Sentiment towards old American doubles has not changed; if anything, I've become more appreciative of their craftsmanship. What has changed is that I'm shooting mostly 20 gauge. I swore off 20s 25 years ago after chasing down cripples half the day with dog and boat. Now, with the right choking and right gun for me, mostly shooting over decoys from a blind, it's the SKB Model 500 IC/M SST---that Modified is a wonderful choke and there's always a three-incher to stuff in for geese.
Tomorrow, for sentimental reasons, it'll be a near-mint 1938 L.C. Smith 12 gauge Specialty Grade M/F for whistlers from a rock blind on a small low snowy island with only one spruce tree 300 metres from our house. Members of this board provided valuable advice to me before I travelled 100 miles to have a look at this gun some years ago, and their generosity is appreciated every day.
