I am "Crossing Over", a bit....

[Adam Helmer]

I am on the wrong side of age 60 and have always loved walnut stocks, deeply blued barrels and finely fitted shotguns. My birthday is near and my caring significant other went out and got me a Mossberg 500A 12 gauge "turkey gun" that has a synthetic stock, full camo coloring on barrel and stock, detachable sling swivels, black nylon sling, recoil pad, choke tubes, and it is ported. Yep, it has two rows of four nice evenly spaced holes on either side of the ventilated rib.

I opened the box and looked at the "thing" and examined it with my skeptical eye and shuddered a bit. (Ok, old mindsets are hard to overcome). I took the gun to the backyard bench and patterened it, tested various slugs in it, swapped out the choke tubes, took it small game hunting and like the darn thing!

Actually, that synthetic gun is indestructable. I hunted in a light rain for an hour or two and it just kept on functioning. I liked getting the darn thing drenched and was glad I did not have my Browning Sweet 16 or Citori out in the wet.

Bottom line: I like that ugly shotgun and keep it handy as the house gun when I am not taking it afield. Yep, times, and guns, they are ah changing. I have "crossed over" a little bit.

Adam

[Gil Martin]

Like you, I prefer wood stocks, linseed oil finishes and traditional stuff. I did acquire a few wood grain looking synthetics, but that's where I draw the line. I see the gray hollow stocks sitting in the gun shops and cannot help but wish they were made of decent walnut. All the best...
Gil

[Aim to maim]

Originally posted by Gil Martin
Like you, I prefer wood stocks, linseed oil finishes and traditional stuff. I did acquire a few wood grain looking synthetics, but that's where I draw the line. I see the gray hollow stocks sitting in the gun shops and cannot help but wish they were made of decent walnut. All the best...
Gil

Had the Creator intended that firearms have synthetic stocks, He would have made synthetic trees.

[fabsroman]

If the creator had intended for shotguns to have synthetic stocks, he would have made man smarter sooner.

I have both synthetic and wooden stocks. Don't get me wrong, NOTHING comes close to a nice wooden stock with all the pattern in it. I have a couple nice ones on my target guns. Problem is that the nice ones cost a pretty penny. Also, don't get me wrong, NOTHING hurts more than putting a nice scratch in one of those beautiful stocks.

Hence, I only use synthetic stocked guns for the treestand, blind, and boat. Hunting upland, I sway between synthetic and wood. On the clays course, I only use wood.

Technology is getting better, and while it might not look beautiful, it does function just fine.

[wrenchman]

ok guys you got me thinking so i will spill.
My dream shot gun is a model 12 with a piece of birds eye maple
in a 16 gauge with and a vent rib.
I now have to find a model 12 in 16 gauge and go frome there as i have gotten older i tend to think of as old guns with nice wood as the streat rods of yeaster day nothing is made like them any more

[Adam Helmer]

Gil,

You will like the way my camo gun handles. I hunt harder when I am not concerned with scratches and dings.

fabsroman,

I hunted with a guy a while back that had a mint, 100% Sweet 16, well he did until he was crossing an old barbwire pasture fence and got a nice scratch in the comb of the stock. That one scratch ruined the guy's day and he has not hunted with that 16 since.

maim,

LOL on synthetic trees. I see lots of "new age" stuff in handguns like the Glock and others. At my local shop, it seems more and more hunting rifles are in synthetic stocks and have stainless barrels while the shotguns still have walnut stocks for the most part.

Adam

[kt]

stocks, nothing i love more than an old wooden stock that has wear marks on it from all the adventures it has seen however, my grandfathers back up gun was always a browning lever action (deer rifle) it never saw much use until i showed up. the stock is highly polished wood and it took me all of two seasons to nick and ding it pretty severely, he hasnt made mention of it, but i feel bad. as for my all around beretta, i knew right off the bat i wanted synthetic. my shotgun sees way to much abuse.
adam, its like i mentioned to you on the issue of in lines. its not crossing over as much as it is broadening your horizons.
kt

[Catfish]

I`m another old guy that like a nice peice of wood on my guns. BUT I also have a couple with synthic stocks. Heck, they are so ugly to start with you do worry about banging up a new gun..

[HANDGUNNER]

I know what everyone is saying, and my grandfather would agree. Gramps was found of his Sweet 16, frenchi doubles, Citori, cheapest thing he owned was Rem 1100.

But, the plastic stuff holds up. I can't believe the things I'm doing with a couple of guns I own. Never would have dreamed of putting the older ones through it. I hunt harder with the cheap lookin guns. I climb trees, walk into thick cover, put them down on the ground, stay out in the rain and snow, you name it.

I won't be putting any of these in the glass and walnut display case, but they go in the field with me.

[drummer]

I have learned to care more about the practicality and usefulness over looks,for both guns and dogs.

I have a Mossberg 88 for turkey hunting and it is one of the ugliest guns Iv'e ever owned.But it will ring their heads.