This gun is no longer legal. I don't object.

[cary m2a]

The time of the Punt Guns were over a hundred years ago, and using buffalo was like using plastic today, it was in everything just like real wood, whale oil, baby seal skin and elephant ivory. Oh I miss the old days. But I still set my own valves and points .

Cary

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Louis, Please don't call the people who shot birds for market, Hunters.
Using your standard, the folks in the meat packing plant who smack cows in the skull with large hammers, would qualify as hunters too.
OR the folks who decapitate chickens for Col Sanders. (chickens are birds)

[Louis of PA]

Irv Joffe had one of those big bore cannons on the wall in his shop in Upper Darby, Pa. It was a percussion gun and looked like it would punish on both ends. That was back when you could buy a Lee Enfield for 14 bucks and a Jungle Carbine for 25. I bought a couple of trapdoor Springfield 45/70s there real cheap too. (as well as a lot of other stuff)

Ken, Joffe's gun shop was almost legendary in this area. My brother patronized it and I used to go in to drool over the stuff he offered. Years later, Suburban Armory in Darby told me they were using Joffe's chief gunsmith.

However my first deer rifle as a .303 Enfield, $17, from Goldberg, either in in 69th Street or in the city. Sadly I passed up on the carbine version; at $25 it was kind of rich for a college kid. Still have the rifle.
Regards,
Louis of PA

[Ken C.]

Ken, Joffe's gun shop was almost legendary in this area. My brother patronized it and I used to go in to drool over the stuff he offered. Years later, Suburban Armory in Darby told me they were using Joffe's chief gunsmith.

However my first deer rifle as a .303 Enfield, $17, from Goldberg, either in in 69th Street or in the city. Sadly I passed up on the carbine version; at $25 it was kind of rich for a college kid. Still have the rifle.
Regards,
Louis of PA

Louis, I began going to Irvs shop in the 50s, when he was located at 52nd & Larchwood (Maybe Larchmont, memory is failing) in the city. Irv was a terrific guy. Always kind and helpful. I still use the Lyman bullet sizer I bought off him 2nd hand, and I continued dealing there after he had to move out to Upper Darby because of the mounting crime problems in the old location. I have many fond memories of traveling up to his store from South Jersey and doing business with Irv. When JFK was shot Irv was featured on one of the Phila. TV channels debunking the theory being tossed around at that time regarding the speed with which the 3 shots were fired by Oswald. Irv later was strongly at odds with the rest of the Jewish community when they began favoring new gun control measures. He remarked to me "Ken, the Democrats are like parrots, one says a lie, and the rest repeat it like it was gospel. I have no respect for the Rabbi any longer."
Irv, old friend, nothing has changed in the world of 2009.

[seagoatami]

carym2a
wow amazing!! dead birds reproducing!! please send pictures

[Louis of PA]

Louis, Please don't call the people who shot birds for market, Hunters.
Using your standard, the folks in the meat packing plant who smack cows in the skull with large hammers, would qualify as hunters too.
OR the folks who decapitate chickens for Col Sanders. (chickens are birds)

I think it's hard, if not impossible, to always judge people of those days by our standards today. Though I would've always been disgusted by the slaughter at Hawk Mountain when hawks of all types were shot but nothing was used. Our generation was raised by our depression-era parents to despise waste of any kind. And I'm sure they held that attitude even before the depression.

My daughter lives in a home that was once owned by a black slave holder, in Virginia. In fact she has met some descendents of those slaves.

The disconnects with today's values can make one crazy.

My point about the punt gunners is that, perhaps those people did not own a farm or business to provide them and their family with a regular livelihood, and so resorted to such activities merely to keep going. And it would have probably been seasonal work only.

It comes down to specific circumstances.

Regards

[cary m2a]

seagoatami
That is amazing.
Hang around , you might learn something.

Cary

[jon_norstog]

Louis,

I been to Hawk Mountain. What a place! It is a ridge of pure white quartzite, hard as diamond and beautiful stone. The raptors like the updraft off it, it makes for EZ travel on their way south.

I can't imagine why anyone would call it sport to ambush those beautiful, useful, inedible birds with a giant shotgun.

My own thought is its a tossup, ban the weapon or ban the behavior. Maybe the third way is to educate people to show some respect for the living creatures of this world and not kill them unless you've got a good reason. that goes for humans too.

rant, rant

jn

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Just a correction, Punt guns were used to kill flocks of migratory birds, not raptors. They were called punt guns because they used the punt, (boat) as a platform, somewhat like a cannon mounted on a tank. There was no way in heck that you could ever fire one from the shoulder and not need urgent medical attention after the fact.

[cary m2a]

+100 John

Cary