16ga.com ~ View topic - To Gamekeeper and any other Englishmen here . . .

nialmac,
I have over the years had two Webley single barreled shotguns, one a 12 bore the other a 20 bore. For my shame I never got one in 16 bore.

I remember in those far off days if you had Webley you were "one up" on anyone with a Cooey!

I can also remember buying BSA cartridges in a box of ten when I couldn't afford a box of twentyfive. Wink

Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Philadelphia, PA

Well Gamekeeper, I'm ahead of you in the "poorer than you" department. In Limerick in the fifties you could buy cartridges one at a time. I can't remember what they cost but only Eley Grand Prix or Maximum were available. Gee, I never would have remembered Cooey if you hadn't mentioned it. I think I only ever saw one, a real piece of junk. Were they made in Canada? Where abouts in Hampshire do you live? My son lives near Woking and I visit now and then. I drove from London to Southampton a few years ago and was surprised at the number of foxes I saw in the fields. Do you ever take the ferry from Portsmouth to France to load up on cheap wine? I live in Pennsylvania, a very gun friendly State, many hunters and shooters. Hope it stays this way.
nialmac

nialmac, glad to hear you live in a gun friendly state. I'm also a member on levergun.com so I hear a lot about various gun laws in your different states.

I live near Winchester and yes there are still a lot of foxes around.

Portsmouth is one of the places I buy guns from but I don't go over to France for wine,I prefer Bourbon and Beer!

Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Philadelphia, PA

Gamekeeper, you sound like a candidate for emigration to the States. Bourbon and beer. I can see you in the Carolinas or further south, mild Winters and great duck hunting and after UK booze prices you'll be most pleasently surprised. I know places where you can get drunk for $3 or about one pound fifty. How about that? They'll even throw in a sandwich for another couple of dollars. Is this a great country or what?
nialmac

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

My studies of history show that one can't evaluate a country on its laws alone. One must must understand the history and culture of the country and how these laws came into being before rendering a judgement.
British history is very different than US history and whether you agree or disagree with Brit law, that's the way it is.
Of course as an NRA Life Member, I sometimes have a hard time with Brit law but I accept that its thier country.-Dick

nialmac,
Nothing would please me more than to live in the States. I spent a couple of weeks in Arizona about four years ago and I have felt homesick ever since I came back! However I will have to win the Lottery before I can come over and get drunk for $3.00 Wink

budrichard,
Our gun laws only came in after the First World War because the Government feared a revolution like the one in 1917 Russia!
Until then we had less gun laws than some States. The next eighty years saw a slow but sure road to disarmament and a steady increase in gun crime. This only goes to show that you can take away legal firearms but not the Illegal firearms and the trash that use them. I sincerely hope your NRA does a better job than ours in keeping your right to bear arms!

Now, since I see there are two of you on this post that know a little about shooting in "Eroupe", I'm going to ask a question. I've always read that the 16 gauge has always been popular in Eruope. Is that true? I have done some traveling my self and stopped in many gun shops but never seen that to be true. I stopped in the Purdey gun shop the last time I was in London and they told me they hardly ever get an order to build a 16 bore. I know that England isn't really part of Europe, but it's close enough for my purposes. Hope no one takes offense to that.

I too appreciate the Gaelic humor. My family is all Irish on one side and about 1/2 Irish on the other. The 1/4 left is said to be foolish. Wink

I truely hope the story ended with everyone retiring to the local pub for a pint and some lively tale swapping. That tradition is the mark of a civilized society IMO.

An armed society is a polite society. I do not know who said this first, but he was spot on.

Scolari,
First off, I'm glad you did not lump us here in England with the rest of Europe. Very Happy

I know a lot of 16GA guns were made in England, France and Germany but you hardley ever see them in gun shops. I like to think its because the people that use them don't ever sell them!

Most gun shops do stock 16GA ammo but not a lot of choice.

I remember hearing that the 16GA was once more popular south of the Mason-Dixon line, is that true?

16gaugeguy,
I went to school with boy from County Cork we used to go out poaching Trout, he taught me quite a lot about fishing without a rod!!! Wink

Years ago when I lived in Birmingham, England I used to drink in a few Irish Pubs the beer was always good and the company couldn't be bettered!

Gamekeeper, nice to hear that 16's are still popular in the UK.
As for the popularity of 16's in the South, I'm not sure. I have read that 16's were very popular for Quail hunting in years past. But I don't know if they still are. I just read a post frome a member in South Carolina nad he indicated they were still popular. I live in the midwest and I know very few people who still use them. Part of the reason is that the quality of Quail hunting has declined to a point that I know of very few peoplle who still hunt. The ammunition is also difficult to find in local stores. Most people I know do a fair amount of clay bird shooting but usually use 12 and 20 gauges. That ammunition is available any where. The lack of 16 gauge competion is probably the biggest reason that ammunition for a 16 ga is hard to find. Now I see a few new 16's to hit the market. I hope that changes the ammunition side of the problem.

When it comes to spinning blarney, you can't top the Irish. We are born story tellers. I think it has to do with the oral traditions still prevelent in the places where Gaelic is still spoken. It has influenced our literary traditions as well. How can you top James Joyce-not that the English are exactly slouches either in this regard. How can you top Dickens as well. "A Christmas Carol" is undoubtedly the best known, most loved short story ever penned. I just happen to like "Araby" almost as much.

I lived in the American South for almost 15 years. To some Southern folks, fishing without a rod means using a "Dupont Plug" which is the local term for a quarter stick of Dynamite.

The story goes that once there was a local game warden who had become aware of a young local known to have extraordinary luck catching catfish in the New River. This youngster was never seen toting a pole or a bait bucket. He always carried an old burlap feed sack to haul his usually excellent catches home in, but apparently, little else.

So one day, the warden quietly followed the youngster down to the river without being noticed. Once there, the good officer took a stand behind a big old white oak up the bank a bit to watch. The youngster reached into the top of his bibs, pulled out a quarter stick of Nobel's finest, lit the fuse with a barn burner, and tossed it into the river. Blaoooshh!!. When everything settled down, the boy waded out and scooped up the stunned fish floating on the surface into his sack and waded back to the bank.

The warden strolled down quietly behind the youngster, and in a soft but firm voice began to lecture the boy about the evils of poaching with explosives. While the warden was dutifully educating the boy, the youngster reached into his bibs again, pulled out another quarter stick, lit it, handed it to the warden, and flatly inquired, "Mr! Are you here to run your mouth or to fish?" Wink

FlyChamps,

Telephoned for fish???? I've not heard that one before, please enlighten me! Confused

When Gamekeeping was my job I had two miles of trout stream to look after. One day the local lads took the liberty of fishing in full view of my house, I soon caught the little buggers and explained to them the folly of their ways. I left them with the advice that if they fished down by the pub and cricket ground it would be very difficult for me to see them there. Wink

It takes two copper rods, some wire, and an old handcranked telephone (you can also use an old car battery too). It's sometimes known as using a "Ma Bell Spinner". A G Bell probably never realized just how versitile his invention would become. Wink