Re Buzz's comment "Guns are part of a collective industrial culture. Preventing access to those that study it, even enjoy it........ This statement rings of socialism in my humble opinion. Are you a socialist SL?:
My socialist friens regard me as a rabid capitalist.
Amrican names like Carnegie, Mellon, Fullbright spring to mind re applying personal wealth to the common good but i will not go there over this one.
I stood in front of a wealthy aquaintance's gun rack. Seven London sidelocks, among them a Lancaster 12/20 there. I asked permission to photograph the 12/20 and his response was "it is as useless as the rest of them" pointing to his two using guns, Breda Altairs, clones of the A302. So why did he hold the seven sidelocks hostage? His friends told him they were must haves. Even after I showed him the unique features of the 12/20, the brilliant William Baker patent, his only comment was "still kicks like an ***** hole".
A friend's "collection" includes THIRTY London sidelocks, a bunch of Beretta SOs, two Browning Midas, about ten high end Merkels, and several Perazzis. His using guns are a Franchi Barrage, an old MX8, one low end Merkel OU and one Spanish sidelock. He never shot the others. They are piled in cases out of sght.
I know others like these two. These guys hide away a complete history of the double shotgun, but they do not know and hardly enjoy what they have. They could at least show some pics for those that are curious.
My opinion re an antidote is a "tactile shotgun museum" where a visitor can, for a modest fee, handle and study every type of shotgun, especially the high end ones. Might even shoot them, so he can judge for himself what he really likes and wants. If the first friend mentioned above had such an experience he would not have bought the 12/20 that kicks him like an ****hole and someone else who really likes it would have had it at a reasonable price.
Sounds like rational capitalism to me.
