I am very sorry to announce the passing of Tony Treadwell this morning, his lungs finally gave out and he passed peacefully in the hospital with Marie holding his hand.

Marie said: "He was still oiling the Purdey stock just a couple of hours before he went into hospital, whilst holding his hands I could see the stain and smell the oil on his hands."

From me, Doug and Tony's wife Marie, we both know that he had many friends on this BBS and so many of you meant very much to him, thank you for your friendship and feelings towards him.

God Bless and receive Mr. Tony Treadwell and bless his family and friends always....April 7, 2012

Gone but never forgotten....

For those interested in Tony's books:
Books, hard copy or ebook: http://www.vintageshotgun.com
Hard books after April 10th as noted on Tony's website. Thank you.

God speed, May he find lots of good guns in the hereafter..Condolences to the family..

I'm so sorry to read this. Though I never met him, I greatly admired his courage. My prayers to his family. I will miss his posts and his many contrbutions to this forum.
Chris

I am so sorry to hear this. He was a very brave man. His talent and willingness to share will live on in his book.He set an example for us all in the life he lived and the way he faced the end.

Rest in peace Tony.

Gone too soon. So sorry to hear his. My thoughts are with his family.

Deepest sympathy to Marie and children. Enjoyed his posts and his workmanship. Always a gentleman. Will miss him.
God Bless.

He seemed to have been doing so well. I knew his time was short, but I still thought it was much longer than this. He will be missed.

We're very sorry to hear of his passing. Out thoughts and prayers go out to his family and we'll pray for them and Tony.

Rest in peace.

God bless

Greg

So sad. So very sad.

Rest in Peace Tony. I am very sorry to hear this. He was a stand up guy IMO.

A wonderful example of grace for all of us. My thoughts to Tony's family and friends.

Incredibly brave man. What an example of grace in the face of inevitability. I'll be thinking of his family.

So sad to hear of his passing. He was a very talented man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and young children.

My condolances and thoughts are with Tony's family, especially his wife and children. I very much enjoyed Tony's posts and learned a lot from him. I wish Tony peace in the hereafter.

Profound condolences and deep sympathy for his family and friends.

Sincerely,
Tim Carney

God bless you Tony. My sincere condolences to Marie and the Kids.

I was always anxious to open a new post of Tony's, knowing that it would be bright and optimistic and always informative. There was a vibrancy in his life that few have. Though he courageously told us what the end would be--and soon--it was impossible to believe it would be so. Golly, I'll miss him!

Christ died on a Friday......but Sunday's coming! So my prayers are for Tony.

What a loss of a noble man. My prayers are with him and his family. RIP. Gil

Can we still buy his e-book?

God bless you Tony, and please God, bless and take care of those who Tony loved but left behind.
Steve

Simply crushing. He so generously offered so much to us all and we learned from him. Warmest thoughts to his family.

So. so, sad, Tony will be sorely missed indeed. Quite a guy and a story in courage.
Best wishes and condolences to Marie and the children

There is not much on these boards that can bring a tear to my eye, but this news did. I did not know Tony, but will miss him. He displayed a tremendous amount of dignity, and my thoughts and prayers will be with him and his family.

A class act, we'll miss him.

Sitting here pretty shocked to read this, considering Tonys recent activity to get the book completed, I had assumed he was doing ok.

Never met Tony but conversed a little by email, and of course, read his postings with anticipation of another relic discovered and brought back to life by Tonys skills and determination to get it right.

Deepest sympathy to the whole family, he will be missed.
J-PD

RIP. He kept pitching far beyond that last inning, and was cogent and alert to the end.

I'm famalir with the disease, and he's in a much more peaceful place. Too young, much too young.

My condolences to Tony's family. He shared so much with us that he will be sorely missed. Yesterday, I also lost my best hunting buddy to a long cancer battle. Although I never met Tony, I feel as though I lost two friends in one sad day.

Whew, I appreciate his willingness to visit here and share. His book will stand the test of time. All the best to his family and friends.

What more is there to say . Rest in peace Tony .

May your enthusiasm and love keep on spreading.

Rest in peace Tony

Be it known:

Tuesday Morning, when I go to the skeet range, I will fire a report in your honor!

