Not even close. 1946 vintage R10 Darne, that came from one Stephen Bodio, was restocked to fit me in St. Etienne, and has been used, hard, in the 25 years since.



Shown with the Silver Snipe 12 my Dad bought new in 1964, a gun I keep saying I'm going to use when it gets cold, but, I still find myself grabbing a double trigger gun.
Early 1990s, my Gordon Setter, "Stoke", best all round gun dog I've ever had the pleasure to work. By this time he wouldn't point hen pheasants, and was the only dog I've ever known who handled grouse, woodcock, and pheasants equally, and superbly. I took a double on grouse that day, but, it rained so hard and so long I was soaked to my soul.



New Years Day, 2013. My English Setter, "Gypsy" at age 14, about 5 hours of cold hunting under her belt, and she had had enough. Same gun. Gypsy never really figured out grouse the way Stoke did, but, she was a hell of a pheasant dog, and accepted my wife and later, son as sweetly as any dog could ever do.
She died a few months after this photo was taken. I miss all my dogs, and even though she wasn't the best, it hurts to this day when I think of her.



This was a good day. Gypsy took a big dollar Berg Brother's Setter, who had big training dollars spent on it, to school. Yes, a Setter can point AND retrieve. Just watch:



2015, the beginning of a new tradition, "Grousemas" with Lloyd, and his boy. The new recruit is an English Setter name "Louise", who had spent most of a heartbreaking year with an auto immune disorder. My son came along also, as did my wife, although she hasn't taken to bird hunting like a duck takes to water. The swelling in Louie's body, joints, and chest had gone down enough at this point for her to come along for a little grouse hunting. I was sure the problem had affected her nose, hearing and eyesight, but, if it did, it has not lingered. If I had a buck for every time someone said to put her down, I could buy another just like her, today.



The only other gun I have that comes close is a Remington model 17 pump, that I bought when I was 17, and still own today:



I haven't used that gun in years, but, it was used, hard, for the decade from 1977 until 1987, when I bought the Gordon puppy and a wonderful Darne R15 20 gauge. The Darne got away, something I truly regret to this day.
I took a limit of grouse and woodcock, five of each, over the Gordon with the Remington 17. I haven't shot more than a brace of anything, by choice, ever since.



Best,
Ted