16 years ago, to get ready for my honey moon, I cut down the barrel of an old Mossberg 500 20 Gauge. I turned it off in a lathe at a conservative 19", and silver soldered a small brass bead in place as a sight.

That gun was in my old 86 Jimmy for the 6 weeks of the honeymoon as we toured the western US and Canada. Since then it has been my go-to gun in the house. It has only ever come out a few times, but I did once get to back up a neighbor who was having a problem with some people down from the city and it has dispatched a couple of apparently rabid wild animals. I also got it out once when some Irish Travellers wanted to blacktop my driveway and refused to leave. (The police officer arrived about 20 minutes after they left, he was able to track them down and prosecute them!)

One of my oldest and closest friends has wanted this gun for years. He occasionally reminds me that if I want to sell it, he'll buy it. He's a contractor and he often has to do water flow tests late at night, sometimes in pretty sketchy neighborhoods. My little prize fits nicely behind the seat of a Ford Ranger (his personal truck).

Well, I've gotten several more shotguns over the years. This year it became apparent that the oldest boy would need a slug gun for deer season. The only other appropriate shotgun I have is a 20 gauge 870 and it's to old to take a slug barrel. I looked at buying a youth stock and slug barrel for the Mossberg, but when I priced the "Bantam Youth Combo" at Wally World, I was sold. $255., adjustable stock, coupon for a full size stock, short standard barrel with interchangeable chokes, rifled slug barrel that's even ported - thats the ticket! It even has the top safety that works better for a lefty (and my boy is a lefty.)

So I ordered the youth combo today, and when my friend came by tonight I gave him the old 500. I even threw in an oh-so-tactical pistol grip stock and a couple boxes of shells to get him started (since I know he only has 12 gauge in the house.) He has a groundhog in his sand mound that he's going to try it on tomorrow.

No point in me having two of the same gun around for that duty, the kid gun will scare boogeymen just fine.

I never thought I'd be so happy to give a gun away!

dupe