An old gun in the woods...

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Anonymous

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I've been taking my ancient Winchester 37 in 20ga out for a walk in the woods quite a lot lately. Busted several sharp-tail and a few ruffed. This was the first firearm I fired...out behind Granddad's barn, 4 decades ago. The gun was old then...and I was not. I remember it hung in the gun rack of my granddads pickup right up until he quit driving for good. In the modern era, a gun rack is an anomaly in a pickup...back then I would have been surprised to learn they weren't standard equipment installed at the factory.

Back in the day, even an inexpensive single was built to last generations. This one is from the late 30s and still points like a magic wand and the scaled receiver carries like a dream. They don't make them like this anymore. It's not particularly valuable in the way my Model 12 is...but it's still priceless to me. It's right at 80 years old and still rolling along. It was something of an oddity in its day- the first shotgun built with a steel frame rather than ductile iron. It allowed them to make a gun with a remarkably trim receiver- even by modern standards and the shrouded hammer is just plain cool. "Steelbilt" was the unofficial model name and Winchester even went so far to include it in the roll mark on the barrel.
 

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It's nice to carry some history into the woods. I bet that is a very satisfying experience to hunt with that old shotgun.


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What a delightful post! Reaching back to touch the past energises the present.
 
Sort of ironic, my buddy has been bringing his model 37 in a 16 gauge with us on scouting trips. Last year we got into a bunch of grouse, passing it between he, I and his son that day we accounted for 7 grouse. I find myself more and more wanting to go back to older firearms to hunt with, a Model 71 Winchester, a sporterized 03 Springfield, etc... It just seems to simplify the hunt a bit.
 
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