Rest well
Mike

We have all been broken a little by his suffering and adversity, but all uplifted by his spirit and courage. Too young and too busy with life to have left it so early. God bless the family and may Tony's soul rest in eternal peace...Geo

This is very sad news, my condolences to his family. May we all have the courage of Tony.

God bless you mate.
I'll miss you, but you'll never be forgotten. All our love
Peter, Isabel, & The Black Hand Gang.

Incredibly saddened to hear this. I met Tony @ last years CLA game fair and really enjoyed his posts and his infectious enthusiasm. Thoughts go out to his family - he wont be forgotten.

I just got home from work to read this,his enthusiasm while explaining his new Manton on the e-book was wonderful,that's how I will remember him.

God speed Tony ,
Chris

Alive and burning to the end. Bless him.

My deepest sympathies to the family. Tony's love for his family set a standard for the rest of us. I always looked forward to his postings each morning, ......he'll be missed by all.

Barry

My sincere condolences to Marie, the children and his family.

This board will miss you Tony and we are enriched for the time you spent here.

Tony be safe on your journey.

This is profoundly sad news. I knew his time was limited but this seems to have occured way too soon. His recent projects and book seemed to have invigorated him more than usual. Like many on this board I did not know Tony personally but felt him a friend. Perhaps some craftsman/men of similar talent will step up and finish his latest project for his son. Tony and his family will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

"For me it’s not just the shotgun. It’s the history, the process, the nostalgia, the shooting of the gun.
Importantly, and this is where I may differ from others, it is the process of the restoration itself that I delight in.
Understanding a new trigger action, patent or engineering feat is as important as the shotgun itself. I relish in learning something new whether it be a new type of action, mechanism or whether it be a new way to restore something. For sure for me it’s the “doing”.
I often smile at things I see and I enjoy the challenge of repairing something that is broken. I’ve made several top springs for several guns. Some may think that to be a horrid excersise left to those that are pay by the hour to do such work but I love it. This is just it. I guess I sometimes over-engineer my restoration work because I love it so much.

I take much too long in restoring guns and could never make a living from it. But my guns are not for this purpose, they are for me to enjoy restoring, shooting and passing down to my son who will cherish them and pass them onto his children.
“My father restored these guns” will be the biggest credit he can give me and I hope that one day he will be proud enough use them all." Tony Treadwell

So very sad. Not only a loss to his family and to the gun fraternity but to all humanity. Tony was one of the too few bright lights in this world-gone dark far too soon. But he is not really gone. He is be a part of us all, all he has touched.

Tony mentioned to me just yesterday, before the problems escalated, the following: [Quote: Tony T.... "Anyway, I'm prepared to be wrong, but I think I know my own body. Seems I might not be finishing that Purdey for Will, but I do have ready my friends at Lovels to get it done properly".....:end quote]

RIP sincere sympathy
mrwmartin

Tony, we hardly knew ye. A rare and beautiful thing. Godspeed Ballistix999, rest easy in the bosom of God. Mercy...
JR

I am very sorry to hear this sad news. I always looked forward to his posts and am grateful for the knowledge and enthusiasm he shared with us. Ron Fankhauser

What a tragic loss to Tony's wife, his children, and all of us. A truly inspiring man.

Laurence

I am very sad to learn this. Condolences and prayers for strength to Marie, William and Isobel.

Tony sent me his last e-mail yesterday afternoon (his time) with a file of pics for the article on him. He answered my request in about an hour. Whew, this is tough.

What a fighter, and what an inspiration -- and a reminder to never take anything in life for granted.

My sincerest condolences to his wife and family.
What a shame to lose a father at their ages.
Jim

A wretched disease and we will be good to see the back of it one day.

My thoughts are with Tony's family and friends. Lagopus.....

RIP Tony. My condolences to and prayers for Tony's wife and children. He will be missed by those he touched here and elsewhere.

I used to look forward to Tony's posts more than any other. He will surely be missed. Rest in peace.

Adam

I spent some time with Tony at the recent Holts sale and did notice he had a nagging cough, little did I think it was all so near.
Subsequently, we conversed at length about his new Manton for which he beat me in the bidding at the same sale and I was pleased I lost it to his young lad rather than another dealer.
I am very proud that I was able to offer him some little advice on blacking and browning when he was just starting out.
Really tragic to have lost such an enthusiast for the dark art of gun restoration.
My deepest condolences go to his wife and children who I never managed to meet.
RIP

So very sorry to hear of Tony's passing, we knew it was likely but no-one thought it would be so early and so sudden. My most sincere condolences to all his family and friends.

