A perfectly proportioned bird gun: Philadelphia A.H. Fox 16g A-grade …

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28" Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921
A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

This 16g A.H. Fox A Grade is on Gunbroker.com now. The online auction listing ends this Sunday,10/2/2022, @ 8:26 PM.

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28" Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921
A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

This A-grade looks like it has lived its life as a go-to bird gun. While it’s in nice shape, it doesn’t have the color-case hardening and condition collectors want.

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28" Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921
A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

That’s great if you’re looking for a classic American bird gun. It will keep the price down on, and it will make you feel like you can take this shotgun into the field without worry.

To me, the A-grade has always been the sweet spot of A.H. Fox shotguns. Sterlingworths are a bit plain. The second-style engraving that sets it apart, plus a round-knob, half-pistol grip stock make it special.

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28" Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921
A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

“This FOX grade is a gun that the discriminating sportsman will appreciate as to price and workmanship. It is not a cheap gun, but a more than good gun at a reasonable figure, and can be built to your own specifications without extra charge. The material and fittings are of superior FOX class.” -from an A.H. Fox catalog

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28" Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921
A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

A.H. Fox A Grade Pre-Savage 28″ Full/Mod 16 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1921

Serial Number: 301339 Year of Manufacture: Ca. 1921 Gauge: 16 Gauge, 2 9/16″ Shells

Weight: 5 lb., 13.4 oz. Finish Originality: Original

Action Type: Top Break Side by Side Box Lock Hammerless Shotgun with Extractor

Markings: The top of the right barrel is marked “CHROMOX FLUID COMPRESSED STEEL”, the top of the left “MADE BY A.H. FOX GUN Co. PHILA. PA. U.S.A.”. The barrel flat is marked “A”, “301339” and with a Fox proof. Each side of the receiver is marked “ANSLEY H. FOX” in banner and the receiver and trigger plate have Grade A scroll engraving. The water table is marked “301339” and “A” on the right. The bottom tang is marked “301339” as is the top of the forend iron.

Barrel Length: 28”, Choke: Left: Full, Right: Modified, Both Fixed

Sights / Optics: There is a silver-colored bead mounted to the front of the rib. The top of the rib is finely serrated to reduce glare.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with splinter forend, round-bottom pistol grip, straight comb and ventilated orange rubber Jostham recoil pad. The stocks have some scattered light nicks, scuffs and scratches. The forend has a repaired chip-loss on the top edge on the left-rear with a filled loss below this. There are a few tiny losses around the front edges of the wrist. The checkering is well defined. The LOP measures approximately 14 1/4″ and 13 3/8″ from the fronts of the triggers to the back of the recoil pad, 13 3/8″ and 12 1/2″ to the back of the wood. The drop at comb is approximately 1 3/8″, drop at heel 2 1/2″. The pad is shows wear and discoloration, but is still fairly supple. The stocks rate in about Very Good condition as refinished.

Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color

Bore Condition: The bores are mostly bright. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is some stubborn fouling.

Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at most edges. The barrels’ finish is generally strong with a few light nicks and scuffs, most at the breech-end. The receiver’s case color has muting toward the bottom-front with stronger color toward the top-rear. The guard has light handling wear and some scattered minor surface oxidation. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The barrels lock up to the receiver with no play. The safety engages automatically when the action is opened. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: Ansley Fox was one of the earliest American innovators with internal hammer double guns. In 1894, at the age of 19, he was issued a patent on a system of cocking the internal hammers of a break-action gun using leverage from the barrels with his design actually containing nineteen patentable features, according to the U.S. Patent office. Fox would continue on, making it his life’s work to produce “The finest gun in the world” (as well as the finest car in the world and a few other manufacturing ventures). He even gained the praise of Theodore Roosevelt who wrote to Mr. Fox in a letter “The double-barreled shotgun has come, and I really think it is the most beautiful gun I have ever seen. I am exceedingly proud of it. I am almost ashamed to take it to Africa and expose it to the rough usage it will receive. But now that I have it, I could not possibly make up my mind to leave it behind. I am extremely proud that I am to have such a beautiful bit of American workmanship with me”.

The A.H. Fox Gun Co. would continue producing shotguns of various grades and chambered for various gauges through the late 1920s, when they fell victim to the Great Depression and were acquired by Savage Arms. This example is a 16 gauge A Grade, produced in 1921, the heyday of A.H. Fox, during the Roaring ’20s when post-war America was booming and Fox guns were selling as well as ever. Today, A.H. Fox shotguns are quite collectible. As Fox’s reputation was built on quality, their success didn’t necessarily mean that a huge number of guns were made. For the dedicated Fox collector, this A Grade would make a great addition to a collection. Better still, with its good bores and tight lockup, this shotgun can still serve, more than 100 years later, to take down flesh or clay birds in style. Please see our photos and good luck!

