ditchman Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Mine is a Webley & Scott 410, i bought it from the proceeds of apple picking every day one autumn, it cost £12-13s-9d (inc purchase tax) the delux model was 17 guinea's but i didnt have enough money, 2 years ago i sent it to Birmingham to have the metal re-blacked for £ 90 quid, it came back looking like new and i was chuffed to hell. My favorite day out was sitting under and old oak tree next to a muck heap, it was on a flightline, with my bottle of warm tea in a sock and corned beef sarnies, used to shoot 1/2 doz take then back and mum would cut the breast meat off and make a pie. I can still remember the smell of the Eley furlong paper cartridges as i jacked the case out of the chamber, folowed by a suck on a Weights fag.... Whats your first memory of pigeon shooting with your own gun, and have you still got it ? Ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZ550Kevlar Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 my first shotgun was a 682 gold E, i saved for ages and did loads of overtime to buy it but then we wanted to get married so i made the supreme sacrifice and sold it to fund the wedding, my wife felt guilty so she bought me an O/U aya yeoman to replace it which was by no means the same but means way more to me, it gets used once every year if i`m lucky but i refuse to part with it. my semis and pumps get used all the time now, plus on a side note a couple of years ago i found a new gold E and treated myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloke Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 First one I shot was in about 1969-70, my mate's cousin had a farm not too far away and we used to go out with him for a little vermin shooting. He gave me a beautiful single barrel Martini-action WW Greener 12-bore to use, great fun! Step forward nearly forty years, got back into shooting, clays this time, got a Browning 525 o/u 12g as MY first owned gun. Didn't realise how much guns had improved till I saw a Greener like the old gun I used and bought it on impulse last year, by 'eck, doesn't the old gun kick like a mule compared with the Browning! I have had fun playing with the old Greener and have got some pics for old times sake, but I think I am gonna sell it on soon - bless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 First one I shot was in about 1969-70, my mate's cousin had a farm not too far away and we used to go out with him for a little vermin shooting. He gave me a beautiful single barrel Martini-action WW Greener 12-bore to use, great fun! Step forward nearly forty years, got back into shooting, clays this time, got a Browning 525 o/u 12g as MY first owned gun. Didn't realise how much guns had improved till I saw a Greener like the old gun I used and bought it on impulse last year, by 'eck, doesn't the old gun kick like a mule compared with the Browning! I have had fun playing with the old Greener and have got some pics for old times sake, but I think I am gonna sell it on soon - bless! Those Greeners were built to last, in the late 70's a well known norfolk gunmaker went on a buying spree to buy up all the greeners service them and sell them to the police force in India where they are still being used to this day im told ! ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) Mine is a Webley & Scott 410, i bought it from the proceeds of apple picking every day one autumn, it cost £12-13s-9d (inc purchase tax) the delux model was 17 guinea's but i didnt have enough money, 2 years ago i sent it to Birmingham to have the metal re-blacked for £ 90 quid, it came back looking like new and i was chuffed to hell. My favorite day out was sitting under and old oak tree next to a muck heap, it was on a flightline, with my bottle of warm tea in a sock and corned beef sarnies, used to shoot 1/2 doz take then back and mum would cut the breast meat off and make a pie. I can still remember the smell of the Eley furlong paper cartridges as i jacked the case out of the chamber, folowed by a suck on a Weights fag.... Whats your first memory of pigeon shooting with your own gun, and have you still got it ? Ditchman My first was also the Webley & Scott Webley 410 but the deluxe model. It cost £10 from a friend at school. I too can still remember the smell of the Eley fourlong paper cartridges as they ejected out of the chamber. I used to take them out and smell the smoke. “beautiful”. Like TVO a vivid mental sensation. The first memory of shooting the gun was on a rabbit, down in the wood behind the house. How times have changed. Went into plod shop filled in shotgun licence form, paid the five bob(I think) they stamped the licence card and I went up to the ironmongers (like the two Ronnies fork handles /four candles sketch)and asked for a box of fourten cartridges. When then guy brought them to the counter I said they’re not big enough and he said “what you want is FOURLONG”. A few months later I bought my second shotgun from the same friend at school (we were both progresing through guns at this time), which was a BSA Snipe single barrel ejector. The power of the Snipe soon relegated the 410 and although I shot well with the Snipe I soon wanted a double. A year or so later I traded everything in on a new Laurona sxs and a year later I traded that in on a sidelock ejector which I still have >> with one or two others. Happy memories from the same era. Edited January 27, 2012 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashgun Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 My first memories of shooting was using my brothers guns, then the day came i had saved up enough money to buy my own, my brother took me to uttings in norwich and i got a bettinsoli o/u it was a nice gun, i sold it to a friend but now i wish i hadnt because i lost my brother and i have got a lot of good