As a child of ten I developed a keen interest in guns. I don't know why because my father didn't hunt and my mother to this day retains an irrational fear of guns. I asked for a shotgun for Christmas. No luck. This request has been repeated now annually for 32 years. No luck. It has become a family joke that I do not find amusing. As my taste in guns became focused on old American doubles I even offered to locate the shotgun I wanted, arrange the purchase and shipping thereby relieving some Christmas shopping burden. No luck.
About 6 years ago a customer of mine whom I had known for many years told me about a shotgun he kept for home protection. His uncle had purchased the gun to dove hunt with, fired it once and put it away. It has been in a closet since 1938. I looked at the gun and mentioned that I would be interested in buying it if we could come to terms. We haggled back and forth periodicaly to no avail. I had a wonderful relationshp with this old man and I think he liked to tease me with the gun too much to let it go.
On October second the world lost one of its finest people and a man I am grateful to have known. A personal friend, a true original and benefactor to many causes civic and charitable.
Yesterday I went over to help his widow for a little while and she gave me the gun. With everything he had to deal with in the last few weeks of his life the fact that he took the time to ensure that I would get the gun tells you what kind of man he was. In granting my Christmas wish he unwittingly fulfilled another. I now have a legacy to pass on that will someday be Grandpa's gun, a gun with a personal connection to the past and a story of a wonderful man.
In case you are wondering the gun is a Fox Sterlingworth 16b., 26''bbls. pg dt ext. This gun retains 100% original vivid case color, wood still has fartory varnish intact, perfect bores and almost perfect blue. The only flaws are some light rust on the bottom rib, trigger gaurd and triggers. Thank you for allowing me to share this. Peter
