Our drought isn't over by a d@mn sight, but we've put the rain we HAVE gotten to good use. There's some green showin' in places for the first time since spring...there's even a bit of water covering the bottom of our tank...

Waking up to an almost cool north breeze this morning was such a novelty I thought I'd celebrate by checking on the dove population this afternoon. I rummaged around in the vault, found what I was looking for, and whistled at Jake.

The gun I reached for hasn't seen serious use in years, but it was hell-and-death in its day. It began life as a '70s vintage Remington 870 WingMaster, but I wanted something more flexible yet more compact. Winchester's Win Choke system had only been around since the mid-60s (so were still something of a novelty) and before that the Cutts Comp and the Poly-Choke were the only other way to change choke restrictions (and both looked like plumbing attachments on their muzzles!). I took a different route and got Stan Baker (a Seattle shotgun 'smith and father of the back-bored shotgun craze) to cut my 870 bbl at 21", bell the muzzle, and add his Winchoke-compatible choke tubes. Being young and feisty, I figured that a magazine extension was needed, as well as a length of cinch strap for a sling. The little cannon broke tons of claybirds (both on the skeet range and, with a tighter tube in place, on the trap line) and folded LOTS of dove and quail...even a few pigs. I plugged it every dove season (to the disappointment of at least two Game Wardens) but left it unplugged the rest of the time in its more "social" capacity.

The birds were mighty thin this evening, but the old gal barked five times and dropped three birds...the misses were my "pilot error", simple as that. The weather was pleasant, I was shooting an old friend, and I got to watch Jake work. It's a good day to die...

beautiful gun , dog , and story

Good looking dog and gun!

Like the dog. Like the shotgun. Liked the weather this weekend. Thanks for sharing 218 Bee.

Yes sir.

I hung Dad's old 16ga. Model 12 over the doorway. His hand wore most of the bluing off the stainless barrel. I like it just the way it is.

Jake says "thanks" for the flowers.

He's a good 'un...and as long as I provide him with retrieval opportunities, he's ambivalent about what kind of scattergun I carry!

Cool gun and story. My dad passed away last month and i ended up with his auto 5 just might carry it squirrel hunting next month just for old times sake. Need to find a box of high brass 71/2 shot to use as that was what he liked from dove to ducks .