12g double barrel percussion shotgun

[Billy Boy]

Been wanting one of these for awhile to shoot everything from PRB to bird & buck shot with. Would probably shoot round ball more often than shot, & want a double barrel that does both & can group decent enough w PRB out to a good 50yd or better if possible

Prefer barrels 20-27”

Trying to keep it under $500 & less is better. Know that’s not easy to come by as many of the replica’s go for way too much

Was about to pull the trigger the trigger on a Pietta on here but someone snatched it up b4 I did

Kinda like the idea of an original & ironically Rhodes often go for less than replica’s, like Sharp’s rifle’s always seem too as well, but not sure I should trust round ball out of an old one?

Anyways, any recommendations

I loved my 12 and 10ga pipes. I would confine my roundball expectations to about half of that distance, completely work one barrel at a time, you might get a pleasant surprise.

 

[Garbear34]

I have the navy arms double 12 gauge. Love it. Easy to carry. Nice shot pattern. Ive only tried round ball a few times can't say jow good my group is havent shot much round ball in it.

Look around for a navy arms double 12 gauge. Good luck you're going to be hooked

 

[Loyalist Dave]

NOW I guess I need to get into my shot and finish my kit

LD

 

[Gordoncourtney]

As Mr Courtney points out, a couple of posts above, this is called a Cape Gun, after the locale that made it's practical usage famous. Good luck finding ANY shootable example under $1500 - 2000, especially in the USA.

My Reilly (photo) with light rust cost me £850 at Holts auction. , cleaned up , now over £1500 to £2300 However two others loose ribs , dents and broken stocks were under £200. I do like them, one can imagine it’s former shooting history in South Africa , ???? I don’t think percussion versions were made in large numbers. So scarce but little buyers interest in them. Plenty of later cartridge ones around and good value for money.

As Mr Courtney points out, a couple of posts above, this is called a Cape Gun, after the locale that made it's practical usage famous. Good luck finding ANY shootable example under $1500 - 2000, especially in the USA.

Thanks for that . I lost my first paragraph again ???? No matter. I went for this Cape rifle , photos, at holts , it said in need of restoration but it was only light rust. 1853 by EM Reilly so it’s French walnut , left bore 2 grove riffling , right smooth and both bores in fair condition around .675” bore , shot barrel slightly larger at .720. Paid too much at £850. But it’s nice . Could be worth now £1800 to £2300. But there’s little interest in Cape rifles The top rib was loose so epoxy repair .

 

[R Ellis]

Did anyone ever produce a double barrel with one barrel having a very slow twist? That way the rifled barrel would spread shot close in and also shoot round ball further away. The smooth bore would shoot shot further away and round ball close in. A simple set of fixed sights would suffice if regulated to the rifled bore.

Sure did I have a flintlock with a 62 cal rifle barrel on right side and 62 smooth on left also Pedersoli make a combo gun

 

[R Ellis]

Oh I love relic looking double barrels with loose ribs, nobody is interested in them !!!!
I often find hardly any solder is used to secure the ribs , so gently remove them , just tap a knife gently under the rib . Then you can do a real good job of getting all the corrosion of and de rust . Re assemble with a good thick epoxy, nobody will know or be any the wiser. Good job done simple easy

I love double barrels with loose ribs as nobody wants them so bids are very low. So little solder is used that ribs often break away over time ( I don’t mean a relic but sometimes, even they are a winner .) Just depends on you skills and lots of hours to be spent .

If they are a bit loose a bit of epoxy may solve it , but I gently tap a thin knife under the rib and crack the solder joint , patience you don’t want to bend the actual rib . Then clean up the large amount of rust and corrosion and solder between the barrels. Check the rib fits perfect then tape it up with thick epoxy. A good job easily and well done. The photos are good guns with ribs peeling off , two are cape rifles. All three done by me, Remember lots of patience needed Enjoy

So does this epoxy hold up for years under shooting conditions and firing a lot of rounds .And do you disclose the repair when you sale them or do you keep them

 

[Gordoncourtney]

