‘Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre – Herstal – Belgique’. My uncle figured my grandfather had had it since at least the mid 50s. I suppose firearms made by military manufacturers would have been a lot more common back then, only a few years after WWII. My grandfather was an officer in that war. I have a painting of his that was extremely important to him, depicting the emotions he saw in the faces of the Dutch when he arrived in wake of immediate post-war clean-up duty. He passed away a few months ago, and my uncle thought that this long-loved 12 gauge shotgun should be put to good use by somebody in the family. I’ll do my best.
It was odd feeling immediately emotionally attached to an object, nevermind a firearm, that I’d never laid a hand on until I received it. It was the closest I’d been to my grandfather since he passed away, I suppose. He’d spent decades in fields and forests with it and his kids – my uncle sharing stories of its use on hunts back when his brother that has now long passed away was still around. It has a really long barrel, and apparently my grandfather could connect on sharptail grouse and ducks that others thought were out of reach. Stories. I look forward to the opportunity to compound the stories when in the field with my kids. One of the mighty valuable benefits of a tool well made.
6 Comments on “An Heirloom Tool”
I have a small .32 semiauto from my wife’s grandfather, from the same era, and with the same manufacture stamp (less the last to pieces). I had a friend in the firearms industry call it an FNG’ gun. Kind of funny, but it didn’t quell the connection I have to Grandpa Jack, and the service he did. I just wish I had some stories to go along with it.
great looking shotgun! I was given my Grandfathers old shot gun a few years ago when the gun registry came into effect. its an old bolt action 16 gauge, yup, a bolt action shotgun. i never met my grandfather as he died when my mother was younge but i reconditioned the stock and refinished the metal and engraved his name into it, i think he would like it if he saw it now. funny how these things cant envoke emotions in us.
I inherited a gun like that from an old boss: broken stock, initials branded into it, bad extractor, iffy firing pin, then used it to hunt four deer and a pile of birds.
Some of the best memories I have are hunting with my family. I passed a special rifle on to my son from his grandfather who passed when he was young. It was one of his last wishes. We took it out last year but no success. We are patiently awaiting the next time. Great stuff.
Alan
Be careful shooting any kind of steel shot out of it. This will most likely be a full choke gun and you run the risk of “bulging ” the barrel or perhaps worse
I have the same gun my Grandfather left me …serial number 157514 ….do u know the value and age of the gun …thanks