dbadcraig,
Thanks for the link to the second hatfield article, I found it a very enjoyable and fascinating read. I think the history of a gun maker, especially a maker of such a classic type like a sxs, is often as fascinating as the end product itself and only adds to the character of a gun. I have to give Ted Hatfield a lot of credit for doing what he did and trying to do it as welll as he could.
Also think that you made the right decision when you decided to use the graded one(life is short and why keep it new for someone else to enjoy...it is my shotgun, at least for now, right?). At the core of every thoughtfully designed gun is the intention that it is made to be used and enjoyed, and now you are using it for its real purpose. And if your 15 year old daughter inherits it someday she will always remember the time you decided to start using it, and it will be better for it.
Now that I know that Ted Hatfield liked "tiger striped" maple for stocks ("fiddleback grain" I guess would be more proper in the gun world), I now know why your graded one's stock made me immediately think of tiger maple.
Dave
