Shotguns with History

[Bowlcut]

Well I decided to see about detail stripping my Ithaca model 37 tonight. Didnt get far as I dont have my tools in the house, didnt feel like going to grab them. But got the but plate off in the process of taking off the buttstock. At which point I figured i didnt have a long enough screw driver. But looking at the butt plate's inside side revealed something to me. I thought this whole time this shotty was my grandfathers gun. Come to find out....it wasnt. I gota ask dad who the initals of C.W.H. is. I know my great grandfather was Caleb H. but i could swear it was Caleb Earl, as grandpa was Earl Milbrun, dad is James Earl, and Im Kevin James. I could be wrong on Caleb's middle name but I could swear it was Earl, family tradition. I know we are kin to some other H last names and have knew alot of them. My family hasnt moved out of a 25 mile circle since it came here from Germany in the early 1800's.

If Im wrong and it is indeed Caleb's shotgun....this thing isnt going to get as much of a workout as I previously thought. It will go in a safe place and get played with infrequently. As it will be the only thing I have here of my great granddad. Dad has a few things tho. Kinda makes tears well up a bit thinking of the history of this gun.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Maybe it was your Grandfather's shotgun. Could he have purchased it used ?

 

[Bowlcut]

Considering the serial number of the gun....he could have. It is a 1946 gun i believe, it escapes me right now. I know dad was born in 1949, and grandpa was right out of the army when that happened....WWII baby basicly. So Caleb would have been I believe in his 40's or 50's while Grandpa in his mid 20's-30's. I know things got swapped around back then, but considering who was in the area its unlikely. In the hollers that we live in(proper terminology too ) we know everyone basicly, or did at that time. Now that I think of it....old man Hilton....could have been his gun. He lived just over the hill from us. I do know that the fireing pin in it has been replaced.

The story goes that grandpa broke it one day while hunting rabbit. Believe it was old man Hilton that said he had replaced them before in an Ithaca. So he ordered one and was set to replace it. But grandpa forgot about it. Till one day when they went hunting again a month or so later. At which point grandpa had a big 'en in sight....pulled trigger....click....nothing. When Hilton quit laughing he reminded grandpa about the pin he ordered for him. So that week it got replaced. I will call dad tomorrow see what he says about all this. Grandpa wasnt much for buying used. And the scratches of the initals look really close to the ones on the .22 bolt I have of grandpa's.

Gota think mid 40's and 50's in very very rual upper east TN. There were maybe 10 families in a 15 mile circle or more. Everyone knew everyone, and bought and sold stuff to each other. Well I should go to bed now....bleh

 

[Dave McCracken]

Whether or not it was your GGF's shotgun, it was your GF's, thus an heirloom. Treasure it, but take it out some time and shoot it. It was meant to be used.

 

[foghornl]

As Mr. McCracken has eloquently stated, that shotgun is an heirloom. Take it out & shoot it every so often, to honor your GF & GGF, and as a remembrance of the good times with those ancestors.


[Revealing way to much of my nostalgic side]

That is why I shoot my M1...My long deceased Dad was a WWII Army infantryman, Silver Star Recipient in the Pacific Theatre. And he also built M1's in the 1950's in the Evansville, IN International Harvester Refridgeration/Machine Works plant.

Oldest brother has "Pop's" [GF on Dad's side] old Savage/Stevens Model 94B 16Ga. He takes it out and shoots a few once or twice a year.

 

[Bowlcut]

Oh Ill still shoot it, just not as much as a different gun. I called dad today. Definatly not my GGF's initals. But we have sorta an idea who's gun it was. When I go back home for Thanksgiving we are going to see old man Harr see if he remembers where Grandpa got this gun. I have a Winchester .22 long bolt Grandpa got off one of the Norris boys....and the .410 I think dad said he got for a grocery tab. Grandpa used to run a store at the bottom of our hill. He occasionaly would take "barter" for things. I bet some guy come in down on his luck needing some food for the family and offered it in trade. Grandpa was a good guy like that....where I learned my giving nature....