Christmas, of 1981, found me working at FMC’s Northern Ordinance division, the first time in my life I had more than two nickels to rub together. My little brother was hunting with a Cooey 840 single shot in 12 gauge, a gun my Dad stuck him with because he said my brother wasn’t going to be a bird hunter-he was correct, but, it would be a few years before my brother figured that out. My favorite gun shop in the world (my world was fairly small back then) was Tecto, on highway 65, and they had a used, but, like new Savage BSE Fox, in 12 gauge in the rack for about $129. The gun could have passed for new. I brought it home and dismantled the gun, packing the front wood, barrels, and buttstock/action in three different wrapped packages under the tree.

My brother was thrilled. Maybe five years later he quit buying small game licenses, but, he kept right on deer hunting, usually with the Savage, loaded up with slugs. The right barrel put a slug in the center of the bull at 50 yards every time, the left barrel would fire the slug, but, we never did figure out where they went. So, it was ‘sorta a single shot, but Willy didn’t care. He shot a truckload of deer with that gun. I worked on things that acted up over the years, the ejectors twice, the single trigger at least twice, and I replaced the stock after he broke it, and then glued up the new replacement stock after he broke that. The repair to the wood is truly invisible, the only time I have ever pulled that off. Sometimes, I was my brother’s hero.
Sadly, my brother, both legs amputated below the knee, with a crippled left hand, laying in a nursing home, has no need of this or any of his other guns, today.

I picked it up in my safe the other day. It must weigh 8 pounds, 30” tubes with mod and full chokes. I remember thinking to myself “good Lord, we must have been young back then”. The thing feels like an 8 foot green treated 4X4 post.

Although I can use it, I have my doubts I will. The Cooey 840 is here also, which, would not be heavy, but, would bring me full circle on why my brother got the Savage.

Best,
Ted