I'm sure my interest in the outdoors began in a similar fashion as most of you. My first hunting memories were as a 5 or 6 year old with my dad in the dove field, holding my toy shotgun, picking cuckleburrs off my pants, and retrieving doves in the sunflowers. The toy shotgun soon turned into a Red Ryder, and then, when I was about 9, my dad brought out the shotgun my mom's father had left for me, a 20 ga Remington 1100. He started teaching me to shoot a few weeks before dove season and on the first hunt of the season I was allowed to shoot for the first time. I don't remember if I even killed a dove, but I remember holding that shotgun and waiting for my chance.
Little did I know, those hunts and that shotgun spurred a passion for bird hunting that I know will last my lifetime. I've gotten to the point where my enjoyment comes from the process of the hunt and not just the harvest. Part of that process is reflecting on hunts of the past and incorporating parts of those hunts into hunts of today. Even though I have several 12 ga shotguns, I still love to bring that old 1100 out on quite a few hunts.
Years ago my dad refinished his 1100 with linseed oil. I loved the darker, more matte look that his gun had and promised myself that someday I would take the time to refinish mine the same way. Finally, I decided I wanted to get it done and have it ready for this fall. I know this might seem a little long-winded, but I'm sure many of you can relate to the passion I have for bird hunting and I wanted to share this special gun that fueled the fire.
Before(has the original Remington poly finish)
Stock sanded down
Finished stock
All back together
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