Hage Family Shotgun

Dad says this 12 ga. shotgun was given to him by his dad, Abner, while living in the Minneapolis area. Abner had obtained it used from someone in Mpls, MN around 1940. Check out the original serial number; it is a Remington firearm. We are guessing the age to be around 74 years old.

Dad (Bob,Sr.) replaced the forearm (said it was beaten up pretty bad) during the 1960s; he recalls the gun "comes up" perfectly every time. Of course, he doesn't remember "missing" many ducks or pheasants with it. The choke on the barrel is also very worn....I remember him always checking the diameter of it with a dime. During the 1950s and 60s Dad took this gun into duck sloughs, cornfields, and pheasant country. It took a physical beating; he said to clean it, he would take it into the shower with him and run very hot water through everything. It seemed to work. When he lifted it for these pictures (July 7, 2006) he remarked "I don't remember it being this heavy!?" Dad is 77 years young.

I remember as a kid always wanting an "automatic" just like Dad's (and Grandpa's); in fact, when I got to college in 1972, I traded by original Remington 870 wingmaster (gift from folks) and my .22 rifle (also a gift) for an old used Remington auto shotgun "just like Dad's". The saleman at Poor Borches in Marshall, MN wanted to just sell me a replacement barrrel for the 870...but I was dead set on getting my own "Hage Auto". Unfortunately, I couldn't hit a mallard in a morning corn field if my life depended on it (especially when it nevered repeated for me.....something about turning the rings around, and around and around. I eventually sold it to a collector/trap shooter from Rosemount, MN.

I think both Rich and Bob used the Hage shotgun.

Dad retired from teaching in 1975 and the Hector community gave him an 1100 Remington automatic as a gift. The Hage Auto has been retired pretty much since then.

And, I found this photograph from early 1960's....Steve demonstrating to brothers and mother that he could handle the "Hage Shotgun".....a bit of historical evidence relating to Steve's desire to some day have a shotgun like Dad's.