Yet they remain overshadowed by doubles in the upland hunting community. Their simplicity and reliability having been proven in the field, many upland hunters of yore swore by the pump-action shotgun. They just keep on shooting, racking shell after shell, dropping bird after bird. They were common among “working class” folk, whose no-nonsense approach and practicality made the pump a match made in heaven. But the pump-action shotguns are what intrigue me the most. Unbeknownst to many, alongside double guns the pump-gun and the semi-auto also have a lengthy tradition in the uplands. And that has perpetuated something of an elitist attitude towards other shotgun configurations. At least that is what everyone is telling you. Upland hunters have a firm foot in tradition, and tradition apparently is a double gun. Every upland hunting magazine seemingly has a double gun emblazoned on every other page. Take a gander at any upland hunting related social media account, and you’ll quickly notice that most of the top influencers all run a double. I was part of a nostalgic group of hunters who felt the same way. I would never sully one of my upland hunts with anything but a double gun. That gunshow find was the first of an ongoing love affair with side-by-sides (and a couple of over/unders).Īfter eventually getting rid of the Hopkins & Allen, I elevated my tastes in shotguns to better quality vintage American side-by-sides like Lefever and Ithaca, as well as an Italian-made over/under Beretta. I shot my first few upland birds with that hunk of junk. Never mind that my first shotgun was a piece of junk! My first double-gun was an old Hopkins & Allen 12-gauge side-by-side with 2-1/2 inch chambers and slightly bulged right barrel. I had a goal in mind, and it had just become a reality. I was going to buy the first affordable side-by-side I found. and a whole lot of other people too, I imagine.Īs soon as I decided I was going to hunt birds, I knew I had to get an old double-gun. Or perhaps it was those vintage ammo-tin ads up at the old gun shops–the ones with the quintessential upland hunting scene! Y’know? The ones with the plaid-clad gentleman, steady behind his pointing-dog, pheasant bursting from the tall grass. Old cowboy flicks where hammered coach-guns were backing up the hero in the final duel? Action movies from the 80s and 90s where the greased-up muscle dude had a sawed-off double? Maybe that pile of old hunting magazines my dad had in the garage with articles about old doubles. I don’t know where the fascination started, really. Not one of those over/unders, but a classical side-by-side. I dreamed of owning a vintage double-barreled shotgun since I was kid.
I clutched the cold-vintage steel and wood in my clammy hands. The Damascus twist-barrels glistened grey and brown in the late morning autumn sun. Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.Exploring the vintage shotgun market of the American classic pump shotgun This firearm is classified as a Curio & Relic. Will need to be sent to your local FFL or C&R licensee.
The stock is in good shape with some handling marks. The bore is clean and fairly bright with light shallow pitting throughout. The top of the barrel is marked “MADE BY HOPKINS & ALLEN MANFG. This would have been a working man’s hunting shotgun for fowl at the turn of the century. This design utilized the falling block action which was very popular in the mid-to-late-19th Century, made especially famous by Christian Sharps with his rifles and carbines around the time of the Civil War. Here we present a Hopkins & Allen Falling Block Shotgun, manufactured in Norwich, Connecticut circa 1900. Made Circa 1900 in Norwich, Connecticut C&R INTERESTING Hopkins & Allen FALLING BLOCK Shotgun
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