COMBINATION RIFLE/SHOTGUNS

For many decades, I've been interested in having a combination rifle/shotgun, much like the venerable but sadly no longer in production Savage Model 24 in a multitude of caliber and gauge combinations.

Many Texas hunters like my dad would carry double barrel shotguns during certain parts of East Texas hunting seasons when bird and deer seasons intertwined (so they said), carrying a shotshell in one barrel and a slug in the other. The slug, for either an opportune deer or hog or perhaps very large turkey that one doesn't want riddled with birdshot.

These guys were all raised during the depression, raised when hunting for the family with single shot firearms or double barreled shotguns was the way protein got on the table in many cases. My family had a big place, and a lot of kids, and duties of hunting and gathering fell upon the kids in many cases. They hunted, they trapped and they fished for food and money for the family.

When they grew up, they went in the military then to college. He and his friends from college hunted and fished together for the rest of their lives, and most all of them hailed from similar East and Central Texas roots as my dad, all them ending up in Houston living their lives and raising their families. Brothers of different mothers, basically.

Lots of them, our family included, had weekend places in the country. Like the great song by the Marshall Tucker Band, "Walking my property line" says, my idea of a good time, is walking my property line, arming oneself with guns and fishing rods and making walks around the property are an essential part of country living with most folks I know. Some have places so large they have to traverse their property line in a vehicle, and a few have private fenceline roads so they don't have to use public roads when the fenceline and road parallel each other.

So when we'd visit each others places, or go to our own, doing some property line walking was always part of the visit. And of course, during hunting seasons, we were usually armed with the appropriate firearm for what was in season.

So again, going back to the 1930's, when people were hungry, broke and not in a position to let an opportunity for food for their family walk away on the hoof or fly away on the wing, a double barreled shotgun with a slug in one and a shotshell in the other was a way to be prepared for whatever wildlife one might scare up.

Some of my dad's friends did have combination rifle/sshotguns, and most of them were of the Savage brand. One had a Savage Camper's Companion model that broke into two pieces for easy carry, and I thought that was a neat gun. Other makers have made combination guns but I'm pretty sure no one is making a reasonably priced one at this time.

I've been on the lookout for one at used gun stores for quite a few years now. I'm not sure about all of the different calibers and combinations that these guns were offered in, but a nice .30-30 with a 12 or 20 gauge would be great. I'm just going to have to one day decide to hit one of the larger gun shows with some trade fodder and cash and see what I can find.

I'd be interested in hearing about various brands of guns and various caliber combinations from anyone with experience with these type of guns.