The bolt action shotgun is an odd gun. I first saw one in the gun rack of an older friend and quickly decided that I needed to have one. Unfortunately, the bolt action shotgun was forced to get in line behind scores of other guns that I 'need' as well. The shotgun in the rack was a JC Higgins that had seen a lot of use. He still used it from time to time, but it was no longer a regular in the field.
It seems that the bolt action shotgun was produced as a low cost repeater in the early 1900's and had quite a following. Mossberg, Savage, and Marlin were among he larger producers and these companies also made bolt action shotguns for stores under their brand name. For those on a budget buying store branded firearms is a great way to get your hands on an old gun. Bolt action shotguns and other guns branded with Sears, JC Higgins, or others usually differ by the stamp on the barrel and perhaps the quality of the wood stock.
Bolt action shotguns were actually quite useful and found their way into duck blinds and deer hunting camps across America. The bolt action shotgun offered more safety and reliability than early and inexpensive pumps and autoloaders. For hunting ducks and deer, where a split second follow up shot is not necessarily needed as it can be with smaller game birds, the bolt action shotgun fit a need at an economical price.
When it came to deer hunting with a shotgun, the bolt action shotgun made a lot of sense decades ago. Newly manufactured bolt action shotguns were safe to fire slugs while grandpa's single shot or double might not have been. And as the bolt action rifle was becoming more common in the deer woods, it made sense for a youngster to learn with a bolt action rifle. In fact, the bolt action rifle's popularity was a good reason (then and now) for the bolt action shotgun to exist.
A few year's ago the bolt action shotgun seemed to have a rebirth of popularity as new and improved shotgun slugs came onto the market. The bolt action shotgun allows for a stable and simple mounting platform for scoped sights and its workings were familiar to deer hunters who had grown up hunting with bolt action rifles. However, the bolt action shotgun's popularity again waned due to the production of economical pumps and semi-automatics that could be fired faster (which in the hands of many is usually more of a liability than an asset).
If you are interested in owning a bolt action shotgun, here is some great news. The inexpensive shotguns were produced in large numbers and continue to be very inexpensive. As almost everyone now hunts with a pump or semi-auto the bolt guns have very little demand and are listed for low prices. If a hunter or shooter does their homework they can expect to pick up a bolt action shotgun from Mossberg, Marlin, Savage, or others for about $100 or so. Not a bad price for an interesting and functional gun to add to your collection. And yes, the bolt action shotgun will still work well for hunting for deer, turkey, ducks, geese, squirrels, rabbits, and virtually whatever else you want to hunt.
No comments:
Post a Comment