I wouldn't consider myself a gun nut, but I do like them. I have several, but my favorite by and far is my shotgun. It's a 1964 Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge. To those of you that have no idea, the 870 is the classic hunting shotgun. More of them have been sold, more are used by police and military, and more are seen in the field than any other shotgun in the world. In all time classics, they sit with the Chevy 350, the DC-3, and the Ford F-150 as the perennial standards of their breed. They are just a quality piece of work. Don't get me wrong, you can spend the bosco bucks and get a better gun. Most are too pretty and you probably wouldn't take them hunting. But for something that won't ever let you down and will get the job done, this is a good choice. I was lucky to get this gun over 20 years ago in very good shape and had no idea what I was buying. All I wanted was a 12 gauge bird gun. I knew the 870 was a good gun, I just didn't know how good. The Wingmaster is the premium version. It has a solid walnut checkered stock, and a chrome bolt and lifter. But lately it was showing it's age, and I didn't really want to use any newer, non Remington parts. So for the last several months, I have been searching for vintage replacement parts. While the actual design and construction haven't changed much in the last 50 years, much of the detail of the parts that make this a classic Wingmaster haven't been made since the 1970's. I finally got the final piece last week, an original chrome shell lifter. It was the first part I looked for and the last that I found. Tonight I tore the gun completely apart and put it back together. While it has some "character" from over 40 years of field use, the gun really looks great. I wish I knew how many thousands of rounds have gone through this gun, how many birds have really been taken. I've had the pleasure of shooting some nice guns over the years, but nothing feels sweeter than this old pump. The only non original piece is the actually much older, a factory Remington PolyChoke equipped barrel. It's very rare, so when I stumbled across it and I couldn't pass up the chance to get it. I still have the original single bead, straight Modified choke barrel, and it looks good. I've dropped many a bird with that barrel, so no complaints there. The PolyChoke gives me the flexibility I want while retaining the old time look, feel, and quality. I haven't hunted in a few years, and the gun mostly sits in the closet, but there is just something about the feel of shouldering something that has endured for so long while still retaining it's beauty and faithfulness to it's design. We don't get much of that anymore, so maybe that explains why I am so attached to this gun.
Posts
2 comments:
I feel that way about my mom's OLD (1932) Singer sewing machine. I don't use it that often, but when it was returned to me after about a 20 year absence, I loved to feel the finish, think about what had been made w/ it, and just treasure it for what it meant to her. Altho' I am not that crazy about guns, I do understand the craftsmanship and understand your appreciation of a fine instrument. Well written. E
I have a 1964 Wingmaster 16ga. in perfect condidtion, looks new, that I feel the same way about. My dad bought it new the year I was born, 1964. A really sweet gun with an Otis external choke. Don't shoot it much anymore as I have more "modern" shotguns but the quality is so much better than my new Remingtons. It is almost like art.
Post a Comment