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Joined: 25 Jan 2014 Posts: 229 Location: MN

"Hi My name is Marshall and I am a pumpaholic. 31 is my favorite number. I am too uncoordinated to use two triggers, but the birds never know."

I posted this a few minutes ago, because I liked the wordplay. 314 is also one of my favorite numbers, because it reminds me, especially today, that what goes around, comes around.

I had the gun acquisition problem until two and half years ago. My brother-in-law, aged 49, was a dying the most awful death from colon cancer. He had no brothers and no children. He apologized profusely for leaving me to distribute his worldly possessions. He and his wife had written down and discussed with me what to do with the the big items and who to give special items to. He gave some away before his time.

He left me two Browning guns and a customized Harley Fat Boy. I am to keep them until, and if, I determine that his nephews are ever responsible enough to operate them. I fired up the Fat Boy yesterday and took it around the block in the record warmth.

My brother in law had made ten times as much money as I ever will. On one of the last days that he could still speak, he told us that he would give all his money and all his possessions away in an instant, to wake up one morning and not have cancer for just one whole day. Its just paper and stuff, he said.

A few weeks after the funeral I was sorting and distributing his possessions. I took two trailersful to the dump. I became aware that my brother in law had way more money than me, but I had way more stuff. I wasn't proud, I was literally sick to my stomach.

As a duck hunter, I had five duck hunting watercraft, one or two outboards for each, and an unknown number of decoys. As a collector, I had hundreds of books about duck hunting; Kouba, Jacques, Meger, and Killen prints on every wall and behind every door; old guns I will likely never shoot; old shell boxes with old shells I will never shoot. I had a nearly complete set of Grays Sporting Journals, that I would never completely read. I had a different hundred pop bottles that I never drank.

My wife and I were married later in life, we don't have children. I no longer have a brother in law, I have no nieces or nephews.

That day behind my brother-in-law's garage, I realized that if I tipped over, I had no close relatives to go through my stuff. That day, part of my life changed.

I have been distributing items to Goodwill, thrift shops, junk stores, antique shoppes, for about 20 cents on the dollar. I had a booth at an antique show. I sold a lot for a little, but it wasn't really a sporting crowd. At the end of the show I sold the items remaining at the booth to the dealer next to me for 20 bucks, he will sell them for $2000 over time.

I will have a table the Sporting Collectibles Show in the Twin Cities on April 7. I am not there to make money, I an there to distribute parts of my collections to someone who might care enough to pay a couple bucks to take them home.

I am getting down there. There are now only about ten guns outside the small safe. I will keep one gun from each grand father and my fathers only gun. I will keep 3 or 4 shotguns that I use and a deer rifle. My wife has two shotguns, a deer rifle and a crossbow.

My father was a business man, not a hunter. I am a hunter and a terrible business man. Haggling or negotiating a price is probably my biggest fear. Sometimes I wonder what my father thinks of me for selling items for 10-20 cents on the dollar.

I am far from wealthy. But that day behind my brother-in-laws garage, I realized that I had what I needed, my wife and my health, and that more walnut and steel couldn't give me more time.

Joined: 25 Jan 2014 Posts: 229 Location: MN

Lloyd and I were typing at the same time and we apparently have some of the same issues.

Fractious, and a fraction (22/7) are good words for today.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

Fourtown:

It seems like I've been planting folks left & right lately so I get where you're coming from. I too have accumulated a frightful amount of "fun-related" stuff over my lifetime and it will be a chore to deal with it all after my time here is over.

I have several thought about all of that: Nobody knows what the future holds, and all of this "stuff" might still become very-useful as things unfold in this country. If not for me, then certainly for my(our) son. He's 20 now and going forward, I don't see an easy path for him, and not because he isn't trying.

This sounds pretty selfish but...tangible assets are one of the few things our wonderful government hasn't figured-out how to tax (at least several times) over the course of our lifetimes. Well-made things have also become "art" to a number of us here, and art is actually one of those intangibles that can make for very lovely "gift" situations and... some of those gifts can be life altering for the recipients. After I'm done with them, I really don't care what happens to them. It would be perhaps easier on my wife & son (presuming I don't outlast either of them) if I dispensed with them all first, but if any additional resources are needed by them at that time, these "trinkets" can be exchanged for either money or other resources with a modicum of effort. They were and are for my pleasure, and while I've enjoyed them all with gusto, I have no-illusions about how others will feel about them after I'm gone.

But you're right, we've both been blessed to have had "what we needed". I'm not wealthy either (unless you count friends as wealth, and there I have been wealthy beyond every measure) but it has been a great trip so-far and I do hope I get to keep playing-on for a while. Good times shared with family & dear friends are indeed the real "treasures" in this life.

Gentlemen,

I have some very close friends that I hold dear, unfortunately because of what i did for a living most of my life, I do not have lots of friends. As a US Army CID Special Agent, I have very few real friends. I have never been a rich man unless you believe that having a good family is being rich, which I do. Have no son to pass my treasured belongings too after I pass, this is a problem that I have taken care of for the most part. My deaf daughter who is not a shooter, will be given everything but my guns, those I have instructed my wife to pass on to our nephew and he has been instructed to take possession of them after my passing, they are to be passed on down thru his family. I do have a couple of other sportsman who will also be given a few of my Classic guns, as log as they consent to pass them on down thru their families also.
My Bamboo Fly Rods will all be given to my brother to use and eventually given to his son. I doubt I will out live my wife, the ladies in her family live to be 100 years old.
She will decide where all our other possessions go, including our home.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 08 Mar 2022 Posts: 91

Hey Mike ! ROMAC ! You guys can start your own store. I'm jealous....

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 686 Location: Ontario

Yep, I have a problem.

