doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - What Do People Say To You When You Use A SxS?

Hey all, just curious to hear what some people have said to you when they see that your using a SxS?

I have a couple.

When my boys were in Boy Scouts they had an Annual "Troop Shoot". Well, we only shoot SxS's, so the first time they went to the shoot they brought their SxS's. They weren't allowed to shoot them because the "Range Master" said that those old SxS's will blow up using modern ammo. My boy's were using a Browning BSS and an AyA Matador III. So, we had to use someones 870. BTW, there were a few "Safe" O/U's there.

The other one I get is why do you use that old gun, or are they safe to use.

So...what about you folks? Any good stories?

Best,

Greg

I was 20 years old and newly married, going to college in the daytime and working full time at night when my boss invited me to join his Saturday dove hunting group. I didn't own a shotgun and couldn't afford to buy one. I'd always borrowed one from my Dad (usually a 16ga M37) or from one of my grandfathers when we went hunting. When I thanked my boss for the invitation and told him why I couldn't accept he said he didn't have an extra gun but let him "work on it". When the next weekend rolled around he said, "Buy some 20ga shells. I've borrowed a gun for you." When we got to the dove fields, he opened the trunk, and handed me a SxS (a 311 as best I remember). I'd never had a double in my hands but as soon as I loaded it I looked up to a dove screaming straight in. Without thinking, I swung up through the bird and dropped him right in front of the group. I certainly didn't say a word and neither did they but they looked at each other and I looked at the double. "What is this magic gun?"

There have been a lot of doubles that have come into this happy home since that fine day and the "magic" hasn't dimmed. Momma still doesn't understand the attraction but "humors" me. In fact, I rolled the roadster out this morning and took her to her favorite restaurant to celebrate our 53rd anniversary.

My first duck hunt in AR was a freebie, paid for by a seed company I did business with. I'd never shot steel in my life. I took a 26" barreled BSS choked IC and M. When we loaded up in the back of a pickup that first morning at the Hartz
Seed Co. lodge outside of Stuttgart I was the only one out of six not carrying a SBE or a long barreled O/U. One guy looked at my little double and said "You going to use that?

Six of us in the blind, I thought, as we waited for shooting light. How am I going to know if I actually killed a duck with 5 others shooting? I figured that only if I beat them to the draw would I know for sure. I decided to not shoot on the first flight that came in, so that I could observe how they came in, how things went in general. They blasted away at them killed two to three, and looked around at me still sitting down. "Why didn't you shoot?", they said. I answered that I thought there would be plenty more chances. I noticed that they came in from my end of the blind, and hoped the next bunch would. They did. I had my feet set properly to stand and take one short step while mounting my gun, my trigger finger alongside the trigger guard and my thumb on the safety. At the guides' call to "Kill 'em!" I jumped to my feet, dishragged a drake, then killed closest duck to him. I had two dead ducks in the air before anybody else got off a shot. The rest of the morning went like that. Nobody said another word about my little gun.

SRH

I WAS AT A CHARITY SHOOT A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND SHOT ONE OF THE HIGH SCORES WITH MY 1873 VINTAGE STEPHEN GRANT HAMMERGUN. AS I WAS ACCEPTING ONE OF THE TROPHIES, I HEARD SOMEONE SAY " LOOK AT THAT OLD GUN HE IS USING, "IT LOOKS LIKE IT CAME OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER!

There are lots of very smart people on this board, just ask them.

I have helped and instigated several guys who come to my house in South Dakota for pheasant hunting to add at least one SXS to their battery.

I only shoot SXS guns unless it's raining or snowing that day. I pretty much bring 3 roosters back to the house each day. That gets guy's attention and prompts some interest.

We have some "show your sxs nights" each week if there are a few sxs shooters there. We all enjoy that.

I have no idea why I didn't comment on this thread way back in 2020, but to the op's question:

"what kinda ol' dubbabaarl is that you shootin'?"
JR

Nice little story, sir, and well-told. And may you and your Lady dine ad infinitum.

Happy 53rd, FCF. Well done.

Most of the guys I hunt with are used to seeing me with S X Ss. Generally, before a dove shoot starts, they will walk up and ask what I'm shooting today. I hand them the double, tell them what it is, and they will usually ask how old it is. When I tell them the year some of them were built they look incredulous.

In a duck blind they will ask, sooner or later, "Is that 'Bo Whoop' ?", in reference to my big Super Fox.