When I was 14 years old, under the Christmas Tree was a new Stevens 311-D 20 ga. It likely got dry fired 10,000 times that morning (the firing pins didn't start breaking until 30 years later). I hunted everything there was to hunt in South Louisiana with that shotgun (and others, but mostly that one). I refinished the stock and removed the pressed checkering. I was the only one of my hunting buddies who carried a SxS. It's been submerged, stuck in the duck pond mud, and sat in my trunk at the airport in Shreveport, LA for two weeks while I was in CN. The seal on my trunk failed and the trunk filled with water. That wasn't too good for it. It still worked though. The next year I had it re-blued by someone who billed themselves as a gunsmith. The barrels were mottled and the receiver turned purple. Oh well. I still carried it and it provided lots of quail and dove dinners for my new bride and I. Prior to the Trunk incident, I had bought a semi inletted stock and forend from Fajen. Birdseye maple. The shotgun went through three boys and still wears the same refinished stock that came with it. I found another 311-H (I think) in a pawn shop in like new condition that I will put the stock on for my grandson.
Since then I have acquired a number of other doubles, some shooters, some safe queens. In my later duck hunting years I stopped carrying the doubles into the brackish marsh and opted for a Rem 870 with a synthetic stock and that no rust finish (or rust resistant). It's not the same as swinging on a Bluebill with two barrels. The only one I take any more (and it gets little use) is a Zabala Bros 10 ga. It's mostly for long range cripples.
The last one I got was an old grandma Stevens 335 16 ga. She was sitting in a pawn shop surrounded by a bunch of riffraff, so I brought her home. I about wore out a nickel taking the rust off, but she's stained for life. I'll also have to break out my acraglass skills to rebuild the inletting on the buttstock so it will line up correctly.
If the quail make a comeback in South Texas I may break out the Parkers some day, but until then the old battle axes will do my work.
It is an odd thing this SxS addiction. There are just so many reasons why they are the best.
Alan