Two great upland guns, maybe great deals: a Merkel OU & a Francotte SxS …

Two lightweight 12gs: A Merkel 200E from the '30s and a Francotte Featherweight.
Two lightweight 12s: A Merkel 200E from 1930 and a Francotte Featherweight from 1928

“Another bargain!!!” Those are the first two words of this article I wrote for Shooting Sportsman magazine: Boxlock Bargains: Why lightweight 12s are the kings of bird guns.

The 12 gauge you see here are perfect examples of what I was writing about. The Merkel OU weighs 6 lb., 5.2 oz., the Francotte side-by-side 6 lb., 1 oz. Both have ejectors, straight grips, double triggers, and old school styling; and their barrels have original 2 3/4″ chambers, excellent bore measurements, and plenty of wall thickness.

Two lightweight 12gs: A Merkel 200E from 1930 and a Francotte Featherweight from 1928
Two lightweight 12s: A Merkel 200E from 1930 and a Francotte Featherweight from 1928

Both are on Gunbroker.com now. There’s no reserve on either one, so they offer you the chance to get a great bird gun — and a very high-quality shotgun — for little money.

As I wrote in my article for Shooting Sportsman, lightweight 12s have a number of advantages:

  • There’s a range of ammo available for them, so you can modify your load to hunt anything from quail and woodcock to pheasant. Plus, when a vintage 12 gauge has original 2 3/4″ chambers it should be OK shooting any easy-to-find, major brand, low-brass12g game loads.
  • They have adult-sized proportions, and they’re better balanced. Unlike smallbores, lightweight twelves don’t feel dainty or whippy, and their barrels aren’t swallowed up in your hands. All this makes them easier to control and shoot.
  • People ignore them, favoring 20gs and 28gs instead (even though 12s are ballistically superior). This keeps demand — and prices — for lightweight twelve gauges foolishly low.
Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 27.5" IC/C 12 GA, 1930. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70CM bbls IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70cm (27.5″) IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

Auguste Francotte Feathweight Boxlock 12 GA 28" IM/M Double Barrel, 1928. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Auguste Francotte Featherweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

Auguste Francotte Featherweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel, 1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 27.5″ IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6lbs, 5.2 oz: Merkel’s one of Europe’s most famous gunmakers, and one of the few old-school German gunmakers around today. Most collectors agree that the shotguns they made before World War Two — like this OU — are their highest quality and finest overall.

Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70CM bbls IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70CM bbls IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve.
Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70CM bbls IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Merkel Brothers Lightweight 200E 70CM bbls IC/C 12 GA, 1930. 6 lb., 5.2 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

This is a model 200 with ejectors, so a 200E. It was made for the European market, and the barrels measure 70cm (27.5″), a common length for Continental shotguns. The barrels feature a full-length solid rib, and there are two white beads ahead of the toplever and on either side of the top rib. Technically, it’s not a boxlock. Instead, it’s built on a standard Merkel-style triggerplate action. But because it lacks sideplates, it has a similar look.

Auguste Francotte Feathweight Boxlock 12 GA 28" IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Auguste Francotte Feathweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

Auguste Francotte Featherweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel. 1928. 6lbs, 1 oz: Another pre-war double from a famous European maker. This SxS is built on of the finest designs of all time — the Anson & Deeley boxlock action — and features ejectors. The action retails a ton of color-case hardening and has Woodward-style arcade fences, fine, hand-cut scroll engraving, and a Purdey-style hidden third bite. The gun has fantastic proportions and real sexy look to it.

Auguste Francotte Feathweight Boxlock 12 GA 28" IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Auguste Francotte Feathweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz.
Auguste Francotte Featherweight Boxlock 12 GA 28" IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.
Auguste Francotte Featherweight Boxlock 12 GA 28″ IM/M Double Barrel,1928. 6 lb., 1 oz. No reserve. See it on Gunbroker.com now.

FYI: The accuracy of these listings has not been verified by Dogs and Doubles. All information has been provided by the sellers. Buyers are responsible for verifying the physical condition and all specifications of the listed items. Dogs and Doubles recommends you and a qualified gunsmith physically inspect an item before purchasing.

Any statements made on DogsandDoubles.com regarding a firearm’s condition, originality, safety, value, or suitability to use are opinions only. These statements have not been verified. They are not guaranteed to be accurate or correct in any way.

See this week’s 5 doubles you don’t want to miss ..

