Modern Classics
Photography by John Hoffman
John Hoffman, DU
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ducks Unlimited’s Gun of the Year program, which has raised more than $250 million for wetlands and waterfowl conservation. In 1973, DU’s first Gun of the Year was a lavishly decorated Remington 1100, and it set the pattern for the popular program of custom guns that are only available through DU events. Made in a limited edition of 500, with serial numbers DU1 to DU500, that first gun featured upgraded wood, a special DU logo, a hard case, and other embellishments. Underneath the decoration, it was a 12-gauge with a 30-inch full choke barrel—a popular configuration in the lead-shot days of the early ’70s. It was a hunting gun as well as a banquet prize.
There was another good reason for picking the 1100 as the first DU Gun of the Year: Remington’s revolutionary semiauto was 10 years old at the time and was already seen as a classic waterfowl gun. In the long and successful history of the program, DU has always chosen top-quality shotguns to receive Gun of the Year upgrades. Beneath their engraved receivers and fancy walnut stocks, many of them are classic duck and goose guns. To preserve their collectible value, some have been squirreled away without ever being fired, but more than a few have gone to the blind with their owners, and any of them could. Here is a selection of some especially noteworthy shotguns that have helped DU raise money for it
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