[fabsroman]

I have two favorite guns, both of which happen to be my father's. One is a Winchester 101 and the other is a Browning Auto 5.

The Browning was the first 12 gauge that I got to hunt with as a kid. It was the first gun I got to shoot that wasn't a single shot. It was the first gun I killed a pheasant with, and on that day when I killed my first pheasant I also killed my second. What a day. I have a picture with me and my brohters from that day. I am wearing a Redskins jersey and I am holding that gun. My brothers are holding the single shots that I used to use. One being a .410 that I killed my first dove with and my only dove with that gun, and the other being a 20 gauge that I killed absolutely nothing with.

The Winchester 101 was the second 12 gauge that I got to shoot and it is the first gun I used to kill my second dove and the first gun that I was able to kill a limit of doves with the first time I used it (i.e., the second dove and the limit of doves came on the same day). I love that gun and used to use it all the time for dove hunting until the rib came off. My dad didn't have the money to get the gun fixed because we had moved into a new house and he had 5 kids, 4 that were within 5 years of age, me being the oldest, and I was about to start college in 4 years. So, the gun sat in the gun case for quite a while.During college, my dad and I went 50/50 on a Browning o/u that let us down. After I got out of college, a hunting buddy of ours took the 101 to a man that tried to epoxy it on. That lasted for about 3 shots before the entire rib popped off. About 3 years ago, thanks to Skeet (i.e., another member on this board), I took the 101 to a reputable gun smith and it is back in service. Thing is, I will not use it for anything more than dove hunting (i.e., I don't want to scratch it), and it is choked too tight (i.e., full/modified) for dove hunting. So, it stays home a lot. My dad has already told me that he is going to leave leave all the guns, hunting equipment, and fishing equipment to me (I don't have the heart to tell him that most of it is mine anyway and I am just storing it at his house), and that once I get a house (i.e., not my townhouse), I can have all the guns in the safe except for one or two that he wants to keep should he need to defend his house or he wants to take his grandhildren hunting and I am not available (Again, I don't have the heart to tell him that most of the guns in his safe are mine).

That last statement made me think about the guns that are his, and another one came to mind. A Savage 110 built in the 60's that kicks like a mule and that I killed my first whitetail with. That would have to be third on the list.

Then there is the Browning BPS that my dad gave me for my 8th birthday. Killed my first duck and goose with that gun.

God, almost all my dad's and my guns bring back memories, but my dad's bring back the best ones. If I had to choose which guns I would keep out of everything in his house and mine, it would go in the following order:

Win 101
Browning BPS
Browning Auto 5
Savage 110
And Everything else is replaceable.