HOLLAND & HOLLAND MODELE DE LUXE SXS, 12 GAUGE, FACTORY 2 BARREL SET
HOLLAND & HOLLAND MODELE DE LUXE SXS, 12 GAUGE, FACTORY 2 BARREL SET

HOLLAND & HOLLAND MODELE DE LUXE SXS, 12 GAUGE, FACTORY 2 BARREL SET: 27″ BARRELS, IC/IM CHOKED – 27″ BARRELS, M/F CHOKED – DOUBLE TRIGGERS – AUTOMATIC EJECTORS – ONE SPLINTER FOREND – STRAIGHT GRIP STOCK – CHECKERED BUTT – GAME RIBS – HAND DETACHABLE LOCKS – HOLLAND & HOLLAND SELF OPENERS – ROLLED EDGE TRIGGER GUARD – LATE 1950’S MANUFACTURE – INCLUDES MAKER’S CASE. 6 LBS. 8 OZ. 14 5/8″ X 1 1/2″ X 2″. Price: $52,500

PREATER-ENGRAVED JOHN DICKSON & SON PATENT ROUND-ACTION 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN
PREATER-ENGRAVED JOHN DICKSON & SON PATENT ROUND-ACTION 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN

PREATER-ENGRAVED JOHN DICKSON & SON PATENT ROUND-ACTION 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN: KEN PREATER ENGRAVED, FEATURED IN JUNE 2022 ISSUE THE FIELD, 12 GAUGE, 27″ BARRELS, IMPROVED CYLINDER AND IMPROVED MODIFIED, 2-3/4″, EJECTORS, DOUBLE TRIGGERS, AUTOMATIC SAFETY, STRAIGHT HAND GRIP, SPLINTER FOREND, CHECKERED BUTT, 6 LBS 4 OZ, 15″ LOP. PREATER-ENGRAVED Dickson patent Round-Action 12 bore game gun with 27″ blacked round nitro proved chopper-lump barrels that are fit with ejectors, a smooth concave game rib and a brass bead front sight. The rib is engraved “JOHN DICKSON & SON, 21 FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH.” and has a gold-inlaid “1” in an oval near the breech. Proved for 2-3/4″ cartridges and choked Improved Cylinder & Improved Modified. The sides of the vibrant case color hardened action body are finely engraved with game scenes of pheasant, partridge and grouse in their natural habitats, surrounded by flowing leaf and scroll carved in relief on a matted background with “JOHN DICKSON & SON” in scrolling banners. Carved fences in high relief with filiform leaf motifs on a matted background. The underside of the action body is gold-inlaid with “DICKSON’S PATENT” and the triggerplate is signed “Engr. K. E. PREATER”. The action is fit with gold-washed cocking levers, case color hardened double triggers, blacked top lever with gold-inlaid “1” and automatic safety with gold-inlaid “SAFE” ahead of the checkered safety slide. Boldly-figured deluxe quality walnut stock with traditional English straight hand grip, engraved gold stock oval and splinter fore-end with Anson type push button release with “1” on the fore-end tip. 15” LOP to a checkered butt, Cast Off 1/4” at face, 6 Lbs. 4 Oz. The shotgun lives in the associated trunk case. Shotgun incorporates Dickson patents 9399 and 10621 of 1887. Ken Preater was Holland & Holland’s chief engraver and was responsible for much of the work on the Products of Excellence Series and many of the unique commissions that Holland & Holland Undertook in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This shotgun is featured in the June issue of “The Field” magazine in the article, “The Best British Gunmakers of Today”. Price: $46,000

Fox SPE Skeet and Upland 16 Gauge - 1 of about 20, RARE!, SST, Vintage Firearms Inc:
Fox SPE Skeet and Upland 16 Gauge – 1 of about 20, RARE!, SST, Vintage Firearms Inc:

Fox SPE Skeet and Upland 16 Gauge – 1 of about 20, RARE!, SST, Vintage Firearms Inc: Year 1939, 16 Gauge, 6lb 10oz, Chokes .020/.032  M/F, LOP 14 1/4″ mid, DAH 2 3/8″, DAC 1 7/16″ Serial Number: 303823. The Fox SP Grade was introduced in 1932.  Just a year before, Winchester introduced the Model 21, a popular shotgun then and now.  Fox saw the opportunity to make some cost saving changes in the appearance of the Fox with the new SP Grade.  With its smooth-sided black frame, rounded stock and action, the gun appeared more an English boxlock, and similar to the new Model 21. Internally it was like every other Fox.  By 1934, Savage/Fox introduced the SPE Skeet and Upland Game gun. A VERY RARE GUN, WITH ONLY ABOUT 20 MADE IN 16 GAUGE, EVERY FOX COLLECTOR SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THESE IN THEIR COLLECTION. This fine Fox SPE Skeet and Upland gun, sn303823 made in 1939, is a fully documented special-order SPE Skeet and Upland and remains in excellent condition.  THE BARRELS, ACTION, AND TRIGGER GUARD ARE FACTORY UNTOUCHED CONDITION AND ABOUT 96% OVERALL. Vintage Firearms restored the factory original wood in 2019 with a Truoil hand-rubbed finish, as the original factory finish was flaking.  Special ordered with a Fox/Kautzky single selective trigger, ejectors, LONG FOREND WITH VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS (one-of-a-kind forend wood), and ivory bead.  The gun shipped with nicely figured walnut, much nicer than most SP Grade guns.  All the details of this gun are clearly documented on the factory order card that is shown with the photos of this gun, as well as a Roe Clark factory letter.  Look at this Fox!  All the hard edges are gone, with the action rounded top and bottom, the breech balls filed to the shape of the barrels like an XE grade, the head of the stock rounded with no “side panels”…a true round bodied Fox.  ELEGANT INDEED!  Price: $10,950

