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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Old picture/ Young guy / Old Shotgun |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:12 pm
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Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 141
Location: Massachusetts
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Hate to bore everybody but the Covid thing just has me completely bored.
Was cleaning out an old desk and came upon a small photo album. This picture was taken in Sept. 1976. Sent it out to my current group of hunting buddies and they got quite a kick out of it. I had just taken my new 13 month old Springer (first hunting dog I owned and trained) to a private hunting preserve before the start of the regular season. Also got to try out my new shotgun. That's the part of the story I thought a few of you might find interesting.
The shotgun in the picture is a Browning 16ga "3 Shot". I remember dating it to maybe the 1930's. Suicide safety , chamber modified to accept modern 2 3/4 shells, 28 inch barrel , tight modified choke. I had just purchased it the previous Spring. I was in a gun shop looking for some ammo to shoot some clay targets that me and my buddies would throw for each other . I was pretty bad and it was reflected in my hunting. I saw that Browning in a gun rack in the shop . Picked it up, shouldered it, looked down the barrel and had a "Eureka" moment. WOW....I think I could actually hit something with this gun. The gun shop owner said he would give me a deal on it. "Would you take a gun in trade", I asked. "Depends on the gun" he answered. I went home and retrieved the shotgun I had been using for the past 2/3 years. A Spanish 16ga side by. 26" barrels, Choked IC and Mod. He liked the looks of it and shouldered it. Thought it might make a decent Grouse/Woodock gun for himself. He then looked at me and asked how well I shot the gun. I told him that I was a terrible shot and "not very well". He told me that maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought. "This gun fits me" he said. He was much shorter than me and with shorter arms. He went on to tell me that I shouldn't be able to shoot that gun well. It didn't fit me. He then introduced me to new concepts (at the tine) like LOP and sight picture. Had me mount the Browning again and told me "that gun fits". I was sold and my clay shooting and ability to hit birds on the wing changed dramatically for the better. That gun became my primary and for a long time only Upland option for the next 25 years.
So, what happened to the 3 Shot. Around 1999/2000 I became interested in skeet and 5 stand shooting. Didn't think my trusty Browning was a good choice. Choked too tight and I didn't think it would hold up to the increase in volume that skeet and 5 stand shooting would bring. At that time I had kids in high school, a mortage, and a much smaller budget for shotguns. I wanted a gun that would hold up to skeet and 5 stand and be good in the field. I ended up trading the 3 Shoot in for a Browning Ciitoi Lightning 20ga. 28 inch barrels, screw chokes. That gun could really do it all and is still one of my prime Upland guns. Someday my son will own it.
Hope I didn't bore too much |
_________________ Bob
Browning Citori, 26"
Browning Sweet 16 |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:24 pm
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2817
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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Bob,
No you did not bore me at all, great story and fantastic looking dog! The gun shop owner did you a real good turn, and you learned something from him about gun fit, along with coming away with a darn nice gun.
Great old picture!
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man |
_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:30 pm
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Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 141
Location: Massachusetts
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Thanks Dave.
Glad you liked the story. I did learn a lot from that gun shot owner. That's all I preach today. LOP, fit, sight picture. To anyone who will listen. |
_________________ Bob
Browning Citori, 26"
Browning Sweet 16 |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 3:29 pm
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Member
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9472
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Well said
Great post
Thank you
Mike |
_________________
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USAF RET 1971-95 |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 3:36 pm
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Joined: 04 Mar 2019
Posts: 1852
Location: Central ND
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Nothing boring about that!! |
_________________ Mark...You are entitled to your own opinion. You aren't entitled to your own facts. |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 4:31 pm
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Member
Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2176
Location: Kansas High Plains
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Enjoyed the tale. Thanks! |
_________________ I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:57 pm
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Joined: 24 Mar 2010
Posts: 280
Location: Northwest PA
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What a neat story. Thanks for posting. |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 7:36 pm
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Joined: 14 Feb 2017
Posts: 401
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 7:38 pm
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Joined: 30 Jul 2012
Posts: 319
Location: Central, ND
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That’s a great story. I just happened to buy a 3 shot 16 gauge Auto 5 from the 1938 that has been modified to shot 2-3/4. I wish guns could talk so you could get stories like this. |
_________________ Browning 525 Sporting 16ga
Browning BPS Gr III 16ga |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:38 pm
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Joined: 30 Jul 2018
Posts: 59
Location: Dayton Wa.
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Great story, thank you so much. |
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Posted:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:51 pm
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Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 141
Location: Massachusetts
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win7stw wrote: |
That’s a great story. I just happened to buy a 3 shot 16 gauge Auto 5 from the 1938 that has been modified to shot 2-3/4. I wish guns could talk so you could get stories like this.
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Thanks. I'll bet your new gun has a few stories. In your area its probably taken down more than a few pheasants. |
_________________ Bob
Browning Citori, 26"
Browning Sweet 16 |
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Posted:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:23 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2016
Posts: 369
Location: Vermont
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Good story thanks for sharing. Love reading this kind of stuff. I too wished some of those old guns could talk. I have a few used ones I bet it would be interesting to listen too. Joe |
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Posted:
Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:03 pm
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Joined: 27 Aug 2020
Posts: 95
Location: SE TX Marsh and Young County Tx
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Great post! Thanks for sharing! |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:22 am
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Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3375
Location: The Great Northwet
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Great story, thanks! My early years were spent shooting a full choked Browning BPS pump. Great duck gun, horrible upland gun. It wasn't until I sold it and bought a light Belgian 16 sxs that I realized what I had been missing all those years. |
_________________ Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com
The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess." |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:43 pm
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2817
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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UncleDan,
I went thru the same learning curve as a young man. I wanted an 1100 Rem 12 gauge to hunt Pheasants with in Lancaster County, Pa in the late 60's early 70's. My father gave me the money for the gun with one catch, he advised me that when I sold the gun, he was to get his money back.
I used that 1100 Remington 12 gauge for 2 seasons, the problem was at that time there were a lot of Grouse and Woodcock in Lancaster County, Pa also, and I wanted to hunt them after shooting my limit of Pheasant. I liked to walk quite a long distance while upland hunting back then, that 1100 Rem 12 gauge was way to heavy for Grouse and Woodcock hunting, started leaving my light L.C. Smith 20 gauge 00 in the car until I shot my Pheasants, then switched to the 00 for Grouse and Woodcock. My father was right I finally sold the 1100 Rem 12 gauge and used my L.C. Smith 16 or 20 gauge for everything. A young man must learn some things the hard way!
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Learning curve was about a 2 year period, IMO nothing beats a good double gun for upland hunting.
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_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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