Option Angst

I’ve always envied people who could have a gun custom made instead of buying it new or used off the rack. With a custom gun, you get exactly what you want. You don’t have to settle. What could be better, right?

Well, there is the angst of uncertainty to consider. When you buy a gun in the shop, you know exactly what you are getting. Buying a used gun is even better, as you usually get to shoot it before committing so you know how it performs. There is no question about what the gun will be like, because you can hold it in your hands before melting that credit card.

A relatively safe middle ground is ordering a gun similar to one you have shot. As long as manufacturing is consistent, you know what is coming.

But when you order a gun to be made to your specifications, you have unlimited potential but also unlimited doubts. Did you write down the correct specs? Will the gun come the way you wanted? Will it shoot as you expect it to? Did you get things right? Will they get things right?

Like you, I’ve been a good boy for at least a week and thus deserve a new gun. So when I recently went to the fall Southern Side by Side shoot, I thought I might give myself a treat. I’ve admired the Connecticut Shotgun A-10 American sidelock over/under for some time, and I thought that one in 20 gauge would be just what was needed to put fear into the hearts of the uppity local gamebirds.

As always, Connecticut Shotgun’s Lou Frutuoso was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. And quite a good salesman too. I made arrangements to buy the gun and told Lou I’d let him know the exact details of how I wanted it set up after I thought about it for a few days.

Then came the hard part. The choices of barrel length and engraving weren’t too difficult, but then it got tricky. Did I want the gorgeous capped Prince of Wales grip with the long tang, or the classic English stock, or the plainer round knob grip, the sample of which fit me perfectly? Looks or function?

What about stock dimensions? Nothing easier. I’d just measure one of my favorite field guns and copy that.

Wrong! I have a number of O/Us that feel right, and none of them have the same stock measurements. Aarrgghh! Maximum angst. What to pick? Spoilt for choice perhaps, but you have to commit to one thing and live with the result. Now I know how Bert Parks felt at the Miss American pageants. His job wasn’t easy.

And then there is the wait while the gun slowly works its way through production. No matter how quickly it is done, it always takes longer than you expect. Once the die is cast and you are locked into your specs, the best thing to do is to forget about it until it arrives. But it’s always hard not to second-guess while you wait. Should I have gotten it that way? Wouldn’t it have been better this way?

But that wait is part of the ordered-gun experience too. It’s like a vacation that you book ahead of time and look forward to. There is so much potential preceding reality.

I guess that when all is said and done, there is no really bad way to add a new gun to your collection. Off-the-shelf or custom-ordered, each method has its advantages and concerns. I’ll let you know how things work out when the gun arrives.

And while I’m waiting, it’s boots off, beer open.