Rizzini Artemis Classic 20ga OU shotgun 29" bbls
Rizzini Artemis Classic 20ga OU shotgun 29″ bbls

Rizzini Artemis Classic 20ga OU shotgun 29″ bbls: Classic English Stock 20ga 29″. LOP-14-1/2, DAC-1-1/2, DAH-2-1/2, Cast Off 3/16 – 6-1/2lbs. Price: $3,995

WILLIAM FORD BIRMINGHAM, DELUXE BOXLOCK 12GA S/S SHOTGUN
WILLIAM FORD BIRMINGHAM, DELUXE BOXLOCK 12GA S/S SHOTGUN

WILLIAM FORD BIRMINGHAM, DELUXE BOXLOCK 12GA S/S SHOTGUN: WILLIAM FORD BIRMINGHAM 1930 MFG DATE, DELUXE BOXLOCK 12GA S/S, CASE COLORED ACTION WITH FULL COVERAGE SCROLL, 26″ BBLS, 2 1/2, CHOKED SK/IC, STANDARD GAME RIB, EJECTORS, DBL TRIGGERS, BEAUTIFUL HIGHLY FIGURED WALNUT, ST/SP, LOP 14 7/8, 1 1/2, 2 1/8, 6LBS 4OZ, TIGHT ACTION, EXCELLENT BORS, VIVID ORIGINAL CC, BLUE 98%, WOOD HAS NO CRACKS JUST A FEW LIGHT HANDLING MARKS. Price: $2,895

FYI: The accuracy of these listings has not been verified by Dogs and Doubles. All information has been provided by the sellers. Buyers are responsible for verifying the physical condition and all specifications of the listed items. Dogs and Doubles recommends you and a qualified gunsmith physically inspect an item before purchasing.

Good gun alert: AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 — $2,399.99…

AYA is one of Spain’s most famous gunmakers, and the No. 2 is probably AYA’s most famous shotgun. This model was introduced in the ’50s and went on to become the company’s top seller. Today, these guns gun around $8000 brand new.

The one you see here looks like it’s in good shape. If it is, it’s a great deal.

AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 -- $2,399.99
AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 — $2,399.99

AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 — $2,399.99: The Aguirre Y Aranzabal No. 2 is a handmade side by side shotgun with hand detachable side locks, cocking indicators, automatic ejectors, double triggers and case hardened frame with scroll engraving. There are few spots of finish damage on the barrels. The action is tight, the barrels are on face and the top lever is right of center. This is a truly fine shotgun at a very affordable price. Manufactured 1999 in Spain. 12 Gauge. Chambers: 2 3/4 inch chambers. Metal Condition: Good overall with some scratches, small spots of finish damage on the barrels and some wear on the sharp edges. Wood Condition: Good with some scratches and dents. Bore Condition: Very good. Barrels: 28 inch barrel. Triggers: Double triggers with articulated front trigger Stock Dimensions: 15 1/4 in. LOP, 1 5/8 in. DAC, 2 3/4 in. DAH Fore End: Splinter fore end Butt Pad: Rubber pad Weight: 6 Lbs. 10 Oz. Sights: Concave game rib with single bead Chokes: Improved cylinder and modified. Price: $2,399.99

AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 -- $2,399.99
AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 — $2,399.99
AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 -- $2,399.99
AyA ~ No. 2 ~ 12 — $2,399.99

More voices from the field worth hearing…

Durrell L. Smith at a field trial in Georgia. Photo by Wil Sensing, Project Upland
Durrell L. Smith at a field trial in Georgia. Photo by Wil Sensing, Project Upland

I’ve been chasing birds for thirty-five plus years now, and while the hunters I’ve known have come from all over and all kinds of backgrounds, 99.999% of them have been white guys (I hunted once with a guy from Puerto Rico).

So the first time I saw Durrell Smith’s work in Project Upland about African American dog trainers and bird hunters and their legacy in the southern quail hunting, I was intrigued.

Durrell has a point of view I haven’t heard before. His stories show me how much more there is to our sport — and how much is missing from my tiny, narrow view of it.

