My Dad Gave Me An AWESOME Gift...

[circleshooter]

Last year a couple of friends and I went down to my Dad and Step-Mom's place on Amelia Island in Florida. I found a phenomenal place to shoot sporting clays (Amelia Shotgun Sports) and we had a blast. So this year we decided to go down again, but only one of my buddies could go this time.

My Dad, who was a very serious pistol shooter when he was younger, has always gone with me/us to shoot when I'm down there. The part that makes me sad is that he has macular degeneration and really can't see well enough to shoot at fast moving targets, but he drives the cart and pulls targets. My step-mom also doesn't want him to smoke cigars, so I always have a supply of Arturo Fuente Hemingway's for us to smoke at the clay range (but don't tell her, she'd be mad at me). But he enjoys being part of my life and I enjoy having him there. We have a great time so we're talking win/win here.

Anyway, the course pro/manager is John Woolley - who's won several international sporting clays championships - and he has a small walk-in vault where he sells shotguns. He's an independent dealer for Caesar Guerini and Blaser, and has amazing used guns as well for sale.

So...we're in the vault checking out the wares and I pick up a Caesar Guerini Summit Impact in 20 gauge. OMG! It's magnificent. Fits me extremely well, well-balanced, has incredible wood. Did I mention it's magnificent? I hand it to my friend who says "Wow!", my Dad looks at it and says "Beautiful stock." When I get it back in my hand my Dad asks, "Do you like it?" Me: "Uhh...yeah. I've drooled this Guerini model a number of times over the last year. But...it's more than I can afford for a shotgun." Dad: "Well, if you really like it, I'd like to get it for you. Call it an early installment on your inheritance."

My jaw hit the floor. I was both astonished and quite moved at the same time. Totally caught me off guard. But, man, what a gift! I spent the rest of the time shooting it with him in Florida and shot it in the Loch Raven Winter League yesterday. It's a magnificent shooter and something I will cherish, the gun and the story surrounding it, for as long as I live.

Not my actual gun, but pretty damn close...

 

[teratos]

Wow, congratulations of a beautiful gun and a cool dad.

 

[fivepointstar]

thats a pretty shottie!!! congrats

 

[Karl/PA]

Whoa ............. allright!

 

[davsco]

very nice, definitely better than money, something you will always remember him when using.

 

[mcbruzdzinski]

Congratulations! Maybe you can show it off at public trap at the AGC!

 

[Robert]

Wow, now that is one sexy shotgun... Nice...

 

[pistonfan]

they are Amazing Shotguns. There Domestic headquarters are here in Cambridge, MD right down the street from our plant, really nice guys too. Congrats!

 

[gaskg]

Beautiful!

 

[august1410]

Absolutely beautiful.

 

[720Deere]

Awesome dad, awesome gun! It seems that he enjoys your smoking and shooting sessions way more than you think he does.

 

[Tactics]

Great gift, cool gun!

 

[circleshooter]

Here's a picture of my Dad and I at Amelia Shotgun Sports.

For those interested or curious, buying it in Florida and getting it back to Maryland was easy. NICS check in Florida and out the door. The only minor glitch is that the Guerini hard case doesn't have provision for TSA locks. So we went over to "Shooters" gun shop in Jacksonville, FL and bought a Pellican case and a couple of TSA-approved locks. Cost me some money (a mere trifle compared to what was going in it), but now I have a sturdy, secure case to take it traveling with me.

On a side note: OMG, in regard to Shooters. I've never seen so many guns in one place EVER. There's nothing even close in MD to compare it too. It's seems like any gun you can think of is on display. Every gun in the STI catalog is in a case, every Kimber, a case with at least 50 suppressors, .50 and .338 Lapua Barrett's just sitting on the counters. Mossberg shotguns arranged in end cap display (just grab one and go) Every Sig, every Glock, every Colt...etc. Not many "high-end" sporting shotguns but plenty of Beretta's, Browning's and Benelli's. I don't think I could even guess at how many millions of $$$ in inventory were on display.

If you're ever in Jacksonville, FL don't miss Shooters.

 

[Mooseman]

Congratulations. That will always be the most special shotgun for you. I just lost my father on Tuesday and it is not easy. Cherish your range trips and secret herfs with your father.

 

[circleshooter]

Awesome dad, awesome gun! It seems that he enjoys your smoking and shooting sessions way more than you think he does.

I can't do anything but agree with you here. Need to get back down there more often.

 

[VWTurbo]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing. These are the types of stories that people (anti's) don't really understand.

 

[circleshooter]

Congratulations. That will always be the most special shotgun for you. I just lost my father on Tuesday and it is not easy. Cherish your range trips and secret herfs with your father.

Thank you and sorry for your loss. "It's not easy" is an understatement. But rest assured that the pain, in time, turns to happy memories.

And you're right, while this gun was indeed expensive, it's just a thing. The story and memories that go with it make it the most valuable gun in the world to me. Hopefully, we all have a gun like this.

 

[Bikebreath]

Great story...congats.

Sorry Mooseman.

 

[Augie]

Circleshooter, congratulations, cherish that gun, it's really something special coming from your dad.
I have a 12 ga Impact, it's a hell of a gun, I use it mainly for trap but have used it effectively for sporting clays also. The adjustments are very easy and repeatable.
Enjoy it ,I'm sure you will think of your dad every time you use it.
Pic of my Impact.

 

[Zombie_013]

thanks for sharing the story. very nice shotty