Some 35-40 years ago I acquired a SAC grade A 20 gauge with the selective ejector slide in forend. It had 28" Krupp barrels with full choke in both barrels. I don't recall that I ever actually carried it hunting but did shoot some clays with it thrown from one of the portable traps you bolt to your spare tire. During one of these outings something broke in side. I don't recall exactly what now but seems had to do with the cocking mechanism. Whatever as a Machinist model maker & a hobbyist gun "Tinkerer" I was able to make an excellent repair. Upon opening this action I was mortified. I have never in my life seen a rougher finished action inside & over the years I have owned several of the Cheapest Stevens guns built, not a one of which was not far better finished. After reassembly I gave it another good work out on the informal clays to ensure everything was working properly & sent it down the road. In my hunting I had little use for a 7 lb full choked 20 which should only be used with moderate loads. Why I bought it in the first place is a whole different story which I will not delve into at this time.
I traded it for a J P Clabrough & Bros 12 ga SLNE with 28" Damascus barrels with 1/4 choke in each barrel. Cast off & other stock dimensions seemed to fit me like a glove. While I have not kept records over the years I know almost beyond doubt I have had a higher ratio of /hits per shots fired than any other gun I have ever owned & some of those I shot quite well. Mostly I was hunting either Quail or Rabbit. One farm, belonging to an Uncle, which I hunted quite a bit would have some flights of woodcock come through during open season.
My loads were 1oz of #6 or #8 depending on what I was hunting that day. My original loads used the newly introduced DuPont HyScore very similar to Red Dot. Pressure could run up to 8.5k psi.
Understand we did not have vast numbers of woodcock so I did not pile up big heaps of them. I do recall one year in particular I shot around a dozen of them, no more than 15, but ever how many it was I fired exactly that many shots, not a single miss.
To this day I have absolutely no regrets over sending that SAC, which looked like its internals were cut with a hammer & chisel, & acquiring this nicely made & finished Clabrough.
Miller/TN
