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Am now in "possesion" of a pair of Winchester 97s --
both had belonged to my grandad - both 16 guages - the first "rode hard and put up wet" many times for a couple of generations. I had no choice but to restore it when it was "handed off to me" -- only way to keep the pitting from getting worse. Same weekend, took it to the trapshoot, "black stock and brown metal", and magically shot a 23 from low gun. Just as good as I usually shoot my Remingtion 3200 "trap gun". In it's lifetime, that old gun shot enough ducks and geese to fill this room I am sitting in. No B.S. Thought about having Ken inlay his name in gold on it for a while, but as I remember him, he would have had a fit about that -- "only paid 20 bucks for it" -- "gun aint worth it." (Oh yes it is -- now.)
The "other" gun is a pristine "in the original box and brown paper wrappings" clone of the first one. My grandmother ordered it for him for one of his birthdays long ago. Ordered it from Herrcke's Hardware right here in town, I think. It is a Black Diamond grade. Metal looks like black chrome, and a bueatiful russet colored stock and trap fore end. We used to have sort of a ritual about all the kin going out hunting on Thaksgiving morning (back when there was still plenty to hunt along the fence rows and railroad south of town). That is the only times I can ever remember him using it -- and then not much - (always let the rest of us take the shots, and when we all missed, he would "pillowcase" the pheasants at 40 plus yards with it.) Doubt if it has had a couple boxes of shells through it. "Too nice to take it down in the raspberries and horse weeds -- should have brought the old one."
It has one blemish. One time, he got it out to show it to the "Chicago Duck Hunters." I was about 9 or 10 at the time. I asked if I could put it together, and he nodded. Well, the forearm wasn't all the way forward up on the retainer spring, and I gave it a twist, and put a nick in the edge of the reciever. He gave me that look over the top of his glasses (the look that makes a guy feel like change from a penny) --- You know -- and then he said, " Well, nobody who ever put a Winchester together aint done that at least a coulple times." That was it -- never another word said about it. Have agonized over that nick since and thought about trying to fix it, but know I could never match that finish. Will leave it as is. Would take the gun out and shoot it if I knew I could make it "walk the walk" the way he could. But that is not to be. Those boys had a lot more practice in their day - and they were all deadly shots. And they all shot 16 guage 97s -- all the old geezers up and down Hopkins Avenue - "Pa", Bob Boehn, Old man Harker, Willard Hamm (river rat extordinair), Doc Hartman and the rest of them. Maybe they knew something that I am finally starting to figure out.

Rev,

That is one AWESOME story. Thanks for posting it.

Fin

And the rest of the story Cool

Member Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 230 Location: SW Idaho

I love old guns. They all have stories and this one has one that can be told. Write it down for your kids or it may get lost.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

WOW

Drew...Is envy a sin??

one of the seven deadlies I believe...

Thanks Drew - great stuff

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

Thanks. That story has made my day. It reminds me of my Dad who is long gone but never to be forgotten. I have two of his guns, both 16's. Neither is as classic as in the story but they are priceless to me. I still use one occasionally. I suspect many of us have guns which evoke powerful, cherished memories and others of us are making new memories for future loved ones.

Thanks again for setting my mood for the day and reminding us of what is really important.

Peter and Todd: gotta confess that story and those pics didn't do anything good for my relapsing case of the 'covets' Rolling Eyes

AND I once had a very early straight stock solid rib 'Black Diamond' M-12 Trap which in a fit of idiotic delerium probably traded for a Mossberg Embarassed

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

EeeyeeoowW! Shocked

good story too Drew.

Great story and pics Drew. I am not a big Winnie pump fan, but the attachment by the granddad and kid in the story is evident.

Good stuff.

Member Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Nordern MN

Uh . . . Who's Bill Kraft? Does he post here?

Reminds me of my mod 97. My great uncle Irving used it extensively hunting ducks and pheasants around Glenwood, MN. It went up for auction long before I was glimmer in Pa's eye, but he couldn't be there. He left a bid with the auctioneer which fell short of the winning bid. Something didn't work out for the winning bidder, and my dad got it the following week.

When I was growing up, going hunting with the fellas before I could shoot, I started to develop an eye for pump guns. Sooner or later, I started ogling Irving's m97 - a gun my pa called the widowmaker and never used. I started using it for pheasants when I was 15 and the rest, as they say, is history!

Now, how do I get my hands on that black diamond?! THAT's a beauty!

NR

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Rev, where do you manage to come up with these "gems"? could it be divine intervention or just plain luck?

A serious deficiency in having a real life Rolling Eyes

I'm now up to TWENTY FOUR FRIGGIN' PICTURETRAILS Shocked

http://www.picturetrail.com/revdocdrew

Don't worry-heading back in KS in only 3 mths Very Happy

Guest

Can a Reverand say FRIGGIN?