This piece by Durrell is on the Outdoor Life website now.

The Tale of Jake and Belle: A Hunting Dog Story You Haven’t Heard Before, by Durrell Smith

“There’s a deep, rich history of African American dog trainers in the South. It’s time to face the beauty, and ugliness, of those origins

I’m a diehard bird hunter and dog man. I love everything about it: The discipline and patience it requires, the glorious days in the field, and the long, storied history behind it all. But as an African American dog man living in Georgia, I know that there’s a large hole missing in the history of bird hunting and dog training. That hole is created by stories unheard and untold to the general public…”

Read all of The Tale of Jake and Belle: A Hunting Dog Story You Haven’t Heard Before now.

From Outdoor Life: Durrell Smith is a 30-year-old native of Atlanta, an author, visual artist, art teacher, bird dog handler/trainer, and most notably, the host and founder of The Gun Dog Notebook Podcast. He writes mainly for Project Upland and is also a member of the Ga-Fla Shooting Dog Handlers Club in Thomasville, Georgia.

Goodbye Bob, Master Maine guide, gundog guy, friend…

Bob Foshay passed away last week. He was as a Master MaineGuide, a lover of bird dogs, and my friend. I’ll miss him.

Goodbye Bob, Master Maine guide, gundog lover, friend...
Goodbye Bob, Master Maine guide, gundog guy, friend…

I think the first time we hunted together was in October 2006. Bob took me to classic grouse and woodcock covers — old apple orchards, dairy pastures reclaimed by alders, poplar stands blocked off by rock walls — and to unlikely spots like stands of pines and pockets of young maples. The first lesson Bob taught me was that those kinds of unlikely covers could hold birds.

Master Maine Guide Bob Foshay
Master Maine Guide Bob Foshay with his GSP Nellie

Bob also taught me about bird dogs. He was one of the first guys in New England to hunt with a field-bred English Cocker (named Trigger), and at one time he ran and field-trialed a lemon-and-white Pointer. By the time I was hunting with him, he had moved on to an English Setter and GSPs. Bob taught me the merits of the different breeds and what mattered when looking for a pup.

I had my pointer Puck back then, and Bob loved to watch bolt through the woods and spring over fallen logs. “She does everything with gusto!” he said — and he was right.

The first video below is from October of 2012. That may have been the last season I hunted with Bob. I helped him sell off his shotgun & dog training gear when retired from guiding and bird hunting. I also helped him find a new home for his last bird dog, a close-hunting little GSP named Nellie. I tried to take him out a few years later so he could watch my pointers run, but it never happened. I don’t remember why.

BS..ing with Bob Foshay, Maine Hunting Guide…

Online auction alert: 20g Beretta BL-4, 28″ bbls …

Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28" Barrels
Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28″ Barrels

I’m always on the lookout for deals, and this 20g Beretta BL-4 looks like a good one to me. It’s on Gunbroker.com now and the online auction ends tomorrow, 4/19, @ 10:01 PM.

Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28" Barrels
Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28″ Barrels

Upside: I think it’s in great shape, it looks like it has a nice, long LOP thanks to the professionally-installed pad. It also has 28″ barrels, 3″ chambers, and ejectors.

Downside: The opening bid is $1,295. So not a steal, but a deal.

Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28" Barrels
Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28″ Barrels

Beretta’s BL-grade shotguns were imported from Italy by the Garcia Corp in the ’60s and through the ’70s. They feature a shallow, low profile action scaled to match the gauge and they were build to be rugged, reliable doubles that delivered a lot of quality for the money.

Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28″ Barrels: Choked light mod / Mod. The chokes were opened up from Mod / Full and a recoil pad installed by Briley Mfg in 2012. The LOP is 15 inches. The cast and drop were not adjusted. We do not know if the gold leaf on the action is factory original or not. It was present when the gun was purchased from an estate in 2010. The gun is in excellent condition and has been fired very little since it was acquired from the /estate. The action is tight and on the face.

Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28" Barrels
Beretta BL-4 20 Gauge 28″ Barrels

FIELD TRAINING: GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER AND IRISH SETTER

Come Back Red Setter's Audie--2nd Place 2007 Futurity. Pic from Come Back's site.
Come Back Red Setter’s Audie–2nd Place 2007 Futurity. Pic from Come Back’ Red Setters.

I’ve always been interested in Red Setters. Last week, I was clicking around online looking for information on them and I came across this short video from Dogumentary TV.

It features Cliff Fleming, dog trainer, president of the Inland Empire NAVHAA, and red-setter fan, as well as some nice footages of a red setter in the field.

BTW: The title is the video is wrong. Someone who didn’t know dogs must have edited it. The video’s about training an Irish/Red Setter and a German Shorthair Pointer.

