My maternal grandfather is the only one devoted hunter in my family (except me). Grandpa started in 1941 with a 28ga bolt-action single-shot Berdan rifle conversion. He was 14, there was the War, and his shooting made the difference between starving and full stomachs.
When he was out of the Army in 1950s, the first thing he bought was a 12ga Iver Johnson single shot. The ducks he shot helped him win my Grandma's heart.
When things got better, he got himself a 16ga sbs, but hated it for lack of firepower. He swapped it for a 12 gauge Izh49 sbs (a copy of Sauer Mod 8) from a pal who thought 12 gauge was too darned heavy.
In late 60's he replaced it with an Izh 54 12 gauge sbs (boxlock non-ejector). That was his last gun. I shot my first duck with it, Dad shot his first duck with it, and still shoots crows with it.
Grandpa never liked repeaters and O/Us, (probanly because with the USSR pricing they were too expensive), and still can't forive me for getting a seond shotgun, and a whimpy 16 gauge at that