# A friend and his model 12.



## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

No lesson or moral here, just a story to share. A older friend of mine and I were talking guns. He showed me, with a lot of pride, an old, well used model 12. It belonged to his boyhood friend that he grew up and old with. Life took them in separate directions. They kept in touch over the years. Even after his friend died, my friend kept in touch with his widow. My friend and his wife visited his friends widow and she gave him the old 16 ga. model 12. She said her husband wanted my friend to have it.
My friend recalled stories of the two boys growing up, the camping, fishing, hunting and a little trapping. The girls they dated. The girls they married. The farm chores that HAD to be done before going hunting to bring food home. Two boys growing up when you had ONE gun. Not one for pheasant, one for turkey, one for small game and one for deer. Just one gun. I watched a friend relive some wonderful times in his life. I'm not ashamed to tell you, I shed a tear, too. I sat there and listened. Mesmerized. Two hours well spent.
Thanks for listening.


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## coonhunter (Sep 7, 2013)

I love old guns, I wish they could talk. A new gun is a tool to me, like a hammer or a saw. But, an old gun is special.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

coonhunter said:


> I love old guns, I wish they could talk. A new gun is a tool to me, like a hammer or a saw. But, an old gun is special.


Especially one given to you by and old friend. I have one or two that money can not buy.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

The elderly are the most wasted resource in our country!They are a vast resource of knowledge That is almost totally underutilized and under appreciated.They are bursting with knowledge and so willing to share what they know if we would just stop long enough to listen.A oh the joy it brings them to share their knowledge.Your elders should not be put aside as old out of touch ,and useless as many times happens. Instead they should be looked up to and honored and have a place of rel events in our lives.


Wade


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Recently I was visiting my daughter in another state. She had been telling stories Of my story writing and getting some published in different magazine's to her friends. One day one of the friends stopped by to see her and meet me. He really had a question to ask. As he pulled a Remington 700 rifle out of a case chambered for 308 he asked what it was worth and it had been his dads who had hunted all his life and had got the rifle soon after they came on the market.
To me that rifle was price less it belonged to dad. How can you sell some thing like that. I would rather choose some thing from my gun safe and sell rather than let dads guns go to some one else. I have my dads Itchia model 37 feather lite in 20ga, and his Ruger 77 tang safety chambered for 243. I wrote a story about the Ruger that was published in Michigan Outdoors Mag Nov. 2004.

http://thunderbucks.com/tbforum/index.php/topic,195.0.html

Trying to get enough short stores wrote to get a book published some day.

My father in law had a model 12 in 16ga. It still after 4 years of him being gone lays under his bed. Mom has me take it out every so often and clean and oil it like he used to do.

 Al


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

I have my grandfather's model 12. He died 52 years ago.


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

I have had my Model 12 for close to 50 years. It is, in my opinion, one of the best mass produced shotguns ever made. Tough, durable, simple to operate and maintain.


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## braggscowboy (Jan 6, 2004)

I have two Model 12's. One belonged to my wife's uncle that I hunted with before we were married and I was still a kid. We would squirrel hunt a lot and he had a Model 12 in 20 gauge with a vent rib. When he died, they had an "auction", sealed bids of family members. Needless to say I made sure I paid enough to get it. Had it for years now and have not shot it. He had not shot it in year either, it was locked up with dried oil. Little penetration oil and good as new. Love the model 12. The other really had no meaning as far as keepsake, just many years ago, don't recall how many I had a chance to buy a Model 12 Heavy Duck Gun in 3" with rib barrel. Really nice gun and I have not shot it either. My favorite shotgun to use has to be a Model 870 Remington in 12 with vent rib. I bought my first in the service in Panama in 67. Cost me a whole 64 dollars in the PX. I still have it and I have a 20 gauge, that was like new when I purchased it about 20 years ago. I need to get around to shooting it. Wanted to say I know the feel of having and cherishing something to pass on to my kids and grandkids. I do have my dad old shotgun. I also have a Pre 64 model 70 (57)model in .270 that I worked hard and long to be able to buy, still have it. All the others are just weapons. Keep all you can, you will need them and one cannot have too many guns or too much ammo. I only want one more gun and one more box of ammo.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

I almost envy you guys that come from families of hunters and fishermen. No one in my family did that. I don't think they were anti-hunting, they just didn't do it. I'm jealous because I don't own any outdoors gear, guns, fly rods or anything that my dad or brother or uncle or someone I admired used and would tell me stories about. Sorry.


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## vicker (Jul 11, 2003)

I have an elder friend who is a life long outdoorsman, quite wealthy and has many firearms. His "hammer" is an old Winchester bolt in .222. It is an old gun that was handed down to him, well cared for and very nicely patinaed. I love that old gun. Several years ago, his son was into drugs and such, staged a break in, and stole his guns among other things. I was heartbroken for him. I was so appalled that his son could, in particularly, steal and hock that gun. It just made me sick. Happily, that gun was found and returned.  Some folk just boggle my mind.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Snowfan said:


> I almost envy you guys that come from families of hunters and fishermen. No one in my family did that. I don't think they were anti-hunting, they just didn't do it. I'm jealous because I don't own any outdoors gear, guns, fly rods or anything that my dad or brother or uncle or someone I admired used and would tell me stories about. Sorry.




Then it is up to you to go buy some , make some memories then tell the stories and give the story and the tool to the next generation , it isn't to late to start

think about it the M12 was a production gun not a custom , but hunters took and used them and made them their own and made the memories


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

My dad and uncles were not what I would call a sportsman family. Dad had a old Stevens 16ga.that he bought in the late 40's when my moms twin sister and hubby came to visit and Uncle wanted to go to a store that had the Stevens on sale. Uncle bought one and dad bought one. When I was 10 I wanted to go out in our wood lot and shoot rabbits and other small game like the other kids I went to school were bragging they did. Dad gave me a few shells and said not to waste them shooting song birds and wood peckers and I didn't. When My brother got to the wanting to hunt with his own gun dad gave him a old single shot Ivers Johnson 410. I don't know where dad got it looked as if he had picked it up from a ditch some place as the stock was cracked and the forearm was held together with that old cloth black electrical tape.
I don't have any kids that hunt so my collection of guns and fishing tackle will HOPEFULLY go to a grand son, if not it will all be sold and go to the highest bidder minus all the story's that would go with them.
I did get my dads 20ga. Ithaca model 37 I bought for him when he was in his mid 50's and my brother and I wanted him to bird hunt with him
I also have the Ruger 77 tang safety in 243 I bought for him for his 60'th birthday so he would deer hunt with use boys.

 Al


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Pete, I have some of all the things I mentioned. I just don't have any that have sentimental value.


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