Monkey gun? .390 fullstock made in Brazil

[ajbennettnc]

Picked this up in a trade today. I recognized it from similar examples I'd seen online, some maybe from this forum. Anybody out there shooting these things? About .39 according to my caliper. Weird neat little world history smoothbore I'm happy to add to the collection.
I intend to shoot a few light shot load, with perhaps no more than 30 grains of powder with equal volum #6 or #8 shot. Nipple threads are in good shape, and the bore isn't absolute trash. Further cleaning and inspection will take place before shooting it. Any information or ideas about it are appreciated!

 

[WALT53]

Picked this up in a trade today. I recognized it from similar examples I'd seen online, some maybe from this forum. Anybody out there shooting these things? About .39 according to my caliber. Weird neat little world history smoothbore I'm happy to add to the collection.
I intend to shoot a few light shot load, with perhaps no more than 30 grains of powder with equal volum #6 or #8 shot. Nipple threads are in good shape, and the bore isn't absolute trash. Further cleaning and inspection will take place before shooting it. Any information or ideas about it are appreciated!

I have 2 in 54 cal with 28” barrels and a wire ramrod ,they shoot shot good to 20yds with 35 grns of powder and 55 grns equivalent shot .Nice light little gun for taking in the woods.Walt

 

[earlwb]

I bought one of those many years ago as a teenager from my local gun store. I had tons of fun with it too. It made for a nice hunting gun at close range too. I bagged quite a few rabbits with it and some doves along with some quail too.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

What makes this a monkey gun?

 

[ajbennettnc]

What makes this a monkey gun?

I've read that tiny smoothbores like this were sold to remote inhabitants in jungles, where monkeys were hunted for food, or to ornithologist for shooting birds with light enough loads of shot that the bird were killed but their carcasses weren't too damaged, for study. Hence, some folks have dubbed these "monkey guns."

 

[ajbennettnc]

I bought one of those many years ago as a teenager from my local gun store. I had tons of fun with it too. It made for a nice hunting gun at close range too. I bagged quite a few rabbits with it and some doves along with some quail too.

Is yours full stock too?

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

Picked this up in a trade today. I recognized it from similar examples I'd seen online, some maybe from this forum. Anybody out there shooting these things? About .39 according to my caliper. Weird neat little world history smoothbore I'm happy to add to the collection.
I intend to shoot a few light shot load, with perhaps no more than 30 grains of powder with equal volum #6 or #8 shot. Nipple threads are in good shape, and the bore isn't absolute trash. Further cleaning and inspection will take place before shooting it. Any information or ideas about it are appreciated!

Besides that writing..."made in Brazil"... is there any other brand?

 

[ajbennettnc]

Barrel appears slightly bent. Is this repairable?

 

[ajbennettnc]

Besides that writing..."made in Brazil"... is there any other brand?

Says "Firearms Int'l Corp Washington DC" atop the breech.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

Says "Firearms Int'l Corp Washington DC" atop the breech.

It's easier then, having been made in Washington DC.
Do not you think?

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Firearms Int'l Corp Washington DC

That's the importer, not the MFG.

 

[ajbennettnc]

I figure it was imported by that corporation, but made in Brazil. Seems like a similar situation to how Rossi .22s are popular in the States nowadays, but are also manufactured in Brazil.
Not quite sure what you mean by something being "easier." If it was made in Washington, DC I would likely trust it less than a gun made it Brazil. Having owned Rossi cartridge guns, I have always seen Brazilian guns to be items of good quality.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

Acho que foi importado por aquela corporação, mas fabricado no Brasil. Parece uma situação semelhante a como os Rossi .22 são populares nos Estados Unidos hoje em dia, mas também são fabricados no Brasil.
Não tenho certeza do que você quer dizer com algo sendo "mais fácil". Se fosse fabricado em Washington, DC, provavelmente confiaria menos nele do que uma arma no Brasil. Tendo possuído as metralhadoras Rossi, sempre considerei as armas brasileiras itens de boa qualidade.

FABRICANTE / PAÍS: ROSSI / BRASIL
Foi então que a empresa brasileira Rossi, localizada no Rio Grande do Sul, recebeu a missão de fabricar e exportar uma réplica do fuzil Winchester 22.
Pelas fábricas norte-americanas FIREARMS INT'L CORP WASHINGTON, DC e Interarms, que representaram além da brasileira Rossi, a famosa alemã Walther, a espanhola Star e Astra, entre outras.
Para você entender a importância da fábrica brasileira Rossi, no contexto mundial.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

MANUFACTURER / COUNTRY: ROSSI / BRAZIL
It was then that the Brazilian company Rossi, located in Rio Grande do Sul, received the mission to manufacture and export a replica of the Winchester 22 rifle.
For US factories FIREARMS INT’L CORP WASHINGTON, D.C. and Interarms, which represented besides the Brazilian Rossi, the famous German Walther, the Spanish Star and Astra, among others.
For you to understand the importance of the Brazilian factory Rossi, in the world context.

 

[Sandro_Ventania]

FIREARMS INT'L CORP WASHINGTON, DC was actually the importer of several weapons manufactured in Brazil.
This one of yours must have been from a small builder, as it doesn't register other brands.
Rossi was bought by Taurus, which also bought CBC.
practically forming a monopoly in Brazil.
Interestingly, Taurus supports the disarmament policy in Brazil. Sounds like a joke doesn't it?

 

[cynthialee]

Barrel appears slightly bent. Is this repairable?

the barrel is straight, it is the wood making a bit of an illusion

 

[earlwb]

Is yours full stock too?

Yes full stock. I bought mine way back circa 1966 or thereabouts.

I had posted about it here in this thread on post #18 with pics;
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...reled-half-stock-shotgun.158291/#post-2254314

 

[WALT53]

Yes full stock. I bought mine way back circa 1966 or thereabouts.

I had posted about it here in this thread on post #18 with pics;
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...reled-half-stock-shotgun.158291/#post-2254314

Mine I believe was made in Spain. Walt

 

[sheriff john]

When M/L was "rediscovered" in the 60's, full-page ads were common and replete with this type of firearm. Quite a few variations. Original story was that they were made for sale to "natives" where modern firearms were not allowed or M/L's were favored. Didn't take long for importers to offer variants loosely resembling "muskets" (they weren't) and labelling them differently.

My half-stock shotgun met it's demise when I shot a fox and broke the stock trying to smash it in the head. For many of us, this type of gun was our introduction to muzzleloading shotguns. "Natives" today apparently prefer the AK-47 if our media photos are representational of "jungles" in far-off places.

 

[wilded]

Had one back in the early 70s, it took three or four clicks of the hammer to fire a percussion cap so I never knew when it would fire. Still killed lots of rabbits, squirrels and armadillos with mine as a youngster. It was my first long barrel muzzleloader along with a brass frame cap and ball 1851 that I ordered out of the ads in Outdoor life for $19.99