Somehow I managed to go my first 30 years of hunting and gun owning with just two shotguns. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wised up about 18 years ago and now have about 30. Just barely enough.

The majority are SxS but there are pumps and a semi auto in there. Except for the new gun (Citori 16 ga) I bought for my son 19 years ago, when he was born, all the rest are “vintage”.

It’s simply added a wonderful, additional dimension to my hunting.

Took this pic a couple years ago. A couple have gone down the road but at least 5 have been added. Those are mostly just the SxS although I think my single barrel Tolley is in there.

[url=https://jamesroblin.smugmug.com/Group-Shots/i-WbRPb7L/A]

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Joined: 21 Sep 2013 Posts: 136 Location: Fort Worth, TX

My name is Bill and I have a shotgun problem. I lived a great part of my life with 1 Remington 870. Somewhere along the way they multiplied and became 18. even the 870s grew in number.

canvasback,

Real nice Classic gun collection, definitely my kind of stuff! My congratulations sir!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. smith Man

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

Diversity is my strength, I have semi autos, SXS and OUs and have 12, 16, 20 28 and 410s. Sold my 10 gauges and my pumps, 12, 16, and 20 ga.
I take a dove hunting trip every fall and take at least four shotguns and use all of them.
But I DO NOT have a shotgun problem.[/quote]

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 686 Location: Ontario

Thanks Dave. I plan to update the photo this summer but I may not be able to fit all the vintage SxS on the table at one time! Very Happy

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 686 Location: Ontario

Oops, double post.

Here is an example

01 Sept 15 doves, Brittany 410 3"reloads
02 Sept 15 doves, Superposed IC/Mod 20 ga. Some local birds
03 Sept 15 doves, Miroku 20 ga IC/Mod 11AM to 1PM hunt, singles
04 Sept 15 doves, American Arms Brittany 20ga.,morning hunt 9-12
05 Sept 15 doves Charles Daly Superior 20ga. Skeet&Skeet
07 Sept 15 doves, Browning Superposed Skeet 20 ga., few birds
08 Sept 03 doves, Rem 3200, short hunt TPPC Mx night
09 Sept 05 doves Zamacola 12 ga, VERY few doves, cold fog this AM
10 Sept 02 doves Bernardelli Briecia 12 ga, Hammer, few doves
11 Sept No Hunt RAIN and cool
12 Sept 05 doves, L.C.Smith FW 12ga
14 Sept 12 doves, Citori 16 ga WINDY VERY few doves Used #6 shot
15 Sept 03 doves, Citori 12 VERY few doves
18 Sept 05 doves, Geco 16, NORTH wind, maybe Northern doves down
19 Sept 05 doves, L.C.Smith Trap Grade 12ga
21 Sept 10 doves, L.C.Smith Specialty Grade 12ga
22 Sept No Hunt, Cold and Rain, went to the Movie “War Room”
23 Sept 15 doves, L.C.Smith Q3 1892 20Ga Briley, still local birds
24 Sept No Hunt Texas Panhandle Plains Museum Annual Meeting
25 Sept 15 doves 1976 12ga Browning Superposed 20GA Simmons bbls
26 Sept 15 doves, Remington 3200 Field IC/Mod Shot very well
28 Sept 15 doves, American Arms Royal 12ga.
29 Sept 15 doves, American Arms Royal 20ga.
30 Sept 15 doves, Remington 1900 12ga
01 Oct 15 doves, Lefever Nitro 12ga Short, Other hunters there
02 Oct 15 doves, Canon Marsot French 12ga, 2” shells KICK HARD
03,05,06,07,08,09,10 No Hunt, Cold and Rainy  Tried, but Road was a MESS!
12 Oct - 14 Oct Mission trip to Juarez
16 Oct 12 doves, Kreighoff Drilling 16 gauge, cold and windy,
saw quail, pheasant, and sandhill crane
18 Oct 02 doves Bernardelli Gamecock Premier, 12 ga, few doves
Big Rains and Sloppy roads the rest of the season
TOTAL DOVES 274

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

I suppose I have a bit of a problem, but I can keep it under control. I can quit any time I like.

For many years I had only one shotgun, a Simson I bought NIB while stationed in Germany. My acquisitive nature was thwarted by the laws of New Jersey and a police chief who decided no one should have any guns. He put his prejudice to work and denied all applications for the Firearms Purchaser ID card required to buy any gun. The applicant's merit, character, good nature or lack thereof was no matter to that son-of-a-bookie - all applications were denied. Go to get the forms and the desk cop would give them to you. At the same time he'd come right out and say "you're wasting your time - the Chief doesn't want anyone to have guns."

Then I moved to Maine, where I can buy pretty much any gun I like with neither hassle nor government involvement. For a while I was buying and buying, but a year or two or three ago a couple of the shotguns in the safe turned to me and said "you never take me anywhere any more". And they were right.

So, I make a point of getting all of them out, regularly. Hunting, trapshooting, targets with the rifle, you name it. They all get exercised. The safe is full. Overfull, really, but I allow my resistance to buying another safe keep me from adding more guns.

That said, a member at my club said to me the other week "I know you like doubles. There's a Charles Daly at [a little country gun store] you should go see." So far I've managed to avoid driving over there.

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 686 Location: Ontario

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

[quote="That said, a member at my club said to me the other week "I know you like doubles. There's a Charles Daly at [a little country gun store] you should go see." So far I've managed to avoid driving over there.[/quote]

Be careful, the last Charles Daly I bought was an early Lindner made Jones underlever hammer 8 gauge SXS. Comes in at svelte 14 lbs. 9 ounces. Now I'm in way deep on reloading supplies to feed the beast.