Revisiting old favorites

[Andy54Hawken]

Now summertime's here , babe need somethin' to keep you cool….

Well I ain't the ice cream man but …
How 'bout a cool older shotgun ?

One of my favorite guns that I own is my Remington Wingmaster , from 1962.
It was given to me by my grandfather when I was around 8 or so.

28 inch barrel with a Modified choke.
Mahogany stock with a "corncob " forearm.
It has a 13 3/4 trigger pull.
Made on a 12 gauge receiver.
Weighs in at 6.8 pounds.
Carries ...swings...points and shoots nicely.
Excellent bore and with enough wear to show that it is well loved and well cared for.

Deer , squirrel and grouse have been taken with this gun.
Not to forget to mention numerous clay birds.
Every opening day of small game season sees me with this gun….as well as much of the rest of the season also.

Summertime is here , take a moment to revisit and share your favorite firearms.
( if ya click on the pictures...they get bigger )

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[JRuby]

My favorite shotgun is my Remington 1100 in 12 guage 2 3/4" . I got the shotgun when I was 16 years {1972} old from JC Penny mail order. Had to go down with my dad in Saint Johns, Michigan. I raised a 4-h beef steer - he was a half Angus and Holstein steer. I called him Majestic. He was like a 1500 pound puppy dog. Sure felt like a traitor when I sold him at the fair. I knew where he was going to end up. After the sale they had us go down to the butcher shop and judge the marbling of the meat. Kind of a somber experience for something you invested a year of your life with. I raised several more in 4-h in the surrounding years. I think more kids need to go through this process - might give them a little more respect for life and death.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Got a similar wingmaster in 20ga, early 70s, 2 3/4 shells only.
I want to chop that smooth bbl so bad, but I have resisted. It points so fast, and I really have no need another " riot gun " .

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Got a similar wingmaster in 20ga, early 70s, 2 3/4 shells only.
I want to chop that smooth bbl so bad, but I have resisted. It points so fast, and I really have no need another " riot gun " .

I'd love to have a shorter "riot gun" barrel for my Wingmaster.
However...seeing as how this one is built on the large frame...new made barrels don't work for it...
And I ain't found an old barrel I want to chop up.

Those older 870's are nice for sure.
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Another old favorite.
My Remington 510.
A neat single shot .22 rifle from 1941.
Can use .22 Short , .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle ammunition.
Called the "Targetmaster" by Remington.
It lives up to its name…a fine shooting rifle for sure.
Walnut stock and blued steel.
Shows some wear...but no abuse.
Still has lots of case color on the bolt.
A 25 inch barrel and open sights....with a excellent bore.
Weighs about 4 1/2 pounds

I learned how to shoot a rifle with one of these a long way back at Boy Scout summer camp.
And while not the same rifle I learned on…
Mine has lots of memories with it.
Andy

 

[Caveman Jim]

I bought a 1969 12 gauge 870 in the mid 80's, it has accompanied me during all my travels while contracting and has killed many a duck, goose and a few grouse.
8 years ago I retired it from field use, fitted with a 20" barrel to help guard against intruders in the house. I still have the old beat up wood stock but believe it is not worth the time and effort to restore.
I bought a Stoger camo M-2000 semi auto 12 gauge for my winged hunting exploits, it took me two seasons to remember to stop pumping that gun. Lol.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Nice set up with the 870 @Caveman Jim
Andy

 

[Caveman Jim]

Nice set up with the 870 @Caveman Jim
Andy

I call her "The Shadow".

 

[WAYNO]

I also recently acquired a 870TB Trap. I planned on giving it to my boy for his birthday. I first needed to buy a new barrel.. His clay range requires steel shot, and the original barrel is full choke. I bought a Carlson's barrel with interchangeable choke tubes. I just could not find a genuine Remington barrel.

This gun, best I can tell was made either pre-'73 or pre-'68, depending on where I search.

First of all, I believe the 870 to be the best shotgun ever, and this old 870 Trap Grade is delightful.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Love the figure on the stock @WAYNO
Beautiful shotgun for sure.
Andy

 

[Sxsnuf]

Not an oldie, but a favorite just the same. Birthday gift from my 6 yr old granddaughter, after we watched A Christmas Story, and she learned I'd never owned one as a kid.

