Actually Lowell has made a valid point – not about pigeon guns being ‘clubby’ & ill handling (because they normally are not) – but about any heavy gun with lots of choke being passed off as one.
In recent years there’s been a growing tendency for auctioneers & dealers to call just about any heavy duty gun either a ‘live pigeon gun’ or if they want to sit on the fence call it a “live pigeon or duck gun” or some such description. I’m tempted to suggest that there’s been more “pigeon guns’ through the trade in the last 10 years than there ever were live pigeon competitors. Any S/S with a pigeon engraved on it seems to be fair game for the description as well.
It’s ironic that some of the early lightweight 4 bores which were built to shoot about 1-1/2oz of shot in live pigeon competitions (where & when rules permitted) are passed off as fowling guns (a role which they are unsuited too). No prizes for guessing which category attracts the best prices where 4 bores are concerned
Regards
Russell