I was already 24 years of age when Tony was born and I sincerly hope, that, when my time comes, I can face it the same dignified manner and as great a courage as Tony did.

Harry

We are all better for his presence with us here. I feel that he showed us a lot about how to do life. I am so sorry this has come.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Farewell my son, you were indeed a Man amongst men. Bless the family, from
Eugene and Judith

I saw him at Holt's last sale. He seemed so strong, still fighting. A shock. A special man.

Such utter BS that such a fine man be taken from us and his family by this dreaded disease. A cure for this wretched blight on mankind is where our research $ needs to go.

Utterly heartbroken---we are missing our Champion around here

I enjoyed seeing the projects and results that he posted. He truly loved the old guns. Condolences conveyed to his family and friends.

It's difficult to explain how I can be so sad over the loss of a man I never met, spoke to only once, and emailed maybe a couple dozen times.

But, on most days, I looked forward to 'hearing from' Tony more than I did most other people. His passion towards guns, restoration, learning, life, sharing, and family were infectious.

How he maintained such an amazingly positive attitude will forever perplex me - but will also forever inspire!

I am the proud, proud owner of his first Purdey restoration, and promise Tony will live in my memory with every shot fired.

My prayers and condolences go out to Marie, Will, Izzy and all those affected by the much too early departure of Mr. Treadwell.

Very, very sad news. I conversed with Tony by email at times and considered him my friend. He recently told me he will very much miss his family and working on old English guns, which he thought so much of. I will miss him as will many others. Condolences to his family.

The loss of one of us diminishes us all. Condolences to his family and all his many friends. Godspeed Tony.

I dunno what to say; aside from,"Bummer." I just had this message from Tony at 2:15P [his time?] yesterday regarding a hard copy of his book. I didn't open it until this morning. We'd had an on-going dialogue for a long while .. on numerous subjects. Here is his last comunique to me:

"Hi ____ , I'm just waiting for one to be delivered to make sure there are no errors/problems/quality issues.

It'll be fulfilled out of the USA so you would have to then send it to me for signing I'm afraid but I would be honoured to do so.

Regard,
Tony"

Wot can a person say about such a fellow(?), aside from the fact that I am honored to have known him & considered him a friend? It just breaks my heart to learn of his passing. As may be seen from his above remarks, he was consistent throughout his ordeal; he NEVER flinched. I can't really express the respect I have for that and for Tony. God bless you, my friend, you will be missed, already.

Tony has set benchmarks for positive attitude, gentlemanly behavour, willingness to share, passion for old guns, and sensitivity and sensibility for their for their restoration. I regret not having met Tony, but am oh so glad to have crossed ways with him, if only in cyberspace.

Godspeed Tony. You will be missed. We were extremely fortunate to have shared some time and space with Tony Treadwell.

My condolences to Tony's family and friends.

I always read what he wrote and admired him for sharing what he knew with others.

Vic, Give me a call ASAP....trevallion.

I couldn't have said it any better.

just got in from playing a fiddle gig,was in good form ,come to my favorite site & saw those first horrible words....
Man, old Tony was a real piece of work, wasn;t he ?
I am an emotional bloke, & have been crying for ten mins, especially seeing his beautiful kids picture.
Damnit..it ain't fair.
But I thought he was one hell of a brave n lovely man
god bless you Tony,all my best to his family
love xxxx
Roger Burridge

This is so sad. I don't know what to do except give the man the last two stars under my forum name. Tony deserves them more than me.

An inspiration to us all. We will all have our turn in due course.
He has set the bar very high... Well done Tony.
Terry

We were the better for knowing Tony and are the worse for his loss. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and to all who knew him and will miss him. He added more to this board than I can say. He was a breath of fresh air and a fountain of knowledge and inspiration.

It has been a long month for me as it has for many others. His is the fourth death of a close friend or family member. I lost my brother Friday and feel like I lost another member of my family today. Sad day but I have to say that they will not be soon forgotten.

KY Jon, I'm very sorry to hear about your brother. My condolences to you too.

Gosh, wonderful words you all have found.

I don't have much more to say but have to chime in to show my respect and admiration for Tony; what a loss but what a gift.

