The first double I got to use, was a 1964 vintage Silver Snipe that my Dad bought new, in 1964. I think he said it was $168, and I think my Mom would be furious to this day if she found that out. I got to use that well above my pay grade gun for two wonderful seasons when I was 12-13, until my Mom got me a Companion hammerless single shot when I was 14. My Dad never took much of a shine to the Beretta, and mostly used the A5 he bought when he made staff sergeant in 1952.

I have all three of those guns now, but, no longer have my Dad.

Early 1980s, R15 20 gauge Darne, straight stock, 29" tubes marked IC and IM if I remember correctly. My first double, and I hit it out of the park, as far as I was concerned. I had a hard time missing birds or clay with the gun, and sold it after an engraving snob noted the pattern was not up to previous efforts we had seen (it wasn't, but, he didn't shoot).
The shop I sold it to altered the chokes and then offered it back to me, and, not near as wisely as I had been when I sold it, I none the less wisely, passed.

But, it haunts me to this day. That gun, along with a 16 gauge Charlin a friend of mine now owns, was pictured in the DGJ piece I penned, back in the day.

In 1979, I bought my little brother a 12 gauge Savage Fox BSE with 30" tubes, single trigger, and ejectors in great second hand condition for Christmas. He didn't turn out to be a bird hunter, but, has used the gun, loaded with slugs, to take a bunch of deer over the years. The first barrel puts the slug into the center of the bull at 50 yards.
The second barrel puts it's slug somewhere else. We have NEVER figured out where, but, it is sideways through the paper at about 10 paces.
I have replaced the buttstock, worked on the ejectors, and, worked on the single trigger over the years. It is all working, at the moment. But, my brother is disabled, and, in poor health, at this point in his life, and I strongly suspect it will be back at my house at some point in the future. It will have a home, and my Son and Wife will hear the story.
I don't look forward to it, however.

Best,
Ted