So does this epoxy hold up for years under shooting conditions and firing a lot of rounds .And do you disclose the repair when you sale them or do you keep them

No they are never for sale . But It’s often the buyer beware . I guess epoxy will outlast lead as it’s not subject to corrosion . If I did not repair them they will be lost and broken up for spares I do what makes me happy

 

[R Ellis]

No they are never for sale . But It’s often the buyer beware . I guess epoxy will outlast lead as it’s not subject to corrosion . If I did not repair them they will be lost and broken up for spares I do what makes me happy

The reason I ask is because I just did the same thing to a old 12 gauge double that the top rib was loose on .I have not shot it since the repair and like you will not sale it but would like to know more about how well it will likely hold up to use .I filled the gap between the barrels from the bottom rib to the top and it has been curing for about two months .

 

[R Ellis]

No they are never for sale . But It’s often the buyer beware . I guess epoxy will outlast lead as it’s not subject to corrosion . If I did not repair them they will be lost and broken up for spares I do what makes me happy

The reason I ask is because I just did the same repair to a old 12 gauge double and would like to know how it is likely to hold up when used and fired .I filled the area between the barrels from top to bottom with epoxy and have not fired it since . Just like to know your results so far if you have used any of them

 

[Gordoncourtney]

The reason I ask is because I just did the same repair to a old 12 gauge double and would like to know how it is likely to hold up when used and fired .I filled the area between the barrels from top to bottom with epoxy and have not fired it since . Just like to know your results so far if you have used any of them

I have soldered several together but to much heat can cause other problems I dropped one I had done and the rib fell off again , ,?????? So I went back to epoxy , it should last forever .

 

[TFoley]

So does this epoxy hold up for years under shooting conditions and firing a lot of rounds .And do you disclose the repair when you sale them or do you keep them

TBH, here in UK there's not a lot you can actually shoot with a Cape gun of any kind. Problem is, y'see, that here in UK, although it's a muzzleloading antique, or a b*e*c*-loader that shoot obsolete c*t*i*g*s and Mr Courtney could buy it without an kind of of permit or authorisation, actually SHOOTING it is a chicken of a different blanket.

If you want to shoot the thing, well, it's that rifled barrel, y'see - makes it, here in UK, a Section 1 firearm. Same a .50cal Barrett [excuse me].

So it's really not a matter of how many rounds you fire, it's actually being ALLOWED to fire ANY rounds. And at what? Minimum m/e for deer is 1750 ft lbs. It MIGHT make it, but getting it authorised to use? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Jappo]

As per y'alls conversation, I'm guessing I should remove the ribs and inspect the barrels? No idea when it was made and it is Damascus. I got the insides pretty much clean. There is some pitting but nothing serious that I could see. Now y'all have me a little worried.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

TBH, here in UK there's not a lot you can actually shoot with a Cape gun of any kind. Problem is, y'see, that here in UK, although it's a muzzleloading antique, or a b*e*c*-loader that shoot obsolete c*t*i*g*s and Mr Courtney could buy it without an kind of of permit or authorisation, actually SHOOTING it is a chicken of a different blanket.

If you want to shoot the thing, well, it's that rifled barrel, y'see - makes it, here in UK, a Section 1 firearm. Same a .50cal Barrett [excuse me].

So it's really not a matter of how many rounds you fire, it's actually being ALLOWED to fire ANY rounds. And at what? Minimum m/e for deer is 1750 ft lbs. It MIGHT make it, but getting it authorised to use? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Those great guys across thee pond will never understand , UK is such a tiny island full of people , there’s little or no room to throw chunks of lead around , hence laws say old guns are for hanging on the wall , and if you want to shoot one you have to get permission from the police , hence you need an S1 certificate , to say you can only shoot on the range . Shotguns are not so bad as shot is only like falling rain , but you still need Police S2 permission . It’s a green and pleasant land so I am happy with my lot. Shot on farms all my life, shot in Nigeria , and am content with my deadly bsa Scorpio pump up air guns . I shoot arrows too but a law was passed in 1963??? Saying you cannot hunt with a bow. Oh knitting and fishing are ok We wish you well where ever you are Love from us guys in the uk