Like every one of you good people, I'm thinking of his family. Down the road I hope we can find a way to make a real difference for them.

Clair Kofoed

A life well lived.

Tony was doing aseries of interviews with the BBC radio station Five

He told me by text on April 4th:

I’ve agreed for them to make the pieces available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/bestbits/

So, you can hear Tony talking about his illness with courage and dignity, as always, if you use the link.

I'm very saddened to wake to this news. What a loss to all that knew him in person and virtually... Tony and his beautiful family will be in my prayers today.

- jmc

Thank you for the BBC link, Diggory. I can now put a voice with the face. Tony was quite a trooper. My mother lost her battle with a form of sarcoma, also. She was not as young as Tony, but, like Tony, was certainly taken from us well before her time. My sincere condolences, thoughts and prayers are with the Treadwell family.

Small Bore, is there a video part to that BBC discussion? Of course I know it was for a radio program, but wasn't sure if there was a video I wasn't getting.

So young; prayers for the family

All of us, and I especially will miss Tony's contributions to the shotgun world and this forum. RIP

It's really disturbing to see someone so young and so skilled and generous, go like this. My condolences to his family, whose grief I'm sure is mollified by the knowledge of how much he loved them, prepared them for this, and the example he gave.

I recall a friend, a hunting and fishing buddy when we were teenagers, who died suddenly while we we were both in college. Every time I go fishing or hunting, at some point my mind turns to him and wishing he could be there sharing the experience. I suppose in memory he is but the conversation is a bit one-sided.

I hardly knew Tony, other than from his posts here, but I suspect he would have been a lot of fun to hunt with. He'll be going along into the grouse woods come fall.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Treadwell family.

Yes Tony was brilliant to be with.
He came on one of our Black Hand Gang outings last season just gone and we all had a brilliant day, he shot his Pape's with aplomb ably assisted by his loader and friend Andrew, who to give you a measure of the fun we had will always henceforth be known as 'Baldrick', that was the day that the Parson's came into our lives.
Never worry Tony will be with me on every adventure forever.
Salopian.

I was very sad hear the news. The loss of this good and kindly young Man is a tragedy. My Thoughts and best wishes are with his Family. It was obvious that he loved and was loved by them , His wonderful restorations continue to pay tribute to his talent and passion.

Condolences to family and friends...may he RIP

In a recent post, Tony let us know that he had been advised by the doctors that there was nothing else they could do; although one would never know this bad news affected his outlook or attitude, as he continued posting pics of projects underway and enthusiastically describing events in which he was presently involved. I never knew, or met Tony personally, but I always enjoyed and looked forward to his informative posts; and especially the always positive nature of those posts. In my mind Tony was one of those rare individuals with a natural charm and personally that appealed to everyone; and as I reflect on what seems to us as an untimely passing, I recall these words that we've all heard at some point in our own lives; it matters not how long a man may live on this earth, but rather what a man does with his life while he is here. It seems that Tony was a blessing to everyone who knew or met him; and even to those of us who did not have that privilege, but were still inspired by his example. Let us all strive to emulate Tony's positive example; and may God bless and comfort his family as they adjust to his loss.

I just echo what the others have so eloquently expressrd. God rest his soul. God speed Tony!

God, this is devastating. He seemed so strong, working on a hundred things at once. I honestly began to think he'd get a few more years somehow. Can't believe it, and yes, I know it was expected, but still........God watch over his beautiful family. My head is shutting down in a torrent of remembered emails and images.

It is altogether fitting that Tony, who gave new life to old guns, passed into eternity on the eve of the day we celebrate the resurrection of the One who can give new life to all. It was a privilege to know Tony on this BBS, and lift him in prayer early in the mornings.

Our prayers will now be for the comfort and blessing of his family who carry on in his absence.

Godspeed, Tony. You showed us how to live well, and you showed us how to die well.

SRH

So very sad. I kept hoping Tony would pop up amongst all these comments and say "the rumor of my death has been greatly exagerated". Such a kind spirit, positive outlook and so talented. May God's peace be with his family.

