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

Lowell,

Obviously you're to young to know, so let me help ...

it's not about the high grades.

My dad's father was a sometimes-hunter from what I've been told, but I know nothing about any guns he may have owned. Don't know that Mom's dad ever hunted. I do remember a couple of guns that stood behind the door in his and Grandma's one-room apartment late in their lives; I've often wondered what they were and where they went.

My dad owned a Savage 775A which I still have, but he shot a lot of birds with an old H&R single shot .410 that actually belonged to my brother; said it was easier to pack around. He lost sight in one eye in a hunting accident when he was 50 or so and never hunted after that.

My grandfather shot only a Baker Batavia Leader, 12 ga with steel barrels. Thankfully, I see it every day, perched over our fireplace.

Roy

My Dad wasn't a hunter at all. I could probably count on one hand the times him and I went to the woods together. He bought me an Excel single shot 410 when I was 10 or 12 and I hunted by myself. He did have a 22 semi-auto around in later years to shoot at dogs for chasing his cows. His Dad was a drinking man, and I don't know if he had any guns or not, they lived in Washington state. Mom's Dad gave me a Stevens Marksman 22 when I was a pup, and still had a bolt action 22 Stevens and a Hopkins and Allen 12 ga single shot falling block with a broke-off trigger. I developed a love for hunting and the outdoors on my own, and my oldest daughter loves to hunt too. My step-son lives and breathes hunting, but my youngest son doesn't care much for it. He's in the Army now, so no telling how he'll feel about guns and hunting when he gets out. As long as he comes home upright I'll be happy.
Curtis

We grew up frugal in the woods of Maine(frugal sounds so much nicer then poor, don't you think?). My grandfather and father used a Model 94 30-30 for everything. Deer, birds in the air or on the ground, bear and anything else we could eat. Coming through the apple orchard deer hunting, I once saw my dad shoot two of three flushed partridge out of the air. All he said was "Damn, missed one." I just want to shoot like Dad.
Still have Gramp's 30-30 in the safe. Probably won't be shooting many partridge with it here in Arizona. Wonder what the boys at Ben Avery would say if I showed up to shoot skeet with it? Maybe I'll just take it out for Javalina instead.

My maternal grandfather is the only one devoted hunter in my family (except me). Grandpa started in 1941 with a 28ga bolt-action single-shot Berdan rifle conversion. He was 14, there was the War, and his shooting made the difference between starving and full stomachs.

When he was out of the Army in 1950s, the first thing he bought was a 12ga Iver Johnson single shot. The ducks he shot helped him win my Grandma's heart.

When things got better, he got himself a 16ga sbs, but hated it for lack of firepower. He swapped it for a 12 gauge Izh49 sbs (a copy of Sauer Mod 8) from a pal who thought 12 gauge was too darned heavy.

In late 60's he replaced it with an Izh 54 12 gauge sbs (boxlock non-ejector). That was his last gun. I shot my first duck with it, Dad shot his first duck with it, and still shoots crows with it.

Grandpa never liked repeaters and O/Us, (probanly because with the USSR pricing they were too expensive), and still can't forive me for getting a seond shotgun, and a whimpy 16 gauge at that

My Dad did a little pheasant hunting when I was young, not because of a lack of opportunity but he said killing anything after WW II just didn't appeal to him. He was an Army scout in Europe and experienced alot of bad stuff. He shot a Browning 16ga auto. I sold it when I couldn't get 2 9/16" ammo any more. My uncle was the big hunter in the family and introduced me to my passion, duck hunting. My uncle used a 3" model 12 and a Fox 12ga CE grade.

My Grandfather used a 12G, Woodward top lever, double hammer gun. I remember remarkable left and right kills at Hungarian partridge , 60 paces distant by my small legs. Afterwards he explained that the proof marks on the barrels "not for ball " meant the barrels were choked for long distant shots.These memorable shots took place almost 60 years ago in leafy Warwickshire, U.K.

Here's a story for you. My dad had a Fulton 20ga SxS that I grew up shooting from the age of eight up to sophomore year in high school. My older brother swiped it! (He claims to this day that he and dad made a trade, but I am not sure I believe it.)

Anyway, I recently got the gun back. My brother, in his wisdom, cut approx. 4" off of the barrel (to improve the pattern). Now, if I remember right, the gun had an excellent pattern. He also chipped the stock and buttplate.

I am restoring the old gun (1939) and intend to retire it to a nice mounting in my office. I would really like to find an original barrel so I can put it back like I remember it. I am not concerned about collectors value or matching #'s. I just want the old gun on the wall to look at.

Any suggestions or comments out there would be greatly appreciated.

Jay Lamberth
Tijeras, NM