A good friend and hunting partner brought an older pump shotgun over one day with a question. Would I put new wood on it? Sure, no problem, what have you got there?
He opened the case to reveal an old Stevens 520 pump 12 gauge that Montgomery Wards sold as the Ranger Model 30. After his turn in WWII, his grandfather returned from the war and took his last military paycheck to Montgomery Wards to buy everything he needed to go duck hunting. He said it totaled something like $30 dollars for a shotgun, shells, clothes, waders and decoys. We lamented the fact that the decoys aren't still around, especially if they were cork or balsa.
At some point, the original stock and forearm were refinished, but it was done simply. They sanded out the dings, and most of the checkering in the process, then coated it in varnish. But that was good enough for a working shotgun. My friend felt it was time to put new wood on it. He said, nothing fancy, which I can't do, and handed it over. Plain wood is fine for mass production, but it takes the same time and effort for me to do plain or pretty, so I go pretty. I argued for a new stock and forearm from a nice piece of old black walnut. He gave me a budget and I told him to stick his budget, I'd come up with something suitable. At that point, the pork steaks were done on the grill, the beer was still cold, and we enjoyed the evening.
My friend told me a few stories of hunting with this shotgun over the years. A few deer, turkeys and many, many ducks fell to it. He wanted his son to do the same. Mechanically, it is solid only showing the signs of use in the finish, which we elected to leave as is.
Last fall, my friend was taken by cancer. He dropped the shotgun off shortly before his diagnosis, but it was aggressive and he only lasted a couple of months. Then God took him home.
I asked his family what to do with it and they said to finish the work. Here is the result. I think that he would have been well pleased.
So, I offer some photos of the result. I'd say it was my work, but the wood grew beautiful without my help.
Why did I post this? I posted a call for urgency last fall shortly after he passed. My friend had plans. He never got to see them through.
If you want to hunt, or want to do anything, frankly, do it. Plan it, and do it. My friend was looking forward to hunting turkeys again with his grandfathers shotgun and sharing that with his son and daughter. He won't get that chance. Covid has thrown a wrench in many folks plans. I'm not advocating irresponsibility. But, I am reminding everyone that we are only here for an unknown amount of time with lots of uncertainty mixed in. When your final moments are here will you say I did it right, or think of things that could have been?
Don't let adversity stall your life. Make it happen.
Jeremy
He opened the case to reveal an old Stevens 520 pump 12 gauge that Montgomery Wards sold as the Ranger Model 30. After his turn in WWII, his grandfather returned from the war and took his last military paycheck to Montgomery Wards to buy everything he needed to go duck hunting. He said it totaled something like $30 dollars for a shotgun, shells, clothes, waders and decoys. We lamented the fact that the decoys aren't still around, especially if they were cork or balsa.
At some point, the original stock and forearm were refinished, but it was done simply. They sanded out the dings, and most of the checkering in the process, then coated it in varnish. But that was good enough for a working shotgun. My friend felt it was time to put new wood on it. He said, nothing fancy, which I can't do, and handed it over. Plain wood is fine for mass production, but it takes the same time and effort for me to do plain or pretty, so I go pretty. I argued for a new stock and forearm from a nice piece of old black walnut. He gave me a budget and I told him to stick his budget, I'd come up with something suitable. At that point, the pork steaks were done on the grill, the beer was still cold, and we enjoyed the evening.
My friend told me a few stories of hunting with this shotgun over the years. A few deer, turkeys and many, many ducks fell to it. He wanted his son to do the same. Mechanically, it is solid only showing the signs of use in the finish, which we elected to leave as is.
Last fall, my friend was taken by cancer. He dropped the shotgun off shortly before his diagnosis, but it was aggressive and he only lasted a couple of months. Then God took him home.
I asked his family what to do with it and they said to finish the work. Here is the result. I think that he would have been well pleased.
So, I offer some photos of the result. I'd say it was my work, but the wood grew beautiful without my help.
Why did I post this? I posted a call for urgency last fall shortly after he passed. My friend had plans. He never got to see them through.
If you want to hunt, or want to do anything, frankly, do it. Plan it, and do it. My friend was looking forward to hunting turkeys again with his grandfathers shotgun and sharing that with his son and daughter. He won't get that chance. Covid has thrown a wrench in many folks plans. I'm not advocating irresponsibility. But, I am reminding everyone that we are only here for an unknown amount of time with lots of uncertainty mixed in. When your final moments are here will you say I did it right, or think of things that could have been?
Don't let adversity stall your life. Make it happen.
Jeremy
