My first gun was a single barrel folding .410 of Belgian origin, It was bored full choke and featured a skeleton stock . My main quarry was the rabbit, which,in England,during the 1950,s prior to mixamatosis,was present in huge numbers. The big bags occurred at harvest time.In those far-off days,corn[Wheat]oats and barley was cut with a binder. As the last passes took place in a field the rabbits would bolt by the score. When ever I was told a particular field was to be cut;I was off to the hardware store to buy a box of shells for my trusty .410. On one memorable day a field yielded over 240 rabbits 19 of which fell to my .410. In passing, I would mention to those concerned with "thin barrel walls",my mentor, who dispatched most of the rabbits used a hammer, damascus barreled 12 G. from which,there appeared from one barrel at every shot "a puff of smoke" eminating from a pin hole in the barrel wall! My origional gun is long-gone; but I was fortunate enough to purchase an identical gun many years ago. I still find it to be a deadly.I have enjoyed teaching my children and grandchildren to shoot with same.
