Gallyon? What The Heck Is A Gallyon?

[Semisane]

Hey guys, I recently acquired this shotgun. Didn't really need it but the deal was too good to pass up.















First off, I don't know what some previous owner was thinking when he had it fitted for choke tubes. That's not something I would do. But it is what it is and I may learn to love them. If not, a barrel cut is in the gun's future.

I have a number of caplocks and flintlocks, but my only smoothbore is a Pedersoli 12GA double. And my experience with smoothies has been limited to shot loads in the double.

So here are my questions for the smoothbore community.

Would it be safe to shoot .690 patched balls from the Gallyon?

If so, could it be done with the modified choke tube, or would I need to find a cylinder bore tube?

Would you cut the screw-in choke system off or leave it be?

 

[coloradoclyde]

It's just a fancy version of the old CVA Trapper shotgun.....

 

[Semisane]

That may be. But fit and finish is well above any CVA Trapper I've ever seen. Did Investarms make the Trapper?

 

[coloradoclyde]

The Trapper was about as plain as Jane could be.....no butt plate even...
I don't know for sure who actually made them...But they look identical.....save the fanciness....

 

[Semisane]

But they look identical.....save the fanciness

Well dang Clyde, that's pretty funny.

I guess most single barrel 12GA caplocks share a similar look. But to say a Trapper with no buttplate, no nose cap, no checkering and no under rib looks "identical" to this thing is a bit of a stretch. I do admit the lines are very close. But then so are the lines of other guns.

Did CVA offer a plain Jane Trapper and a fancier model?

 

[Zonie]

Gallyon & Sons is a sporting arms maker in Cambridge, England which dates back to 1784.

They made high quality shotguns and yours is a reproduction of one from the percussion era.

I'm sure you could safely shoot roundballs with it but the screw in choke might present a problem.

Personally, I think the glow in the dark front sight looks out of place but a little touchup with some black Testers PLA model paint could improve it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

CVA seems to have made several variations of the trapper.....
Ok! enough quibbling... :haha:

To answer your other questions....I shoot .690's out of mine...but I did open up the choke slightly....just enough that I could get a wad past it....
I can measure it tomorrow if you want....

If yours ends up like mine, it makes a much better shotgun than it does a slug gun....

 

[coloradoclyde]

How do you know the screw in choke isn't original?
Mine has one.....


Rather than cut off the choke just chuck it in a lathe and gently open it up with a file and emery.....Doesn't take much.....

 

[coloradoclyde]

Here is CVA's Trapper manual...it has round ball load data....and warnings....All else aside I think that the barrels on both guns are identical. http://www.cva.com/pdf/CVAShotgunWarrBook.pdf

 

[Semisane]

Thanks for the poop guys.

Great info Zonie. And I agree with you about that sight.

Thanks for that link Clyde. Is your choke a screw-in?

I was thinking the screw-in choke was an after market add on because of the discoloration at the muzzle, which I assumed was caused by installation of the choke. But now, as I look at it closer I see the discoloration is not around the full circumference of the muzzle, but just the upper two-thirds. So it must have been caused by soldering on that sight.

Here's a better picture of the muzzle.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Yes my choke is also a screw in......And I also think your sight was added afterwards...

 

[Captjoel]

What the heck is a Gallyon?

I would say you would need 4 quarts to make up a Gallyon.

Now on the other hand....if you are referring to a Spanish Gallyon......you'd be talking about a sailing ship which was part of their Armada.

We all know those guys back then were horrible speller's!
Sorry I just couldn't resist

That looks like a pretty nice shotgun you have there!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I guess most single barrel 12GA caplocks share a similar look. But to say a Trapper with no buttplate, no nose cap, no checkering and no under rib looks "identical" to this thing is a bit of a stretch. I do admit the lines are very close.

Actually Clyde is probably right that yours is based on, and probably made by, the company that produced the Trapper. CVA imported guns from other makers in the 1970's - 1980's and continues to do so. Their inexpensive, caplock "longrifle", was made in Spain. It's still found today though it's sold by Traditions. Your gun was made in Italy, and no doubt was specified to have the additional parts, polishing, and engraving.

Hatfield for a time before going out of business, imported Pedersoli Frontier rifles, with better wood, and better polish and bluing on the barrel. Remington sold flintlocks for a limited time, and I think they may have been Pedersoli too. Cimarron Firearms orders copies of Colt SAA revolvers from Uberti, including a caplock version for countries where cartridge guns are highly restricted, with better fit and finish than the standard Uberti revolvers from Italy. (To name a few examples.)

Colorado Clyde wrote:
Rather than cut off the choke just chuck it in a lathe and gently open it up with a file and emery.....Doesn't take much.....

Or use a brake honing tool with a power drill and some emery. You might see if you can find an extra IC choke, so that you'd maintain a full set of chokes instead of sacrificing the IC choke.

LD

 

[Britsmoothy]

Nice find.

As it's slightly unauthentic how about getting some rifled slugs for it?

B.

 

[BillinOregon]

Well, as Investarms makes the highly regarded Lyman Great Plains guns, this one ought to serve you well. I will admit I would be tempted to bob that barrel and ditch the choke and front sight for a more traditional look.

 

[Semisane]

Nice find.

As it's slightly unauthentic how about getting some rifled slugs for it?

B.

That's a thought Brit. And I even have about two dozen of them somewhere out in the garage. But....the CVA shotgun manual at the link Clyde provided has this caution.

H. SINGLE PROJECTILE

1. There is one and only one single projectile for the 12 gauge CVA Shotgun. It is a .690 diameter round lead ball, weighing approximately 495 grains. This ball must be suitably patched. (See Page 17.)

2. The powder charge is the same as the volumetric load for l 1/8 ounce of roundballs. (See page 9 for Table l.)

3. The above projectile, when suitably loaded, will give approximately 1,000 feet per second velocity and 1,100 foot pounds of energy. Velocity at 100 yards is approximately 800 feet per second. Energy at 100 yards is approximately 700 foot pounds.

CAUTION: Do not use more powder. Use only 2f (ffg) blackpowder. Do not use 3f (fffg) blackpowder.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should a mini ball, maxi ball, R.E.A.L. Bullet®, rifled or unrifled shotgun slug be used in the CVA Shotgun. Use will exceed safety limitations of this type of firearm.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm glad you read it.... :thumbsup:

 

[Semisane]

Yeah. But why would a 490 grain patched ball be safe, but a 437 grain slug be unsafe. Does the expansion of a slug create that much pressure difference?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Hmmm so projectiles will somehow magically turn into violent demons but a ball won't :hmm:

Sounds more like they don't want to be blamed if someone fails to secure a slug on the charge sufficiently.

Each to their own I guess, hey have fun :hatsoff:

B.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Balls are patched...maxi-balls, slugs, miniballs aren't.....Balls are also lighter...But probably the most important factor is choke restriction ....a ball has the least.