For the heart: My affair with shotguns, from Project Upland …

PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1
PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1

Why do we love what we love? Why are we drawn to certain things, even if those things make little sense in our lives?

Good questions, and ones I ask myself often.

Last fall, Project Upland’s A.J. DeRosa asked me to put pen to paper and write about my passion for fine shotguns. My piece is published below. It one of the essays featured in PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1.

For the Heart

LOVE CAN BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S for anything other than babies, puppies, and ice cream. Of all the things I love about upland hunting—my pointers flashing through the woods, the whirl of a flushing woodcock, the cidery smell of old apple trees—my lifelong affair with shotguns is the most difficult for me to comprehend.

I’m not from a family of hunters or shooters. My grandfather never killed a bird in his life. While my dad was a fisherman, he never owned a gun or fired a rifle. And I didn’t grow up on a farm with cornfields or stands of aspen outside my door. I grew up in Connecticut, down the street from a 7-Eleven and a strip mall anchored by a bar called the Amber Light Lounge & Cafe. But despite all this, bird hunting, and especially shotguns, have always been my thing.

When I was a kid, I pestered my father to take me to gun shops. I didn’t care about the rifles, and I didn’t stare at glass cases lined with revolvers and pistols. I wanted to see the shotguns. Most of the ones I came across were autoloaders and pumps: Remington 1100s, Winchester Model 12s. Sometimes there would be an O/U, usually a Browning Superposed. Those always commanded my attention. When I was thirteen, my family moved to northern New Hampshire. Now there were woods behind our house and, I would discover, grouse.

Me & a Westley Richards I owned, from PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1
Me & a Westley Richards I owned, from PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1

Our first bird season there my father borrowed two shotguns. The one for me was a 16-gauge Savage Fox Model B. I was fascinated with it. I had seen side-by-sides in a little newspaper I received called the Orvis News, but this was the first one I had held in my hands. With its two barrels aligned next to each other and double triggers, it looked awkward and outdated. But it also seemed more refined and purpose-built than any other shotgun I had come across. It suggested something . . . different? better? I wasn’t sure, but I was reluctant to give it back at the end of the season.

My father and I hunted grouse throughout my high school years, but he had little passion for it. I tugged us out the door early Saturday mornings and insisted we hunt every weekend. Fortunately, my father obliged. When I was fifteen, he indulged me again by taking me to buy my first shotgun: a 20-gauge Remington pump with a twenty-one-inch barrel and a straight stock. I hunted with it into my twenties.

I went to college near one of the largest gun shops in the country. The sales floor was crowded with racks of firearms, hundreds in all, and there were always dozens of shotguns for me to look at. I spent many Sunday afternoons there looking at the Rugers, Berettas, Parkers, and Foxes—shouldering one, then another, and another, flipping over the price tags, trying to find anything I could afford.

Collectors and hoarders have a lot in common; the first group is just more discriminating than the other. In my first ten years or so of chasing doubles, I was a hoarder. If a gun had two barrels, I wanted it. My first double was an A. H. Fox Sterlingworth. Then there was a Parker VHE. Both were 12s and both weighed around seven pounds. The bluing on the barrels had been worn to gray, and the checkering on both had been rubbed smooth. Neither fit me well. But I didn’t care. They were the classic American shotguns, they killed birds, and they were mine. I was proud to own them, and when I bought them, I swore I would never part with either one. Of course, when other doubles came along, my resolve faded, and I sold both.

Over the next decade I owned Ithaca NIDs, a run of 16-gauge L.C. Smith No. 2s, a SuperFox, and more Parkers, including a 12-gauge DHE pigeon gun with thirty-two-inch barrels. There were Francottes, W & C Scott Premiers, and Charles Daly Diamond grades. Boxlocks and sidelocks. A Purdey hammergun from the 1860s and a Merkel double rifle from the 1950s. Guns, guns, and more guns. Some I shot; most I didn’t. Regardless of whether or not I fired them, I studied every one and noted their mechanics, styling, and workmanship.

Along with guns, I also hoarded information: The Double Gun Journal and Shooting Sportsman, old catalogs from gunmakers like Boss & Co. and retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, books by Michael McIntosh, Stephen Bodio, Donald Dallas, and Major Burrard. I loved learning the obscure language and knowledge of doubles as much as I enjoyed the history of the classic American and British makers. All this was the sun and water that grew my fondness for shotguns into a full obsession. Losing money is an excellent way to learn a lesson, and my hoarding period was an expensive education in buying and selling guns.

Me & a lock from a Westley Richards I owned, from PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1
Me & a lock from a Westley Richards I owned, from PROJECT UPLAND – THE BIRD HUNTING ANTHOLOGY – VOLUME NO. 1

I learned how to spot reblued barrels, the right questions to ask a seller, and what dealers mean when they say a gun is “as new” (it’s totally redone). I learned how to measure up a set of barrels and the arcane language of shotgun proof marks. I also learned the value of original condition and, more importantly, how to spot it.

