mallards, and in his hand is a model 97.

After the war, a 2 3/4" Browning 12 ga. replaced the 97.

My goose season starts now, the country neighbors and all the hangers-on are long gone, their last doe has been hunted, shot and butchered. A rutted-up road is what they've left behind - but I'll not see hide, nor hair of 'em til next deer season.

Both my AH Fox AE 28" 12g M/F, and Sterlingworth 12g 30" M/F seemed to be meaty enough guns, but I've been uncomfortable with the possible high-pressure in Kent TM shells and not touched any-off yet.
Deal, or no deal!
Btw, I've shot these shells in my gamegun choked Beesley with no problems - and a big fat goose was had.

Ky Jon, Thanks! The smell and feel of a just fired paper shell, just brought back some great memories!The simple thing in like do count.

Best
Craig

LG. Re: your question on the TM pressure in your Fox guns. Prior to some friends dropping Bi shot and rolling my own I used store-bought Bismuth loads of 1 3/8 oz. Those are probably consistent with the TM pressures (a guess) and my Fox A handled many a shot with no apparent ill affects. Re: your original post, I have/had 11 uncles, 2 paps and a dad that used 97s and 12s almost exclusively. That was during the 50s and 60s and that is how I remember duck hunting. Those guns and the ever present do-all farm dogs for retreiving.

Well I'll have faith, and give them a try tomorrow in my Sterlingworth. Just a gun, and a dog - no decoys or callin'.
A restful day at the lake, after all the food and drink.

A couple come to mind:

A H Fox HE (Super Fox)32", PG, appx 9lbs
A H Fox Sterlingworth Wildfowler, 32", PG appx 9lbs
Ithaca Flues Grade 2, 32" F/F, Straigth Grip, 3 position safey
Ithaca Minear Grade 5, 32" F/F Damascus, Pistol Grip, 3 position safety

In reality, I wouldn't want any of these laying in a jonboat, so I would go with the Fox model b or stevens 311,

Merry Christmas to all and God Bless