Chances are few have the original shotgun of your childhood. If you do its seldom used because it might not work that well. Not so with my old 1966 Model 1100 Remington 12 gauge. Mom and Dad got it for me at age 12, I’m 63 now and it works just fine. It now has a new barrel and a bunch of chokes. I included a Scope sighted Slug barrel as well, it works like a charm. But I just don’t think Remington makes them that good anymore.
The gun has been refinished twice and two firing pins replaced but otherwise it goes bang every time. Over the years it has collected a box car full of every game you can take with a shotgun from Bobwhites to Wild Boar. Sometime I get lucky and sometime I don’t, but its never the guns fault.
They still make the M1100 but it doesn’t look like this one. Mine was $186 in 1966, my parents couldn’t afford the Browning A-5 it was $315, but I never complained. Of course I have both now.
They only thing I never shot with it was a Turkey, I use the Remington 870 Supermag for that. I did scare off a home invader once when he heard the bolt slam shut on the load of 00 buck. He had a splendid head and it would have looked nice mounted.
I took it out yesterday on a Dove hunt and it still works perfectly. It will outlast me, I hope someday I find a person worthy to …Pass it on.