I bought a new Flues 28" 20 today. Very high condition, little used gun with the exception of a crusty Hawkins pad for $759. I think that's a decent price? It's a later gun made in 1922. The gun felt heavier than my 1909 flues so I put them both on the scale. There was a 1/2 lb. difference. I took the pad off and the stock was hollow as expected. I decided to take the plate off of my earlier gun and see if it had more wood taken out. What I found was interesting.
Pieces of a crumpled up newspaper from November 30, 1944. It's incomplete but had interesting stories. First night bombings of Japan. Axis prisoner totals including mention that only the Germans ever tried to escape. The Japanese were fond of "Hari Kiri". The Italians apparently stayed put. We had 281,344 Germans, 51,032 Italians and 2,242 Japs. The 9th army had just captured Lindern. An 88 year old Mexican woman was reported to have given birth to her 16th child on Nov. 20th. The masthead is incomplete but says "...ph News-Press". A google search suggests the St. Joseph (MO) News-Press and that city is named in one of the notices.
After removing the newspaper there was still an object in the butt. It was stuck pretty good but I worked it free. I was a cloth bag with something heavy in it. Gold? Diamonds? Hidden treasures? Not this time. Just 1/2 lb of lead shot tied up in a shirtsleeve to get the now 5lb 5 oz gun a little more weight. My new one weighs a full lb. more with the weight removed.
Anyone ever found something interesting?
Last edited by ViniferaVizslas; 05/03/09 05:32 PM.
