I like old guns. There’s just something about them. They’re charming. They have character. There’s just something about knowing they were made by hand, with the utmost care, by men that are likely long dead. Their longevity is a testament to their workmanship and the skill of the craftsmen.
Presently, I have two vintage guns and another one on the way. One is a an 80+ year old English boxlock made by Westley Richards. It has lovely engraving that you won’t find on modern guns unless your gun fund looks like other people’s car funds. The beauty of the wood still gives me pause. It handles wonderfully and shoots where it is pointed. After 80-some years of hard use, the ejectors still work perfectly, launching spent shells in a parallel arc, always landing next to each other. It has been my go-to gun for the last two seasons, and will be for the foreseeable future.
The second is a one hundred plus year-old English hammergun. It is so old, it basically choked "no" and "YES!". It is not a particularly fancy gun, but it is lovely to hold and behold. I have handled few guns as graceful, regardless of price point.
The funny thing is that many hunters have no appreciation for these old treasures. I have shown some hard-core hunters pictures of my guns, and often get bewildered looks. Sometimes they are not sure what they are looking at. They are often surprised that I actually shoot something so old. Many hunters believe these old guns cannot be shot safely. I beg to differ.
Contemporary hunters may not understand why guys like me like to hunt with these old guns so much. Modern semi-automatic guns are very reliable, relatively light weight and offer the option of a third (or fourth) shot. I look at this way: I hunt for the experience. For pleasure. Sure, the end results taste good, but I won't starve without them. So, if I were going to buy a car to drive to and from work every day, I'd buy a Honda Accord. It is incredibly reliable, comfortable and efficeint. But what if I wanted to buy a car to drive with my wife, on summer weekends, through the rolling hills of Western Wisconsin? It wouldn't be a Honda Accord, as good of car as it is. It would be a Jaguar E-type, or Ferrari 330 GTS (not that I could afford either one). Something with class and grace. Something that puts a big smile on your face when you drive it, or even when you just look at it. Where the car-gun comparison falls short is in practicality. There are some sacrifices you make when you shoot and older gun, but they are far from impractical.
I have also found an unanticipated consequence of shooting older guns: approval from non-hunters. Right or wrong, there is a perception among non-hunters that we pursuers of game do so with high-tech, high-powered weaponry. Non-hunters have told me that is admirable that I hunt with these old classics. It may be small, but our sport can use all the good press it can get.
Presently, I have two vintage guns and another one on the way. One is a an 80+ year old English boxlock made by Westley Richards. It has lovely engraving that you won’t find on modern guns unless your gun fund looks like other people’s car funds. The beauty of the wood still gives me pause. It handles wonderfully and shoots where it is pointed. After 80-some years of hard use, the ejectors still work perfectly, launching spent shells in a parallel arc, always landing next to each other. It has been my go-to gun for the last two seasons, and will be for the foreseeable future.
The second is a one hundred plus year-old English hammergun. It is so old, it basically choked "no" and "YES!". It is not a particularly fancy gun, but it is lovely to hold and behold. I have handled few guns as graceful, regardless of price point.
The funny thing is that many hunters have no appreciation for these old treasures. I have shown some hard-core hunters pictures of my guns, and often get bewildered looks. Sometimes they are not sure what they are looking at. They are often surprised that I actually shoot something so old. Many hunters believe these old guns cannot be shot safely. I beg to differ.
Contemporary hunters may not understand why guys like me like to hunt with these old guns so much. Modern semi-automatic guns are very reliable, relatively light weight and offer the option of a third (or fourth) shot. I look at this way: I hunt for the experience. For pleasure. Sure, the end results taste good, but I won't starve without them. So, if I were going to buy a car to drive to and from work every day, I'd buy a Honda Accord. It is incredibly reliable, comfortable and efficeint. But what if I wanted to buy a car to drive with my wife, on summer weekends, through the rolling hills of Western Wisconsin? It wouldn't be a Honda Accord, as good of car as it is. It would be a Jaguar E-type, or Ferrari 330 GTS (not that I could afford either one). Something with class and grace. Something that puts a big smile on your face when you drive it, or even when you just look at it. Where the car-gun comparison falls short is in practicality. There are some sacrifices you make when you shoot and older gun, but they are far from impractical.
I have also found an unanticipated consequence of shooting older guns: approval from non-hunters. Right or wrong, there is a perception among non-hunters that we pursuers of game do so with high-tech, high-powered weaponry. Non-hunters have told me that is admirable that I hunt with these old classics. It may be small, but our sport can use all the good press it can get.
Agreed. Although I still carry my Wingmaster in the woods, I jump at every chance I get to carry my Dad's Greener. Growing up, I always watched him carry a Citori 16 and I looked forward to that gun being passed on. When he told me he sold it I was crushed. Upon asking him how he could sell a gun he carried for so long he simply said: "It had no soul". Now I understand why.
ReplyDeleteYes, call it what you will: character, soul, whatever. The old guns have something. That being said, I do carry my 870 at least once per year as it was my first shotgun, even though it is soul-less metal-stamped machine, it deserves to get out in the woods once in a while.
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