I bought an original SXS

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes, if lightly loaded as Feltwad and Jlatz mention above, a ten bore is known to throw V good patterns.
Pleased barrels ring well!

R.

 

[JohnL]

Congrats on this purchase! I almost bought it! Makes me jealous, lol. Enjoy it and be safe!

 

[Griz44Mag]

If you plan on using 9 gauge card wads then check out Flintlocks LLC.
A family run operation, very reasonable and quick to ship.

Call Mike at
317-933-3441

AND - some the nicest and most accommodating folks you will ever talk to......

 

[megasupermagnum]

Thank you Feltwad, that is a good theory on it being back bored. The only reason I was worried about the 26" barrels, is on a lot of modern guns that would provide a neutral or even rear heavy balance, which I do not like. In this case, these barrels are heavy, and balance great. I wouldn't be surprised if it were originally 30" or longer, that whoever shortened it found it way too front heavy. 4" wont make any difference to the velocity or pattern, so I'm not concerned there. I do think I will appreciate the light choke, however, I'm unsure how it will shoot a ball yet. I do not want to go crazy on the loads. I would like to be able to take at least a 25 yard shot, if not 30 yard shot for Turkey. I got to 25 yards with a cylinder bore, so that should be a piece of cake with this. I'll probably start with 1 1/2 oz load and see if I can make it pattern well enough, and if not, go up from there. With duck an goose I don't need so much, and that is where the 1 1/4 oz to 1 1/2 oz loads will come into play.

I cut my own wads, I already have a stack ready.

 

[Feltwad]

Thank you Feltwad, that is a good theory on it being back bored. The only reason I was worried about the 26" barrels, is on a lot of modern guns that would provide a neutral or even rear heavy balance, which I do not like. In this case, these barrels are heavy, and balance great. I wouldn't be surprised if it were originally 30" or longer, that whoever shortened it found it way too front heavy. 4" wont make any difference to the velocity or pattern, so I'm not concerned there. I do think I will appreciate the light choke, however, I'm unsure how it will shoot a ball yet. I do not want to go crazy on the loads. I would like to be able to take at least a 25 yard shot, if not 30 yard shot for Turkey. I got to 25 yards with a cylinder bore, so that should be a piece of cake with this. I'll probably start with 1 1/2 oz load and see if I can make it pattern well enough, and if not, go up from there. With duck an goose I don't need so much, and that is where the 1 1/4 oz to 1 1/2 oz loads will come into play.

I cut my own wads, I already have a stack ready.

I know 4 inch will make a difference to the velocity and pattern has I am speaking from experience and the owner off all big bore sizes you will find that a 12 bore load will be suffice well all the best with the gun
Feltwad

 

[megasupermagnum]

I won't mind the 10 FPS loss, I've shot plenty of blackpowder and shotguns, including barrels much shorter than this.

 

[smo]

Are you going to try the Skychief load?

I haven’t patterned my gun yet, but plan too soon.
I took my gun too an experienced gunsmith and he advised me too shoot light loads only in my gun, due too the twist barrels and its age.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Are you going to try the Skychief load?

I haven’t patterned my gun yet, but plan too soon.
I took my gun too an experienced gunsmith and he advised me too shoot light loads only in my gun, due too the twist barrels and its age.

I plan to try every combination I can conceive of, with any wad I can find to punch out. I have yet to have the Skychief load be the very best combo, but it is always right up there. I like the V.M. Starr approach, which is thick cards, best store bought comparison is now called a nitro card. Two below shot, one over.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Found some questionable things tonight. I took the locks off, and was happy to find no sign of cracking. I feel the stock is good and solid. The locks themselves are in great shape, and I cleaned and lubed them with no issue.

The issues started when I tried to remove the nipples from the barrels. Actually, the nipples themselves came out surprisingly easy, no rust, and came out like all my other guns that I maintain regularly. The issue was as I was trying to loosen the right side nipple, I actually loosened the breech plug! I got the nipple out, and then unthreaded the breech plug. Somebody must have been taking them out, as there was no rust on the threads at all. The left side breech plug I put a wrench on, and it broke loose with minimal effort. It too had zero rust on the threads at all. Both sides have a witness mark for tightening. I wonder if somebody has been regularly removing these? The hooks have some gouges as though a wrench has been used regularly on them. Very odd. The other thing is that from what I know about Nock breech plugs, both sides should be mechanically linked together. It turns out that these are not Noch breech plugs, and are instead some other kind of patent breech plug. There is a shallow dome, then the hole runs straight to the nipple. I took a picture to show the clear and straight path, no false chamber or anything like that.

