Gun Talk
I think part of the fun of “gun talk” is identifying and discussing all of the technical specifics of something. Numerical values assigned to specific behaviors that the human eye cannot see (think, ballistic coefficient) as well as specific components that can be seen and touched (think, caliber) are all woven together to describe an incredible feat of ingenuity, such as a particular shotgun or the shot shell that was designed for it. The same could be said for automobiles, trains, or any other modern marvel that is built by man, has distinct variations leaving a single unifying end result (think, a car that drives us to work safely), but can be achieved through so many different independent journeys (think, a Ferrari or a Chrysler mini van).
Here, let me show you what I mean by “gun talk:”
It’s a 28 gauge with 3 inch chambers; single trigger with barrel selector switch integrated with the external safety. Extractors. The stock is a Prince of Wales, although you might call it a Pistol Grip depending on your eye, and the wood is an unapologetically simple Turkish walnut. Length of pull is fourteen and a half, if I recall correctly. Couldn’t tell you about the comb but the barrel is 28. Oh and there’s some case hardening and same basic filigree.”
I’ve just described my 28 gauge CZ Sharptail side by side shotgun to you. If you like shotguns, like I do, then that’s a really interesting few sentences that paint a picture for you. You apply the numbers recited to your own internal database of every shotgun you’ve ever touched, seen, or used, be it at the trap park or in the field, and you’re now beginning to assess its characteristics. You can determine, within some mild standard deviation, an idea of what this gun actually looks like, why it was built, and maybe what is the kind of person, or shooter, that would carry that. The characteristics, however, are just as important as the numbers, but no less, because we can’t have one without the other. I told you, for example, that the chamber is three inches. The metric explains that common 2 3/4” shot shells will fit in this gun, as will the more recently introduced 3” shells. To the discerning shotgun enthusiast, knowing roughly when three inch shot shells started to exist, the conclusion can be drawn that this gun was manufactured within the last few years. Thus, the 28 gauge shotgun with a three inch chamber has the characteristic of being new, or at least, newer.
I have had the fortunate of getting to handle and discharge a litany of firearms over the last few years. Both in a professional capacity as well as a personal one. I have no formal gunsmith training, and, frankly, I’m not mechanically minded, so my writing on the topic - be it a particular firearm or type of firearm, a perhaps a cartridge - will be from a place of personal experience and introspection, but not necessarily from a pedestal of expertise. Where am I going with this? Well, I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is an example of the “Gun” in Gun Dog Yoga. The GDY Gazette will be a host of sporadic gun-centric thoughts and the occasional random science experiment or research project that may, in its own way, help you out somewhere on your own, safari.
