James Purdey & Sons Ltd.One of London's "Best"

At the conclusion of a recent breakfast meeting of the Shrewsbury Men's Club of Massachusetts, I was packing up my show-and-tell aids after giving a presentation.

- Ernie Foster

I had discussed the history of the Boylston Sportsmen's Club in Boylston, Massachusetts, the oldest continuously operating skeet club in the world; and the current shooting activities of skeet, modern skeet and hunter's skeet (club shooting games).

A gentleman seated at one of the tables called out, "I know you ― do you remember me?" -

I said, "Sir, with all due respect, I do not."

"I even remember your twin brother, Ed."

That quickly got my attention since Ed has not been with us for some time.

I approached the gentleman as he offered, "Do you remember Miss O'Brien, Miss Shea, Mrs.

Morrison?"

I wondered, whoa! Where is this guy going with these names?

"Sir, I do not."

"May Street Grade School. We went to grade school together back in the '40s."

I couldn't even recall what they served us for breakfast here, and this guy wanted me to remember my grade schoolteachers from 80 years ago?

He proceeded to offer the nostalgia of years gone by then interrupted himself.

"I have a shotgun in my closet at home that was my dad's, and I am hoping you can take the time to look at it."

Now, whether for writing about or purchasing, I am always interested in "closet guns" that were used in years gone by. He invited me to visit his home nearby after the presentation.

Once I was seated, he retrieved the gun. The name on the aged, abused leather trunk case was not his family name but had the aura of being something special. As he unstrapped and lifted the lid, the maker's label caught my eye: