Thanks to the French gun cadre for educating me. I have three shooters in the house this summer....two of which I'm teaching...4 if I count my French Spouse. I only had 2 SxS's, the EM Reilly1898 12 ga hammer gun and my wife's 1905 20 bore Williams Evens. This seemed like a very reasonable way to increase my firepower for three months while I look for a couple of high quality St. Etienne guns. And I do like the way this one feels and swings. Whether I keep it is an open question but I seem to be accumulating a need for more and more.
There is a gunsmith in McLean with a decent reputation. I'm going to talk to him about taking off the butt plate and perhaps doing a thorough cleaning and checking out the gun before it's shot.
Re the case, I think its been with the gun for some time...based on the way the stock/action/triggergard fit in it's compartment...so someone may have modified a case for the gun. The oil soaked part of the channel between the stock compartment and the compartment where I've placed the forestock is a mystery... Perhaps that was for the original gun?
As an example, this group of my VN 5th SFG vets comes to Washington DC for Memorial Day..usually reinforced by a couple of others who couldn't make it this year. (Amazing we can still get in the jungle fatigues tho admittedly the fit is "tight"). This time to vary the agenda, we shot some clays. This is going to be an annual occurrence. I ran out of guns and had to borrow....embarrassing.
(and if you want to know about Vietnam era jungle fatigues...there were three types...
-- Type 1 had the epaulettes and exposed buttons/no rip stop...felt good on the skin; (twin brother on far right).
-- Type 2 had the epaulettes but hidden buttons/no rip stop (me in center + ..noted heart surgeon/former medic on left)
-- Type 3 no epaulettes, hidden buttons, rip stop, fire resistant cloth (The Lt. in the center right) (felt like wearing sand paper at times).
Check out the Rolexes and Montagnard bracelets....Special Forces markers for the era.
