blackpowder shotguns

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Busyhands94

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hello everyone! i have been searching for a good blackpowder shotgun for quite a while now. does anybody know of some affordable models to choose from? i would prefer single barrel but if there is a double barrel for a decent price then i will certainly get it. so basically is there a place where i can find a decent quality muzzleloading shotgun for less than $200 that is decent quality, and maybe even in kit form? any suggestions are welcome!
 
IMHO, you are unlikely to find a decent ML shotgun for that price.
Keep looking on Gunbroker, Auction Arms, The traditional ML forum, the historical trekking forum, The HR classifieds & you might run into one.
A good-quality ML shotgun is a truly sweet gun.
My pet ML shotgun right now is a 20 gauge Pedersoli Double.
Wouldn't part with it.
--Dawg
 
A good, dependable starter would be an old CVA 12-gauge side-by-side if you can find one. They are a little on the heavy side for toting in the field all day however.

I've had one for close to 30 years and it is a lot of fun to shoot. Sure moves the lumber around in a stake-busting contest too!:D
 
You may consider getting a damascus barreled cartridge shotgun and shooting brass shells loaded with blackpowder out of them. I would stay below 2.5 drams of BP to be safe though.
 
auctionarms has an old musket converted to a shotgun in its antiques section. bid is around 200...
 
Traditions made 2 striker fired inline 12 gauge shotguns
that were named the Buckhunter that uses a #11 cap
and the Buckhunter Pro that uses a 209 primer. These
discontinued shotguns are drilled & tapped for mounting
a scope and the muzzle has internal threads for using
Mossberg Accu-choke choke tubes.
I have the Buckhunter that uses #11 caps and it looks just
like the current Traditions Tracker 209 inline except it only
has a bead front sight.

tracker209blued.jpg


A used one was being auction on Gunbroker for $189:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=224050247

Another similar inline shotgun is the Navy Arms Country
Boy 12 gauge that uses a #11 cap. It was made in China
and has a permanent Poly-Choke device attached.
That consists of metal fingers that slightly open and close
to control the shot pattern, and which makes it a little more
difficult to clean.
whosyrdaddy offered his for sale for $125 or trade:

https://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5381786

One may also be available for trade on Armsbid:

http://www.armslist.com/posts/90212...ers-for-trade-navy-arms-muzzle-loader-shotgun

There's also inexpensive used sidelock shotguns. For instance
I have an older Spanish 28 gauge with a modified fixed choke
that I've seen listed on Gunbroker for ~$150. It can handle full
house 12 ga. loads of bird shot and will also accurately shoot
.520 patched round balls at short range. It also has a grooved
rear sight and these were sold by Dixie Arms about 25 years ago.
 
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Busy,

For the price you specified, you will need to be looking at the auction houses, anything new will be alot more than that. I think that EMF, offers a double barreled "coach gun" for around $525.00 or so, the one I want is a flintlock, full length, double barreled, it's $725.00 or so, I have also found a double barreled flintlock 20Ga pistol, with 6-1/2" barrels for $425.00. Both of those flints were found at Middlesex Valley Trading Company. There is however, a couple of modestly priced small companies out there, that do have large scale smoothbore single barrel muskets, mostly flints, afforedably priced at $300.00 to $450.00. If you are interested in those at all, I will look up and send to you the web page links.

PDBF_proto_top.jpg

Sincerely,

ElvinWarrior... aka... David, "EW"
 
Thompson Center made a Renegade .56 smooth rifle that many folks use as a shotgun. These were originally made to qualify for the Massachussetts ML deer season.
Like many shotguns that aren't choked, they present a real challenge to improving how it patterns and its effective range.
Used Renegade smoothbore barrels can often be found for sale on eBay.

Several makers built rifles that they also offered in a smooth rifle version including CVA & Lyman. I have a CVA Frontier rifle that's a .50 smoothie. It's exactly like the Frontier rifle except it has a smoothbore. There weren't as many smooth rifles made because they just weren't as popular as their rifled twins.
 

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Thanks!
Some good loading methods to try out with smoothbores are to mix different shot sizes and to load some extra shot. The smaller size shot fills in the pattern and the larger size shot will carry farther so there's always the chance of making a longer shot.
Some small game animals can be successfully harvested even if only one well placed ball of shot hits its mark.
The photo is of some larger shot that I've recovered from old misfired shotshells that can be mixed with smaller shot as desired.
 

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I would kinda like to track down a Pedersoli Howdah 20 gauge pistol at some point, but that sounds like it's outside your price range. You might try posting on the classifieds at the Traditional Muzzleloading Forum for a used CVA or something else that will fit your price range.
 
Dixie Gun Works used to make up kits for single barrel muzzle loading shotguns in that price range, using old Belgian-made barrels in 24ga. to 32ga, that were originally made for the African trade in the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Those days, those prices, and those barrels are long gone, now.
 
There are some good buys out there if you keep looking...I've picked up the following in the past five years or so: Pedersoli fowler, half round/half oct, 34" percussion...$250, Navy Arms magnum double 12, again 250, Renegade 56 smoothbore that some generous soul had fixed up with Briley chokes, one cylinder for ball, one imp, one mod/full...$175.
 
Check estate sales. I've found a few serviceable originals for $3-500. I know you're looking to spend $200, but that's gonna be a good trick if you can pull it off. Stay on the auction sites, too. You could strike oil.
 
They're a little hard to find since Green Mountain is not making them at the moment IIRC but I picked up both a 56 smoothbore barrel (28 guage) and a 62 GM smoothbore(20 guage) on Ebay that dropped right into my 1" TC Renegade.
 
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