- Joined
- Jul 2, 2025
- Messages
- 92
At age 15, I collected all my lawn mowing and farm chores money, convinced my mom to sign a form and sent away to Stoeger Arms, who published a then-popular catalog called Shooters Bible. I purchased a Savage Mdl 24, which as most know, is an over-under .22LR/.410 shotgun. $32.50, can't remember if there was a shipping cost. We lived in Illinois and I hunted rabbits, quail, pheasant and even the occasional duck. The .22 was used to cull neighbors' gardens of rabbits ( a box of .22 short cost was 60¢, vs. L.R. 90¢, so the profit margin for a bunny tail was much better. Plus, shorts were much quieter) and squirrel; a neighbor lady made the best Brunswick stew.
I wasn't satisfied with what I saw as clunky looks, so sawed off the pistol grip, shaved down the forearm and refinished it all with Herter's World Famous London Oil Finish, which is probably linseed oil and alcohol (I still have the can!).
Our family moved to North Idaho and the 24 was kind of retired in favor of bigger game rifles. And .410 isn't really great on chukar, Hun, and other PacNW game birds. But it's my first and will be my last.
Forward to the '90s. The Soviet Union breaks up and all kinds of stuff is on the market. A friend found a source for Saiga semiautomatic shotguns, all apparently based on the AK-47. They came in 12 gauge, 20 gauge and .410. Ammo was also available, steel case, in slugs, buckshot and #3 shot. I had an FFL so we purchased a fair quantity of them in all gauges and calibers and before we could shoot any of them, they sold like the proverbial hot cake at embarrassing profits (probably one of the few times I actually made money on firearms).
There was a tremendous amount of ammo, so what was left over, I sold at gun shows. 410 slugs proved popular for Taurus Judge owners. The Saiga slugs measured .40. My Mdl 24 choke mics at .335. and I didn't want to chance any damage. But I did save some of the #3 shot. I try to imagine the purpose of #3 shot in a semi-auto sort of an assault weapon....
I wasn't satisfied with what I saw as clunky looks, so sawed off the pistol grip, shaved down the forearm and refinished it all with Herter's World Famous London Oil Finish, which is probably linseed oil and alcohol (I still have the can!).
Our family moved to North Idaho and the 24 was kind of retired in favor of bigger game rifles. And .410 isn't really great on chukar, Hun, and other PacNW game birds. But it's my first and will be my last.
Forward to the '90s. The Soviet Union breaks up and all kinds of stuff is on the market. A friend found a source for Saiga semiautomatic shotguns, all apparently based on the AK-47. They came in 12 gauge, 20 gauge and .410. Ammo was also available, steel case, in slugs, buckshot and #3 shot. I had an FFL so we purchased a fair quantity of them in all gauges and calibers and before we could shoot any of them, they sold like the proverbial hot cake at embarrassing profits (probably one of the few times I actually made money on firearms).
There was a tremendous amount of ammo, so what was left over, I sold at gun shows. 410 slugs proved popular for Taurus Judge owners. The Saiga slugs measured .40. My Mdl 24 choke mics at .335. and I didn't want to chance any damage. But I did save some of the #3 shot. I try to imagine the purpose of #3 shot in a semi-auto sort of an assault weapon....
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