The most important thing my hoarding period taught me was what I thought was important. Like most people who get into guns, I started with an interest in what everyone else said was special: Parkers, Winchester Model 21s, Purdeys. After a while, I learned what was special to me: vintage British doubles (especially ones in their original cases), German O/Us made before World War II, and, above all, high-quality shotguns in original condition. When I concentrated on what I thought mattered, I became a collector. I learned to discriminate, and this taught me more about what moved me and who I am.

Why do we love the things we do? Perhaps it’s a search for wholeness or inspiration. Perhaps we’re looking to bring some type of beauty into our lives or connect with deep, profound currents running through all people for all time. Regardless, I know I can’t decide what I’ll love. My heart makes these decisions, and most make little sense to me. But if I want to feel satisfied and make my hours and days feel worthwhile, I need to follow its commands.

Maine Grouse Hunting – Those Moments: A Project Upland Film…

Maine Grouse Hunting - Those Moments: A Project Upland Film...
Maine Grouse Hunting – Those Moments: A Project Upland Film…

If you’re jonesing for grouse season like I am, you’ll enjoy this video. Just released by the guys at Project Upland it’s a great look into what makes upland hunting so special–and a great reminder of what’s just a few months away.

A furious flush of wild quail…

A Hifive Kennels success story: Thornapple Cody, Runner-up CH 2017 ABHA North Country Walking Shooting Dog Championship
Hifive’s RU-CH Thornapple Cody

I love videos of pointing dogs and wild quail.

This is another from Hifive Kennels, and it features a setter named Ginny.

If you hang around the coverdog field trial circuit at all, you probably know Hifive. Located in Beulah, MI, they’ve been breeding, training, and trialing dogs for 20+ years, and they’ve produced a long list of great dogs.

You’ve got to go to Maine’s Chandler Lake Camps…

One Maine's finest sporting camps. 6hrs from Boston in the North Maine Woods
One Maine’s finest sporting camps. 6hrs from Boston in the North Maine Woods

Roughing it is for suckers. I know of that, now.

I’m not used to nice accommodations, and on past hunting trips I’ve curled up with my Pointers to stay warm, eaten Beefaroni out of the can, and gagged while using outhouses ranker than rest-area porta pottys.

This year I wanted something better. So I headed Chandler Lake Camps in the North Maine Woods.

Chandler's: A 5-Pointer experience
Chandler’s: A 5-Pointer experience

The North Maine Woods are 4-6 hours from Boston, 3Xs the size of Rhode Island, and more populated with moose than people. Once you’re in them, a dirt-road empire rolls out before you in every which way.. It’s lorded over by logging trucks, crisscrossed with brook trout streams, and spotted everywhere with grouse and woodcock cover.

Some success after after a few days at Chandler's
Some success after after a few days at Chandler’s

Chandler Lake Camps is an outpost of comfort and graciousness amongst all of this. Built in 1902, it was an abandoned family retreat when current owners Jason and Sherry Bouchard bought in the ’90s. With hard work and grit, they rescued it from decades of neglect and turned it into one of Maine’s finest sporting camps.

For uplanders, Chandlers is a place to get into lots of birds, whether you do it by hiring one of the camp’s Registered Maine Guides or by grabbing a Delorme map book and asking Jason to highlight some likely looking spots like I did.

Lexi, Sky and I averaged 2-3 birds an hour — solid numbers considering it was our first time in the area. We hunted overgrown logging roads and shot into the woods to explore deep pockets of birdy-looking cover and the furthest cover we hit was only 15 miles away from the camp.

Guest cabin at Chandler
Guest cabin at Chandler

On top of great bird hunting, Chandler Lake Camps also has great accommodations. Guests are treated to their own hand-peeled, spruce log cabins, each with a wood stove, electric lights, complete indoor facilities and charging outlets for things like remote collars and GPSs.

Meals are served in the main lodge, and everyone eats together around a large, wooden table. Breakfast is to order, lunches packed for you, and dinner family style. There’s a different menu each night, and everything is homemade in the lodge’s kitchen–even the bread and bagels.

And while Chandler Lake Camps is far away from civilization, it does have internet connection to the outside world. So anyone who needs to stay in touch with home or work can check in.

