Quail Season Is Vintage Shotgun Season

Once quail season rolls around, Patagonia becomes a base for bird hunters who are here taking advantage of the excellent winter weather and the opportunity to hunt three species of quail within an hour’s drive of town.

It’s also an opportunity to re-establish friendships with fellow hunters that you have met over the years. What I look forward to is seeing all the old shotguns that friends and clients alike have recently purchased. On any given day during quail season it’s not uncommon to witness a shotgun aficionado version of “show and tell” in the parking lot across from the Stage Stop Inn.

To the non-hunter, viewing a group of middle-aged men openly handling and discussing shotguns might seem a little odd. But keep in mind that most of the double guns on display are from the period between the late 1800s and 1939, when shotguns were built with a level of craftsmanship that has slowly faded away. The engraving is top-shelf, most of the wood used for the stocks is highly figured walnut and some come with the original maker’s case, sometimes with notes from previous owners. The guns on display usually range in price anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 but when a Holland and Holland or Purdey makes an appearance, the value goes north of $50,000.

Gun collecting themes vary, ranging from a particular manufacturer, gauge or country. American-built guns are well-represented, usually including Parkers, L.C. Smith’s and the occasional Fox. British-built guns usually rule the roost, coming from a long list of makers that for the most part are no longer in operation. Occasionally a Belgian or German gun is passed around for a look and feel.

Collecting these old guns might not seem very practical, but the reality is nothing has changed in double gun technology. The older guns are in many ways superior to modern versions of side-by-side shotguns and retain their value and appreciate. The bonus is the gun comes with a long story which the new owner gets to add their input to.