Bigborefan:
I came to pumps late and by the back door myself.
The first gun I ever bought was a Mossberg 200D pump shotgun. This thing was an abomination. :x The slide was a plastic slieve that went over a heavy wooden stock. The gun appeared to be originally designed as a bolt and making it a pump was an afterthought - a poor one. :? I don't remember ever being able to fire three rounds out of it without a jam. :evil:
That gun soured me on all pumps, and although I really liked the feel of the 760/7600, I lacked confidence in them and partly believed that I was lacking some skill that prevented me from making the Mossberg to work.
About 35 years after I gave up on them myself (although I often recommended them to new hunters), I was recovering from surgery, and a friend decided to get me out of the house and take me to an auction.
There were a few guns for sale in the auction, and a Remington 760 carbine with an inletted stock caught my eye. I estimated that it would go for $175 to $200. When it came up the bidding slowed down around $100, so I jumped in thinking I could sell it for a little profit.. As it was another guy had the same estimate of its value that I did. I bid $175, and he bid $200. After mulling it over I went $225 and he backed out. :-)
Once I started shooting it I decided to keep it for a while and try it hunting. Since I'd been hunting with an autoloader for years, I thought I'd forget to pump it if I saw an animal. The first deer I saw was dead, and 3 bullets were out the spout before I even thought about working the action. :twisted:
I own three of them now.
Rick
Poll