Tony was an inspiration to me. Whenever I thought I had it bad and things was not going as I had expected, I would sit here at this site and see his posts and say to myself how if he can face what he is facing and always kept a positive outlook then how can I begin to complain about my trival problems.
He was such a stong person.
I had just sent him a PM on Friday asking about his book and wanting to buy two copies. He responded almost imediatly back.That was the way he was, he seemed to care for all here on this forum.
Never ever meeting him I feel like he was a friend and I enjoyed the time I got to read his posts and hear his stories.

All we know of Tony are words and photos on a screen and a thousand miles of ocean between us and yet we are saddened by the loss of a brother. Without this contraption in front of us we would not have been blessed by this wonderful man, father, and husband. God bless you Tony, and peace to your family. Randy

R.I.P, condolances to his family, too young by far, Mike

I belong to a number of forums which reflect my interests. Over the years I have built up mental images of many of the contributors, I have met some of them, I have corresponded privately with many and spoken on the phone with others. I’ve never counted how many there are but I do count them all as friends. There is an anticipatory glow to each daily visit to the forum concerned which I very much look forward to, knowing there may be a little banter, but almost certainly some new, interesting information that will enhance my enjoyment of my interests.

Until he was taken from us, Tony was part of this and his posts were often the ones I turned to first. We corresponded briefly about the H Clarke he restored. However the gun that is most special for me is his Purdey bar-in-wood and which he was working on to the very end. It’s special because I know young Will will value it all his life as a most precious gift, one which, every time he handles it, will remind him of his wonderful Pa.

I shall miss my regular intake of Tony’s posts here, though not half as much as his family will miss their very special man. They are in my thoughts and prayers. For Tony, now at peace and free of pain, I wish you good shooting up there, I give thanks for your life and especially for the gifts you gave us on this forum.

Very sad when someone so young and talented like Tony passes away. Prayers to his wife and children.

God bless you Tony. Thank you for your kindness, and for your example.

A dignified gentlemen to the end. Rest in peace Tony.

Tony will be missed here. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Robert D.

Outrageous! A fine man gone too soon. Outrageous. Love to his wife and beautiful children. Chopperlump. Ed Dvorak Jr.

Condolences to his wife, children, and other family.

I sent this link to Marie BTW...

Marie is extremely appreciative and has sent this link on to Tony's parents to show them how much he was appreciated on this website and the overwhelming response. Gentleman, all hearts have been warmed by your kind words. Marie said she will respond here from Tony's PC to thank everyone or through me with her words.

Marie said: "I'm also going to print the pages out and keep them so when Izzy is older she too can see how very special her Dad was."

So very kind of all who posted here.

Best,

I am so sorry to hear of Tony Treadwell' passing. He was such a positive and generous presence. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

I am sorry to hear of his passing.

Sad indeed.
My thoughts are with his family at this time.
R.I.P.
Greg.

Posted for Marie Treadwell, 4-09-2012

From Marie Treadwell:

I'm struggling to find the words to describe how moved I am by the powerful words you have all written in Tony's memory. He was quite a character and never ever gave up on anything even when he was given only weeks to live. It is true that only hours before going into hospital he was still emailing friends and oiling his gun stock, even though he was unable to stand and was very breathless.

Tony and I have been together for nearly 25 years and there was never a dull moment, with the arrival of our children Will and then later Izzy the adventure never stopped , there were just more of us Treadwells enjoying it !

Will and I will continue to shoot Tony's beautiful restorations he proudly left to us and Izzy is already very keen but struggles to hold the gun at only 3 years old. His passion for restoring and enjoying vintage shotguns and the amazing people he met along the way were so very important to him during the most difficult time of his life and I thank you all for being there for him--we miss him terribly, Tony has left a huge hole in our lives and your words and thoughts mean a great deal to us--I intend to keep them safe for Will and Izzy to read when they're older to help keep Tony's memory alive and help them remember just how very special their dad was.

My very best wishes to you all, Marie xx

In a P.M.last year Tony stated;"My way of coping is to keep mad busy!"this he did to the very end.
In addition to his many interesting and informative posts on this forum,Tony made a significant effort defeat those who wanted to strike the name of Birmingham Gun quarter from the city map.I am sure this will not be forgoten by his many friends in the Birmingham gun trade.
To Tony,s wife and children, sincere condolences in your tragic loss.

Very sad surprise! Only last week we were positively discussing Tony's book with a friend.

All has been said before. I can only express my deepest sympathies to Marie, Will, Izzy and all
his family and friends. Tony will be dearly missed.