 

[R Ellis]

Those great guys across thee pond will never understand , UK is such a tiny island full of people , there’s little or no room to throw chunks of lead around , hence laws say old guns are for hanging on the wall , and if you want to shoot one you have to get permission from the police , hence you need an S1 certificate , to say you can only shoot on the range . Shotguns are not so bad as shot is only like falling rain , but you still need Police S2 permission . It’s a green and pleasant land so I am happy with my lot. Shot on farms all my life, shot in Nigeria , and am content with my deadly bsa Scorpio pump up air guns . I shoot arrows too but a law was passed in 1963??? Saying you cannot hunt with a bow. Oh knitting and fishing are ok We wish you well where ever you are Love from us guys in the uk

Sorry you have such laws and glad we don't have such an hope we never do. I enjoy firing a few rounds

 

[Gordoncourtney]

As per y'alls conversation, I'm guessing I should remove the ribs and inspect the barrels? No idea when it was made and it is Damascus. I got the insides pretty much clean. There is some pitting but nothing serious that I could see. Now y'all have me a little worried.

If the ribs are well stuck down , leave them alone , perhaps a little epoxy here and there photos look ok .

I have soldered several together but to much heat can cause other problems I dropped one I had done and the rib fell off again , ,?????? So I went back to epoxy , it should last forever .

heres some shots of a relic cape rifle I put back together £156 at auction. Broken stock at the wrist , barrels plenty of dents seemingly hit in a fight with a machete as the dents had a deep cut across them, ribs peeling off it weight is only just over 9 lb. But the barrels heavy at 8 lbs strong by Hollis of England Bores were rusty but not bad , rifled right barrel smooth left both 12 bore, I got the leaf sights off eBay uk £24 it’s still a tatty cape rifle but what history from the 1850s great over fireplace , and could be a good shooter as a shotgun in uk, but happy to sit on the wall. I certainly learnt how to remove dents .

 

[Wolf75]

I trust Graeme Wright will not mind me showing a few photos of his wonderful book , it’s a must have for modern double rifle shooters like me , He does a whole chapter on paradox double rifles. I must point out paradox rifles are unmentionable on this forum, but it’s educational history , so it might pass for a few days

Any information on these?

 

[Nuthatch]

I have a Pedersoli double 12 ga. I made a rear aperture sight that slips into the tang screw to help me get my alignment correct. I've only shot round ball in the left barrel with a cylinder choke tube screwed in. It shoots about 3" left at 25 yards and about 6" left at 50 yards. I haven't really grouped it. But if I hold on the right edge of my 12" steel plate at 50 yards, I'll smack it most of the time. That's with only about 75 grains of 2F, a cushion wad, ball & card to top it off. I think of it as a black powder version of a bow -- good enough for anything I may encounter from quail up to large bear. But only at close ranges.

In many states, including my own, dedicated muzzleloader seasons are only allowed to have a single barrel. It's fine to use a double barrel during the general season though. Just check your regs before heading afield.

 

[Gordoncourtney]

The reason I ask is because I just did the same thing to a old 12 gauge double that the top rib was loose on .I have not shot it since the repair and like you will not sale it but would like to know more about how well it will likely hold up to use .I filled the gap between the barrels from the bottom rib to the top and it has been curing for about two months .

Thinking aeroplane wings are stuck together with epoxy and helicopter blades. So I guess it will last . Ha ha my stupid comment

 

[Gordoncourtney]

Any information on these?

The unmentionable T Gardner , you will find one today on guns international nice. The percussion a flint conversion ?? I love the octagonal double rifle. Seen German ones but they are usually over and under . If I lived in the USA I would build one, as new rifled barrels are so available in USA . That’s a No! no! In the uk , so stick to originals on the wall, or shotguns , shot only , illegal to shoot patched balls. It sounds terrible for us but I can hunt squirrels , pcp air guns, in the garden 24/7 The only problem is skinning them , tasty though I enjoy the forum over a cup of tea in a warm bed 8:53 uk time this cold morning ,

God bless