12 gauge bore size

[sr500]

Hi. Today i mesured the bore at my 12 gauge perc double. As i live in Sweden, we have the metric system. 17mm at the muzzle on both barrels. Is not that pretty tight? The gun is from around 1850s. Could it be chooked? Tommy.

 

[hawk]

17 mm is .669 cal that would be closer to 16 ga would it not .

i think full choke is .69 but can't say for sure ....

 

[sr500]

Yes 17mm is 16 gauge.And its not chooked. I though it loked small in the bore. The guy i bought it from said it was a 12 gauge, and i didnt think about it untill now.And i have ordered wads and stuff in 12 gauge from Midway Sweden. Hope i can talk with them, so they send me 16 gauge instead. You older i get, the less i think. Tommy.

 

[Dave K]

It'a amazing, but understandable, that many people dealing in old muzzleloading shotguns, really don't know what gauge they had. They all assume it is a 12 ga. or something that is common today. The truth is, they all need to actually meassured to know for sure. It was a lesson I learned early on and even going by any markings means nothing. Who knows when someone may have polished the bores and a 16ga. became a 15ga.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

It'a amazing, but understandable, that many people dealing in old muzzleloading shotguns, really don't know what gauge they had. They all assume it is a 12 ga. or something that is common today. The truth is, they all need to actually meassured to know for sure. It was a lesson I learned early on and even going by any markings means nothing. Who knows when someone may have polished the bores and a 16ga. became a 15ga.

And it's always best to mic the bore in a couple of places down inside as well as at the muzzle. This is not just for post-choke guns but for earlier as well. Reason being is that many were belled inside the muzzle. Measuring just at the muzzle might not give correct bore size.

 

[Mathias]

Yes a 12 gauge would measure 18.5 unchoked
Regards MAthias

 

[sr500]

Hi again. As i wrote earlyer i have ordered som wads and cards in 12 gauge for my 16 double, that i thought was a 12 gauge. Now they have already shipped the stuff, Do you think it can be useable in the gun ? Can i press the wads down the bore with some power? or is it wasted money? Maybe its cheap for you, but i have to send for everything where i live. Regards. Tommy.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hi Tommy,
Merry Christmas!
The best resolve for those 12 ga. wads is to keep the 16 ga. and then buy or make a 12 gauge.
Simple fix!!!!
You can't have enough BP guns.
Old Ford

 

[Golfswithwolves]

There really needs to be a switch away from this troublesome metric system that most of the world seems to have adopted. :idunno: How can a person who is used to the very logical English measurement system possibly grasp these confusing millimeters and liters? Such a raft of metric things could only lead to socialism. :nono:

 

[Dave K]

Your right, it seems the more I play with these old things, the more I accumulate. I think I now have every wad/card size from 10-20ga, in one ga. increments and every standard and oversize nipple created as well. Just can't imagine not picking up a gun and not being able to take it to the range. :grin:

 

[sr500]

Guess your right Old Ford. Merry christmas to you. Tommy.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Can you make one of these or get a local engineer to make one?

17.5mm and then when you are finnished with your musli box's you can stamp cards all day long. Use four on the powder and one on the shot and you are independant. All I ever used and it simplyfied things in the field too.

Nath.

 

[sr500]

Hi.I did make one in 18mm, for a musket i had. Not so fancy like that,just i bit of a pipe grinded in one end. but it did work. Now i have ordered Nipples, OP,OS cards and cuson wads in 16 gauge from October country.I think they have a resonable shipping cost.Tommy.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You should be able to send them back to the supplier, and get your money back, or exchange them for the proper sized wads. It may cost your the added shipping, but that should not be a lot. They don't weigh very much.

 

[sr500]

Hi. I payed 15 dollar in shipping from Midway Sweden ,but thats one way. So i think better keep them, i might buy a 12 gauge someday. I use to make my wads and patches for my 45cal Trapper pistol, but as this gun is new for me, and i am kind a hot to try it, so thats why i bought them. You know how it is with a new toy.Think it was you, telling me about this October country place. Did place a order last night. Think they say 12 dollars in shipping, hope this is to Sweden to.Sure they let me know on Monday. Tommy.