memories out shooting with him. i have now got a s pigeon 3 ,nice gun but got no history, yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 My first shotgun was a single barrel Baikal. It was heavy and crude. As soon as I could afford it I bought a double barrel Baikal, so it must have impressed me somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 My first was also the Webley & Scott Webley 410 but the deluxe model. It cost £10 from a friend at school. I too can still remember the smell of the Eley fourlong paper cartridges as they ejected out of the chamber. I used to take them out and smell the smoke. “beautiful”. Like TVO a vivid mental sensation. The first memory of shooting the gun was on a rabbit, down in the wood behind the house. How times have changed. Went into plod shop filled in shotgun licence form, paid the five bob(I think) they stamped the licence card and I went up to the ironmongers (like the two Ronnies fork handles /four candles sketch)and asked for a box of fourten cartridges. When then guy brought them to the counter I said they’re not big enough and he said “what you want is FOURLONG”. A few months later I bought my second shotgun from the same friend at school (we were both progresing through guns at this time), which was a BSA Snipe single barrel ejector. The power of the Snipe soon relegated the 410 and although I shot well with the Snipe I soon wanted a double. A year or so later I traded everything in on a new Laurona sxs and a year later I traded that in on a sidelock ejector which I still have >> with one or two others. Happy memories from the same era. The ironmongers i got my cartridges from smelt of parafeen and had wooden boxes full of oily nails and screws ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire_Lad Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 A Zabala sxs, stil love and will always love sxs's. atvb Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapid basher Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 my first shtgun was a hatsan escort semi bought on xmas eve 2011 and is doing just fine mite i add Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 My first gun was an Argyle single barrel, never see them these days. Second a BRNO side by side selective ejector, wonderful gun. Bought from hours of toil in the summer on a local farm. I shot my first snipe, pigeon and partridge with this gun - not often you see these either. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) First shotgun I used was my uncles .410 mossberg pump he still has it, that was on grandfathers land, he has now passed and I inherited his BSA SxS the first shotgun I owned ( would much rather another hour with him) :( oddly he preferred his baikal single 12 which my uncle has.... Edited January 27, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil smith Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Mine was a zabala .410 SxS. I got it for my 14th birthday in 1979, & I wish I had kept it now. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Well i dont know if i can claim it as my first shotgun but my farther has a old hammer .410 and he took me out on some clays, real easy ones and i have 5 shots and hit 3 and was the happiest a 12 year old could be. I had been going along with him for a few years but just as a spectator. Then the following winter roost shooting he(my farther)allowed me to stand at his side and shoot my first pigeon with it and i used that for 2 years. He still has it now and i definately wont be letting him get rid of it ! I plan to keep that little gun for aslong as i can. After that i tryed a 12 over and under but it was to much for me so then I tryed my dads browning B80 semi auto and got on with that fine untill i was 17/18 when my dad pressented me a Miruku 12 o/u as my own gun and first on my ticket ! Ireonically this was given to me when going roost shooting in that same wood as i lernt with the .410.....We will be heading back to this wood next saturday for the roost shooting as this is an annual event ive always looked forward every year even though the bags arnt 1/4 of what they used to be ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 My first was also the Webley & Scott Webley 410 but the deluxe model. It cost £10 from a friend at school. I too can still remember the smell of the Eley fourlong paper cartridges as they ejected out of the chamber. I used to take them out and smell the smoke. “beautiful”. Like TVO a vivid mental sensation. The first memory of shooting the gun was on a rabbit, down in the wood behind the house. How times have changed. Went into plod shop filled in shotgun licence form, paid the five bob(I think) they stamped the licence card and I went up to the ironmongers (like the two Ronnies fork handles /four candles sketch)and asked for a box of fourten cartridges. When then guy brought them to the counter I said they’re not big enough and he said “what you want is FOURLONG”. A few months later I bought my second shotgun from the same friend at school (we were both progresing through guns at this time), which was a BSA Snipe single barrel ejector. The power of the Snipe soon relegated the 410 and although I shot well with the Snipe I soon wanted a double. A year or so later I traded everything in on a new Laurona sxs and a year later I traded that in on a sidelock ejector which I still have >> with one or two others. Happy memories from the same era. My mate had a Webly .410 bolt action, and I had a Belgian folding .410 back in the sixties, now every time I walk into the 'proof house' at Eley and smell the paper cartridges being tested, I have a flash back to those day's in the sixties when we would go and shoot rats and rabbits up the cut. Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphant59 Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 First gun was a Spanish sbs blne by FAD, bought sh for £45 in 1974 from Michael brown in Coningsby Lincs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 The first shotgun of my own was a bolt action .410. Can't remember the make but it held 3 carts. 2 in the chamber and one up the spout. Think I might have been 10 years old, if not younger. Dad must have thought I had outgrown my air rifle. Only gun I have ever sold. Still got my Dads old Cooey and a selection of other worthless items. I really wish I had bought one of those .410s which were just revolvers with long barrels on them. Couldn't pass Monks' widow without drooling over them. Probably only cost a tenner back then, but I never had a tenner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike525steel Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 (edited) I don't even know what my first gun was All I can remember was it was single barrel and 20 bore flooding barrel full choke I remember shooting pigeons and rabbits with my dad I thought the world of it. Until the safety went knackered and it had to go. And I was moved up to the Miguel larranga 12 bore side by side .. It was a little short for me and if you didn't keep it pullledin tight it would give you an almighty clout.. All back in 1990 ish Edited January 28, 2012 by Mike525steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 A Baikal single barrel, with Baikal #4 cartridges. That was back in 1972. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 My first shotgun after a few years of air rifle hunting was a baikal side b side, bought a single barrel baikal for my mate at the same time. 1000 cartridges were given with the guns purchase as well so wasnt a bad deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowchaser Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 The first shotgun I fired was a Browning o/u. I'm not sure on the exact model but it wasn't an expensive gun. That was just to have a go and then I got my SGC. My first gun was a Beretta 686 Light (something along those lines). From day one I didn't really get along with it. I guess I was a little green to the sport and the gun probably didn't fit too well, was too light for clays and I bought those darn D&J cartridges (I've still got some I need to get rid of, I mean er fire). I parted with the gun and haven't looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norrie Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 Hiya, The first shotgun I ever fired was a Berretta of (to me) unknown model...wayyyy back in 1979 just after I got married..I was invited to a Clay Shoot at Carron Bridge and managed about 5 clays out of 25!!!! Still no better ,..The gun belonged to a mate of mine, and was his "second string",,...I loved it. Went home, and was going to sell all my fishing gear to go shooting, but for some reason ( the wife) I didnt go for it..I seem to remember that I couldnt believe I would get a SGC...so, left it for 30 years.. My first gun was/is a Rizzini Sideplate,M/C O/U, gifted to me by my mate Cammy when I got my cert through. I was like a kid in a toy shop after that, bought all types of guns, and didnt really like them, and eventually went back to the Rizzini...it's my only shotgun now, and I use it regularly, at least a couple of times a week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock11 Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 The most basic AYA 12 g s/s bought new in 1967 for I think £37 - 10/- The next model up with ejectors was £54 and beyond my budget. It served me well until the late 1980s when I was lent a William Evans 12 g - as different as chalk & cheese. I eventually part exchanged the AYA when I bought a 2nd hand Henry Atkin 12 g and I got £125 for it which I was pleased enough with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eccles Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 Now let me think long time ago It was a BSA Snipe single barrel think 30in fullchoke.Cost about a tenner could not hit a thing flying but shooting crows on the local rubbish tip great. First good new gun was a 686 Beretta 26in or 28 bored imp and quarter.Bought off David Jones now of West midlands shooting ground for £375ish with case + 100 carts,and cleaning kit. Never seen many with this choke. Had it for a good few years and got over £500 PX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 My first was also the Webley & Scott Webley 410 but the deluxe model. It cost £10 from a friend at school. I too can still remember the smell of the Eley fourlong paper cartridges as they ejected out of the chamber. I used to take them out and smell the smoke. “beautiful”. Like TVO a vivid mental sensation. The first memory of shooting the gun was on a rabbit, down in the wood behind the house. How times have changed. Went into plod shop filled in shotgun licence form, paid the five bob(I think) they stamped the licence card and I went up to the ironmongers (like the two Ronnies fork handles /four candles sketch)and asked for a box of fourten cartridges. When then guy brought them to the counter I said they’re not big enough and he said “what you want is FOURLONG”. A few months later I bought my second shotgun from the same friend at school (we were both progresing through guns at this time), which was a BSA Snipe single barrel ejector. The power of the Snipe soon relegated the 410 and although I shot well with the Snipe I soon wanted a double. A year or so later I traded everything in on a new Laurona sxs and a year later I traded that in on a sidelock ejector which I still have >> with one or two others. Happy memories from the same era. bought my 9 yearold a webley bolt action 410 he loves it (so do i to be fair ) my first was a berreta semi a303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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