 

[Joe13]

My hands down favorite shotgun is a JC Higgins integral and adjustable choke with a full vent rib barrel.

I bought this from another member here and it was one of those "Hey there, nice to meet you. Here is your $100 bucks. Have a great day and thanks!" meet ups.

It cycled rough when cycling the slide and the original plan was to chop the barrel down for an HD gun.

I got it home and took it apart to find a bur along one of the parts that was part of the slide and very gently smoothed it out with very fine sandpaper. Oiled it and put it back together. You only have to have the gun tilted slightly up and you hit that slide release and the forward grip GLIDES backwards. I call her Butta cuz she is the smoothes shotgun I've ever handled.

Started looking at it closer and it is in probably 96-98% great condition (maybe better - not mint because of a couple use marks but it's in fantastic shape) so I could not bring myself to chop it.

Upon further research, because it has a jeweled bolt (something I had never seen at the time) I found out it was made in 1951. Also in 1951-1952 JC Higgins outsourced the manufacturing of their shotguns to High Standard (thus the jeweled bolt and very high end blueing etc).

I have never hunted with it, I have other 870's that are less pristine but are all in good shape, but it is absolutely my go to clay gun and that thing is so easy to shoot that I have spent hours on end busting clays with people and never one hiccup.

During the research, I found YouTube videos of people using them quite effectively in 3 gun tournaments. The gun runs for sure.

It is a beautiful gun and pics just do not do it justice.

 

[Joe13]

My favorite 870 is my 1981 police trade in HD and all around defense gun.

Smooth Cylinder bore with rifle sights. 20" barrel with 8+1 extended mag and side saddle.

All metal and wood, the thing is a beast.

$200 at the time I got it and it has the prestige of being one of 3 long guns in my bedroom safe that I would bet my life on it's reliability.

Little rougher on the outside then my clay gun but in excellent condition from being hardly used.

Another beautiful gun and I sleep like a baby knowing it is within reach should I need it at night.



PS - it does have a sling on it - I just hadn't added it at the time of the pictures. 00 buck on the stock and 0000 buck in the saddle and in the tube mag.

 

[Sxsnuf]

My hands down favorite shotgun is a JC Higgins integral and adjustable choke with a full vent rib barrel.

I bought this from another member here and it was one of those "Hey there, nice to meet you. Here is your $100 bucks. Have a great day and thanks!" meet ups.

It cycled rough when cycling the slide and the original plan was to chop the barrel down for an HD gun.

I got it home and took it apart to find a bur along one of the parts that was part of the slide and very gently smoothed it out with very fine sandpaper. Oiled it and put it back together. You only have to have the gun tilted slightly up and you hit that slide release and the forward grip GLIDES backwards. I call her Butta cuz she is the smoothes shotgun I've ever handled.

Started looking at it closer and it is in probably 96-98% great condition (maybe better - not mint because of a couple use marks but it's in fantastic shape) so I could not bring myself to chop it.

Upon further research, because it has a jeweled bolt (something I had never seen at the time) I found out it was made in 1951. Also in 1951-1952 JC Higgins outsourced the manufacturing of their shotguns to High Standard (thus the jeweled bolt and very high end blueing etc).

I have never hunted with it, I have other 870's that are less pristine but are all in good shape, but it is absolutely my go to clay gun and that thing is so easy to shoot that I have spent hours on end busting clays with people and never one hiccup.

During the research, I found YouTube videos of people using them quite effectively in 3 gun tournaments. The gun runs for sure.

It is a beautiful gun and pics just do not do it justice.

View attachment 1906857 View attachment 1906858 View attachment 1906859 View attachment 1906860

Beautiful gun!
I had it's nearly identical twin, right down to the jeweled bolt, in very similar condition. Sold it to a member here because it was a safe queen and NEVER got used. I have other shotties for that stuff. It had a JC Higgins compensator that took screw in chokes, but I only had the "long range" choke. And yes, tip the muzzle up, touch the slide release and it would cycle itself. The young man who bought it said it was the smoothest action he'd ever seen and was ecstatic over the purchase. The JC Higgins model 20 was their answer to Winchester's model 12 and the one I had was slam fire capable as well. The only weak point, that I know of, is the ears on the trigger group but never had a problem with mine. I've seen some that did though.