Now the real bad part. The left barrel that I had noticed some pitting in, also seems to have a couple strange scars that were partially concealed by the breech plug. The Right barrel which looks spotless inside, has a huge chunk missing in the threads. It is not super deep, but apparently deeper than the threads. Such marks do not look like any kind of rust pitting to me. Rust pitting is generally spotty and random. The scars look like faults of some kind. The camera flash makes them look worse than they are, but they do concern me. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Are you going to try the Skychief load?

I haven’t patterned my gun yet, but plan too soon.
I took my gun too an experienced gunsmith and he advised me too shoot light loads only in my gun, due too the twist barrels and its age.

But he is going to say that isnt he!

If a twist barrel is dangerous with a heavy load it is I'm afraid dangerous with light ones!
We call it " arse covering"!

 

[Feltwad]

I was dubious on this gun from the start both barrel breech threads are very, very, very dangerous and will blow especially with a 2.1/2 oz load . Has far has the gun barrels are concerned it is a botched up job when you mention the plugs easily came out . I offered my advice earlier in the thread but whether you take it now or not it is up too you , hang it on the wall and forget about using it , if you part with it you are just passing on the problem to someone else
Feltwad

 

[TFoley]

But he is going to say that isnt he! If a twist barrel is dangerous with a heavy load it is I'm afraid dangerous with light ones! We call it " arse covering"!

I doubt if anybody here can reliably tell the difference between a load that goes off at 'only' 12,000psi, compared with a load that develops 15,000psi.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Quite frankly proofing isnt so much to check an obviously well made gun is safe but to eliminate idiots and scamsters selling guns made from pot metal etcetera to an unsuspecting customer!

 

[toot]

after all it is old enough to vote!, the more you shoot the better it will get. they do smooth out a bit. it will never look like it did when it left the factory again. maybe in a perfect world?

 

[Griz44Mag]

I see absolutely nothing in the pictures that would keep me from shooting it.
There is no erosion anywhere, no signs of any type of damage.
Put it back together and shoot it!
Given the age of the gun and the obvious lack of damage to anything, anywhere - you know it has been shot and enjoyed for many decades.
The stock is sound and the bores are better than just acceptable.
I have seen guns with a lot more wear and erosion pitting that are still perfectly serviceable and get shot regularly.
Don't push it to the max and that gun will give you many more years of enjoyment.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Well, I'm not about to hang it on the wall, and if I sell it as decorative, who cares if it is damaged slightly? I see no reason not to strap it down with some heavy loads and let it rip.

 

[Feltwad]

I see absolutely nothing in the pictures that would keep me from shooting it.
There is no erosion anywhere, no signs of any type of damage.
Put it back together and shoot it!
Given the age of the gun and the obvious lack of damage to anything, anywhere - you know it has been shot and enjoyed for many decades.
The stock is sound and the bores are better than just acceptable.
I have seen guns with a lot more wear and erosion pitting that are still perfectly serviceable and get shot regularly.
Don't push it to the max and that gun will give you many more years of enjoyment.

Shooting this gun is pushing ones luck , the barrels are botched job has I can see how it has been done .Must have been by some amateur gun smith which now is in a dangerous position
Feltwad

 

[smo]

Video Please! I hear a tire works well as a support..

It hasn’t blown up in the past 100 or so years; so maybe it won’t now!

 

[Griz44Mag]

Shooting this gun is pushing ones luck , the barrels are botched job has I can see how it has been done .Must have been by some amateur gun smith which now is in a dangerous position
Feltwad

Since the gun is older than you are and has been shot for many decades - I would say the gun can speak for itself.

 

[Feltwad]

Since the gun is older than you are and has been shot for many decades - I would say the gun can speak for itself.

Yes I agree the gun has been shot for many decades until the barrels were botched which could have only been done no more than a year ago it is now pushing ones luck to shoot it .
Feltwad