JC

I always feel that anything we say when something this tragic happens just isn't going to be anywhere near sufficient and will not bring any comfort to the grieving family. As usual, I was wrong.

I'm not going to be foolish and call Tony a friend of mine, the only contact I ever had with him was the exchange of a few private messages concerning patents and Lancaster mechanisms. With that said, just with the minimal communication we did have, he struck me as a fella I would've really have liked and enjoyed to get to know better. Tony is "that guy" who would stop on the side of the road and help out a complete stranger and treat them like family. Help you out, make sure you are ok and stay with you until help arrived. In this day and age...a rare and most admirable quality to possess.

Like everyone else here, I'll miss his post and helpful nature, but the thing I'll miss even more is his big heart. He sure brought alot to the table and set a pretty high standard in regards toughness in the face of adversity and especially "brotherly love". I think its safe to say that Mr. Treadwell was indeed a "good guy". :-)

Rest easy Tony.

Dustin

I am a solitary old cuss, with few friends and very few close ones. Yet like all of us here, I felt that I had become close to Tony, through his generous sharing of his work, his beautiful family, and the consummate courage with which he faced the tragic circumstances of his early passing. This has affected me much more strongly than I ever would have predicted. I have lost one of my few good friends, and will treasure his memory.

I,too, feel like something very dear to me has been taken away. He was a great person and I will keep his family in my prays. It is very sad that I will not be reading his posts anymore. Boy, will I miss them. Frank Halsey

Truer words have yet to be spoken. I've read this thread time and again, almost not accepting that he's gone. I'm almost glad Marie communicated her recent message through Doug. I'm not sure I could have handled the emotional roller-coaster of seeing a post from Ballistix999 suddenly come in.

A post caught my eye yesterday with a title that reminded me of what Tony may write, and I had a moment of elation - followed by the realization that it wasn't Tony's kind, knowledable, courageous words.

I keep trying to buy the hardcover book today, I guess, in an attempt to grasp that last bit of Tony.

I was planning a trip to the UK in May and was hoping to meet Tony, but didn't want to bring it up until we were closer to the date - not wanting to put pressure on him. I'm bummed out that I'll never get that chance - although happy he was able to share what he did.

I'm really sorry for the passing. He was kind and positive even in his last days.
R.I.P.

I just returned from a five day hiatus, only to learn this shocking news. Would that I had known him better, but his example will serve as inspiration for me always. Rest in peace.

Tony was such a talented knowledgeable Gentleman concerning Guns , but I learned much more about bravery and how to conduct one’s self in the face of death from him.

I am humbled.

My prayers go out to his loved one’s.

I heard of Tony's Passing as I returned to Maine, What a loss to everybody, but the greatest loss is to his Wonderful Wife Marie, Son Will, Daughter Izzy. I really wish I could have worked along-side him on a gun project. The"Trade" has lost one of its Brightest "STARS". Our Condolences to the Family, Tony will not be forgotten in my Workshop!
From Eileen & David Trevallion

It was a sad day.

All. As a close friend and shooting buddy of Tony's I would like thank you for your very kind words posted on this forum. Tony was a truly amazing and influential friend and his friendship knew no boundaries. I am lucky to shoot with one of Tony's restoration, a lovely Charles Lancaster with damascus barrels, a real beauty which I shall treasure forever more.
Tony leaves a gap that will never be filled. His positive, fun loving attitude to life leaves us with many happy memories that in time will bring back the smiles. He was great friend and an amazing man and my life is richer for his friendship.
Thank you.

Welcome Richard. Come on in and stay a while. Any friend of Tony's has to be a friend of ours. If you look back, you can see he was was pretty well liked around here and is very sadly missed.

I trust you're shooting the boxlock he restored the year before last?

HammerGuy, Thanks for this. Yes I shoot the Lancaster on game, special days need a special gun and to me there will never be one more special. I only wish I could shoot it as well as Tony, he was a crack shot and when stnding on the peg next to him he'd always give that" got another one" smile. I am now thinking maybe a little restoration would be good therapy.
Thanks

KY Jon

I am really sorry to read your post whilst trying to come to terms with the loss of Tony who was my closest friend. I hope you can come to terms with your loss soon.
I am thinking of you as I try to make sense of the past weeks.