Miller,
I was going to bring that point up too, but, remember, greed might not be the right word to use about people living in coastal Canada, shooting eiders, and using every part of the bird for survival. Existance, in a subsistance world, doesn't correlate nicely with our notions of sport, fair chase, or greed, today. I'm OK with that. Can hardly blame the old coots that gave us the greatest generation for doing that with efficiency. All the blow-hards who crow loudest about ethics, sport, or whatever haven't looked hunger real square in the face in their lifetimes, or faced the challenges faced by our ancestors in the past. Those same ancestors gave us the changes that lead to our comfortable notions of wildlife managment and fair chase.
Pump wins the efficiency contest, hands down. Funny, that Winchester managed to sell a 'coupla million of those guns that spent all their time jammed, according to some here. My first year 20 gauge model 1912 has never jammed in my use, in spite of cheap-ass old me not spending the dough for proper length (2 1/2") ammunition for it. Ditto the Remingtons, Ithaca 37s, and Mossberg 500s that litter the place. My doubles don't seem to complain too loudly when I take a pump out into the rain, sleet, or, whatever, in the fall.
The high scores in international shooting have long favored other gun designs, by the way.
I didn't tell Grant to junk his double, I said to get it fixed (nothing worse than a broken gun in the house) and, use it in the future with a nod to it's age, and the cost of good quality, qualified, double gun maintenance.
I use that model 12 the same way, but, in the rain. With a plug. I handle the maintenance, or, lack thereof.
Whatever is most efficient, right?
Best,
Ted
