If, in the States, we take the period of time after prairie chickens had been seriously reduced in numbers and sharptail grouse quite significantly so, but before the introduction of the pheasant had really taken hold, that pretty much coincides with the period when most of the "classic" American doubles were built and sold. That would be roughly around 1890-1930. During those years, "shooting flying" would have meant ruffed grouse/woodcock or quail in the uplands--thus, New England and the old South (grouse really didn't come on in the Upper Midwest until after most of the old growth timber had been cut, and northern MN/WI/MI/UP were still pretty remote then as well) or else it would have meant waterfowl. And of course, F/F was just the ticket for waterfowl. And the "hardware store" doubles would have been nearly all tight choked because those who bought them weren't doing all that much "shooting flying". Pot a grouse out of a tree, but also shoot the fox that's getting into the chicken coop, or a coon, or whatever else. A general purpose tool rather than a hunting gun as such. Add to that the fact that far fewer people back then had the time for recreational hunting. It was put something in the pot, and a squirrel or a rabbit was a better bet in comparison to a flying grouse. So, with a large segment of the country not really having much in the way of upland birds, and not a lot of recreational hunting anyhow, and more doubles sold as tools than as recreational arms (and that would have extended even to the field grade Elsies and Ithacas, and Fox SW's--those for perhaps the slightly wealthier and/or more discriminating buyer), it's easy to see why there were so many old American doubles choked F/F. And why there were way more 12's sold than anything else. (About 108,000 12ga Fox SW's, compared to 45,000 16's and 20's combined.)