 

[Stomper]

I've had this Italian made 92F since 1987. I remember scoring some wraparound Pachmar grips and tightly rolling some masking tape into little cylinders then placing them under the front strap to form the finger grooves, then sometime in the early/mid 90's I put the laser on it (always reminded me of Robocop's gun, LOL). The slide action is still buttery smooth and feels like it's on precision ball-bearings. It's mostly a safe-queen these days and I let the Glocks take the daily abuse now.

I bought this in the early 90's (didn't have the bayonet kit on it, LOL) from the now defunct "Shooter's Emporium" that used to be off the corner of NE 102nd and NE Glisan.


I got this in partial trade for an '83 Toyota SR5 long bed 4x4 pickup around '94 (or so)…. the Mac-daddy of its day, the Galil…


I also enjoy my 11.5" AR pistols because they remind me of the CAR15's that I used in the Army. (Note the brass pattern )


And yes… I have one for each hand!

 

[orygun]

Got a similar wingmaster in 20ga, early 70s, 2 3/4 shells only.
I want to chop that smooth bbl so bad, but I have resisted. It points so fast, and I really have no need another " riot gun " .

@Andy54Hawken your Remington is beautiful.
I have a very similar gun that I had Velzy chop to 18". Normally I would not have done anything like that, but it's for my sister who is building a home in a rural area. Even though she was a cop for a while, she has no gun and mentioned that she would want one when she moves. Since she is somewhat familiar with the pump gun she used as a cop, I had the mod done to make the gun handier, cuz her "uses" would not be birds. It's also the very first shotgun I ever shot. At that time it belonged to Dad's long time friend. I was bummed that Dad traded our Ruger Standard for it, but was super happy to have the Remington. Then Dad bought the Ruger back, and life was good.
My personal favorites?
The Ruger. Grandpa's Marlin 81DL and the beat up 94. With the Remington, they comprise the first rifle I ever shot (Marlin), first handgun (Ruger), first shotgun (Remington) and first rifle (Winchester).
I would post pictures, but I'm on a new computer and haven't transferred them yet!

 

[K-22]

My first shotgun was a Winchester model 37 12 gauge.
My Mother got it for me with S&H Green Stamps.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@Andy54Hawken your Remington is beautiful.
I have a very similar gun that I had Velzy chop to 18". Normally I would not have done anything like that, but it's for my sister who is building a home in a rural area. Even though she was a cop for a while, she has no gun and mentioned that she would want one when she moves. Since she is somewhat familiar with the pump gun she used as a cop, I had the mod done to make the gun handier, cuz her "uses" would not be birds. It's also the very first shotgun I ever shot. At that time it belonged to Dad's long time friend. I was bummed that Dad traded our Ruger Standard for it, but was super happy to have the Remington. Then Dad bought the Ruger back, and life was good.
My personal favorites?
The Ruger. Grandpa's Marlin 81DL and the beat up 94. With the Remington, they comprise the first rifle I ever shot (Marlin), first handgun (Ruger), first shotgun (Remington) and first rifle (Winchester).
I would post pictures, but I'm on a new computer and haven't transferred them yet!

It is always good to give a firearm a new lease on life.
Modifying a firearm to make it suit your needs or shooting style is a good thing....with in reason.

No reason to take some minty pre-64 Model 12 and chop it down...when you can buy a new Winchester SXP Defender..for damn near the cost of gunsmith work on said Model 12...

Not saying that is what you did here....
You took a family gun....made it work for what role is needed...and kept it in the family...all good things.
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Two more old favorites of mine.
My dad's Colt Series '70 Government Model in .45 ACP.
First pistol I ever shot, many years ago.
Mine now and lots of memories with this pistol.
Favorite load for it is plain old 230 grain FMJ … shoots well with that loading.

The knife also has lots of memories both good and bad.
It is a Blackjack Model 5 .
This was my field knife while in the Army.
Carried and used on both field exercises and combat deployments.
Nowadays it is used as a camping and hunting knife.
Andy