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November 1940. Ledyard, Connecticut. "Two of the Crouch family boys coming home for the Thanksgiving Day dinner after a morning of hunting in the woods." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Two handsome men. Hoping they at least bagged a turkey or a boar, but pity the quail that would have been eliminated by the shot!
If you want to be picky, it was Shotgun, Riot, with Bayonet Attachment, but yes the 1897 Winchester was the archtypical "Trench Gun." The Remington Model 10 was used in much much smaller numbers, and the Winchester Model 12 would be used later.
Answer to GWBync re trench gun ... yes it was. From what I've read, very well liked and very effective.
About 25 years ago, at a gun show, had an opportunity to buy one, sans bayonet. I already had a 97 that occasionally I shot trap with. Thought the trench gun with its short barrel would be fun to shoot skeet with. Since I was actually looking for something else, I went looking for that instead. Did not find it, figured I would go ahead and get the trench gun. Bummer for me -- it was gone.
Indeed, and a favorite of law enforcement. Was the 97 also the Winchester trench gun?
"Nah, it wasn't good. All we saw was a qwazy wabbit."
I noticed that they each had a badge on his cap and did some checking and, sure enough, Connecticut issued badges as hunting licenses back in 1940, so our hunters were legal.
That's a big beautiful growler on the sideboard. I wish I had one just like it. But what does it contain? Plain water, or something stronger?
[The Crouches were a Quaker household. - Dave]
I was just teasing. But according to the article cited in another comment, although they were called Quakers, they "had no connection to the Society of Friends founded by George Fox."
I believe that is a 15 year old Harvey in the foreground with his father Timothy in the background ...
[Like the caption says, they're brothers. Their dad Timothy, seen earlier here and here, was in his sixties when these photos were taken. - Dave]
Side by side doubles have the advantage of usually handling and balancing better than any other style of scattergun; when they fit well they are truly an extension of the shooter’s body. A pump action would be my second choice as a dedicated upland bird gun. Their primary disadvantage is the need to physically work the action before getting off a second shot. Now, I wonder where the boys have stashed all those birds they shot?
... that's one body they'll never find!
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