Located southwest of Ashland, ME,
Located southwest of Ashland, ME,
An access point to the North Maine Woods. Dirt roads, moose & grouse cover lie ahead.
An access point to the North Maine Woods. Dirt roads, moose & grouse cover lie ahead.
Sunset at Chandler Lake Camps
Sunset at Chandler Lake Camps
Sky's first grouse of 2017, at Chandler Lake Camps
Sky’s first grouse of 2017, at Chandler Lake Camps
View from the front porch at Chandler Lake Camps
View from the front porch at Chandler Lake Camps
Guest cabin at Chandler
Guest cabin at Chandler
Classic wood cabins at Chandler
Classic wood cabins at Chandler
Classic wood cabins at Chandler
Classic wood cabins at Chandler
Boathouse at Chandler Lake Camps
Boathouse at Chandler Lake Camps
Deck off main lodge at Chandler Lake Camps
Deck off main lodge at Chandler Lake Camps
Classic wood cabins at Chandler
Classic wood cabins at Chandler

Auction alert: 20 gauge Beretta BL-4 OU, 28″ bbls …

Beretta BL-4 OU, 20 gauge, 28", awesome gun
Beretta BL-4 OU, 20 gauge, 28″, awesome gun

Here’s a great bird gun. Beretta’s BL-line of OUs were imported into the US in the ’60s & ’70s by the Garcia Corporation. With various degrees of engraving and a touch better finishing, I think they’re a bit more refined the 686s. They can bought at better prices, too. This one is Gunbroker.com now. The online auction ends 4/27/2017 @ 2:42 PM.

Here’s the info on it from the seller:

Beretta BL-4 OU, 20 gauge, 28", awesome gun
Beretta BL-4 OU, 20 gauge, 28″, awesome gun

Used Beretta BL-4 20 gauge, 28″ bbls. This gun is in nice condition with only minor scratches and ware to it. None of the marks really stand out on the gun. Marks are noticeable but not bad at all. Overall gun was well cared for by the previous owner. Guns action runs smooth and opens and closes with no issue at all. Top barrel on the gun is Full choke and the bottom barrel is modified. Pictures of the gun should give you a good idea of how it looks.

Auction alert: 28g Ruger Red Label OU, No Reserve…

 

Ruger Red Label 28ga 26in Vent Rib, Nice NO RESERVE
Ruger Red Label 28ga 26in Vent Rib, Nice NO RESERVE

Ruger Red Label 28ga 26in Vent Rib OU, Nice NO RESERVE 28ga: This is a Ruger Red Label over/under shotgun in 28ga. It has a stainless receiver and 26″ blued vent rib barrels. It is chambered for 2 3/4″ shells with screw in chokes, 2 are included. It is in great shape showing just a few light handling marks. The checkered stock and forearm are in great shape, no cracks or chips. A very nice piece of wood! The bores are nice and shiny. It has a original Ruger plastic buttplate with a 14 1/4″ length of pull. The serial number is 420-156**.

Lexi becomes a bird dog…

Me & Lexi
Me & Lexi

Even though our trip to Maine a couple weeks ago produced few birds, it did give Lexi the chance to get out in the woods and start on down the path to becoming a bird dog. Here’s are a few quick videos of her in action.

Overall, she handles well – coming when she’s called, hunting to the front, quartering naturally, and coming around on command. Her range stretched out to 200-300+ yards on some casts, and after she had some solid grouse & woodcock finds her under collar, she started to hunt objectives.

You can see how much fun she’s having in these videos, and how dynamic and electric she is in the field.

We were there. But where were the birds?

Me & Lexi
Me & Lexi

I’m in a funk. My big hunting trip was a couple wees ago and things did not go well – bird wise, anyway. This annual trip is my bird binge for the year, and I put a lot of hope into it. The ways things turned out left me depressed.

I’ve hit the western part of Maine for several seasons now, and in years past, the end of October was prime: the leaves were down, the woodcock flights were in, and the grouse were abundant. This year, the leaves were down, but the birds were hard to find.

Weather may be been the problem. We arrived after two days of heavy winds and flooding rain, and all week the temps were in the upper 50s (instead of the normal 40s). Lexi and I hit covers all over the place – alders, pole poplar, overgrown cuts bordering bogs, etc.

For the first few days, the woodcock were nowhere to be found. Spots where Puck and I used to move 10-20 birds were empty until the end of the week. Then they just had 4-5 flight birds in them. We saw some grouse, but not many. On the last day, we bumped  a covey of six, all sunning and feeding at the edge of a clear cut.

On top of this, one of my favorite spots was overrun by an active logging operation (so much for that), and another was inaccessible due to a bridge being out. Lexi and I struck out to some new spots, but the birds just weren’t there.

Fortunately, Lexi did see some birds — enough to turn the light on in her head and start her on her way to being a hunting dog. She handled beautifully: Quartering naturally, turning on command, and coming when called. After she had a few whiffs of bird in her nose, she was even hunting objectives. With a couple of seasons and a lot of birds under her belt, I’m sure she’s going to be a great dog.

And I did get a chance to do some fishing with my Maine-guide friend Greg Bostater. He knows where to find great fish, as you can see in the pics below.