My Dad's Rem 870

[Spooney]

I brought my dad's 870 out to Sauvies island for a "back-up" the other day and eventhough I didn't fire a shot, I cleaned it that night; What I found inside the weapon was 3 decades of evidence. Not mearly carbon, grit or dirt. The bolt-group that took 30+ years get cram-packed with memories only took an hour to clean and erase.
As I was cleaning the weapon, I was not only considering the labor of love that might be inspected by another some day; rather I was caught up remembering all the ducks, pheasants, geese, doves and clay pigions I seen the man and this shotgun bring down. I remembered the times I seen it swing left and right then report in the pre-dawn light in the grain fields of central Calif. I remembered the first time I fired it (1974?). I remembered waiting to see my dad miss a shot (not until 2003). I remembered how it kicked when my dad fired the "New" 3inch magnum shells. I remembered when he handed it to me after a hunt(I set it down and It fell off the tail-gate).
I remembered all the times I was allowed to carry it to the truck and how I felt like such a big-shot when I held it in my hands. I remembered my dad carrying me on his back out to the lonesome mallard's duck blinds. I remember the warm barrel after I retrieved the bird(s). I remembered how I never needed a regulation to look at, he was the "regs". I remember all the safety rules, the hunting edicit and the hunting tactics.
I remember my brother, when he got his 870, I got the Ithica 20 GA. I remember when I joined the 870 club (I bought one myself in 1986). I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be born his son and the fragile legacy he handed down to me. The last thing I wiped off the shotgun were my tears of joy and thanksgiving.
Thanks Dad.

[HOGGEMIN]

That was fantastic, those memories well never be forgoten I'm sure that gun is already in the Mr.Spooney Museum. Makes me wish my dad had hunted, I still have my very first fishing pole and reel.

[Wreckless]

I hunted with one of my dads old model 12s today, not a great hunt but the memories where good!

Thanks for reminding me!

[Grantspastor]

Your post struck a chord in my heart. I also have and still shoot my dad's 870. It is over fifty years old. (and so am I). I can still remember walking with him through the stubble fields north of Joseph on my Grandfather's ranch. I can still see in my mind's eye the cackling roosters collapse in a burst of feathers and fall to the ground. Those were easily some of the best days in my life. Thanks for sharing.

[Mad Mikey]

I think you are going to get a lot of hits on this post.

The timing of this is weird. Long story short, my old man moved to Mexico and I left PDX to return to my roots in NE OR this year.
I took with me his old 870 Wingmaster which is pretty old, not sure how old but he had it when I was in Kindergarten in 73' so it's been around a while. It is a sweet gun, very smooth and not a scratch on it. I remember my dad making some incredible shots on pheasants with it near LaGrande.
I had it in my closet this Fall while I used my old Mossberg for grouse.
Today my best friend came to town for TG and we are headed out in the snow to hike the hills and hunt Blue Grouse.
Buddy forgot his gun so he gets the Mossy, his kid gets a borrowed single shot and I am gonna take the 870.
All I need is one shot, I will dump the first bird that gets up and then tip my hat to my old man. He will be on a sunny beach somewhere sipping a Marguerita but when I shoot I know he will stop what he is doing and for some funny reason will stare at the gulls on the horizon and take himself back in time remembering a skinny kid shivering in an old pickup truck somehwhere in the Grande Ronde Valley staring raptly at a pheasant in a field of dreams.....

Here's to you old man.....

[tag-a-long]

Nice tribute. Pulling tears on a Monday morning.

[Twitchs_Tackle]

Dominic,

Great story. I have a Colt pistol that my grandfather recently gace to me, which belonged to his father. I also got an old leather creel my great grandfather used on all his fishing outings. While it doesn't have the string of memories like your 870, I think of them every time I see them.

On my moms side, my great grandfather was a die hard hunter. He has an old 300 Savage lever action because it was the only rifle he could find that he could shoot being left handed. He hand whittled the stock with his pocket knife to get the 'fit' he wanted. He called that 'ol gun "meat in the pot" and my grandpa, up until the recent progression of his Parkinson's Disease, would tell me stories about the elk and deer his "daddy" would bring home. He told me he wants me to take that rifle hunting at least one more time, and try to get one more animal with it.

[crabbait]

Very cool.