Oldest Shotgun you Own

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hps1

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The thread "Oldest Rifles" begs the question, what is the oldest shotgun you own?

In 1954, my boss and a very close gunsmith friend & mentor gave me this Belgian 12 ga. percussion SxS as a high school graduation present and my gunsmith friend proceeded to coach me through it's restoration.

Proof marks indicated manufacture date of the old gun was around 1850.
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The barrels were full of ant nests, breech plugs were frozen and nipples rusted away, but the flat leaf lock springs were good and my friend welded the hammer.
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We freed the breech plugs and cleaned out the barrels, which were moderately pitted. Then we got a real break in that the nipple threads were good and were almost 5/16" SAE. We chased the threads and turned 2 new nipples using SAE machine bolts.
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The wood was solid so I put a hand rubbed oil finish on it and made a replacement for the missing ramrod from a dowel with a lead filled copper tubing head.
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It was now time to proof the barrels. We loaded each barrel with a fired 12 ga. shell full of ffg black powder, tamped down under half a Kleenex (barrels are close but not exactly 12 ga.) and topped that off with 2 oz. of shot, using the other half Kleenex for over shot wad. The gun was strapped down to an old tire with the butt resting inside the bead of the tire and a long string tied to the trigger. I reluctantly retreated behind the range house and with great trepidation yanked the string.

At the report, I quickly peered around the corner of the building; all I could see was the huge cloud of smoke, so quickly ran over to find my gun lying under the tire and pointed uprange! The recoil had flipped tire and all 180*, but the barrel held.

Have to admit, I was sorely tempted to call it good and shoot only that barrel, but for fear of forgetting which barrel was proofed, went ahead and repeated the drill. Success! Both barrels proofed out and the old girl was ready for the field.
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Made lots of smoke and memories with the old girl and have shot many black birds and dove with it over the past 50 years. It's now happily retired in the back of my safe.

OK, now let's see what's hiding in the back of your safe or closet.

Regards,
hps
 
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sorry only photo i have right now. 1872 newman, 12ga rebound hammers shoots great with 2.5 drams off pyrodex rifle/shot. need to do some work on the trigger guard tang.
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sorry only photo i have right now. 1872 newman, 12ga rebound hammers shoots great with 2.5 drams off pyrodex rifle/shot. need to do some work on the trigger guard tang.
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Nice old hammer gun.

My father inherited this old Remington from his uncle. He hunted waterfowl with it in the 40's before finding out it had damascus barrels and retired it. It is a fine old gun built on the LC Smith pattern, I'm told and has split ejectors. In the 50's I bought 24 all brass shotgun shells, loaded them with black powder and shot it for a while, but with only 24 cases, tired of it and it sits right beside the old percussion. Have never found a shotgun that fit me like this one.
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Forgot to mention, I shot my first duck with this gun when I was 8 years old.

Regards,
hps
 
I have one I inherited from my Grandpa exactly like that....I also have some paper shells that came with it as well as a Montgomery Ward cleaning kit. I shot quite a few cottontails with it, before I retired it on the wall.

Nice old hammer gun.

My father inherited this old Remington from his uncle. He hunted waterfowl with it in the 40's before finding out it had damascus barrels and retired it. It is a fine old gun built on the LC Smith pattern, I'm told and has split ejectors. In the 50's I bought 24 all brass shotgun shells, loaded them with black powder and shot it for a while, but with only 24 cases, tired of it and it sits right beside the old percussion. Have never found a shotgun that fit me like this one.
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Forgot to mention, I shot my first duck with this gun when I was 8 years old.

Regards,
hps
 
I have an Ithaca 12 gauge double barrel that my grandfather purchased in 1914. He lived in New Jersey where you are only allowed to hunt deer with buckshot, no rifles. He took a deer with this shotgun almost every year until his death. It shows lots of wear but still functions perfectly.
 
winchester 1885 low wall is my oldest.. 4-digit serial number... i looked it up once; i want to say it was within the first 6 months of production..(?)

edit: i somehow read "gun" and missed "shotgun"... i have an 1897 12g from the early 20's
 
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A 16 ga 97 Winchester made in 1908, it belonged to my step grandfather. It was in poor condition when I got it had probably been in a closet for 40 or 50 years spent another 20 in my safe before I decided to send it to a Smith that specialized in 97s and had it tuned up to function left patina alone. In 2008 I took it and my paternal grandfather's model 10 Remington (a 1928 Christmas present from Grandma the year before my dad was born) on a South Dakota pheasant hunt. Got birds with each.
 
You guys and your "oldest...." threads hit me right in the wheelhouse.
Here is my great-grandfather sxs 12ga Sterling. I am sure that this gun accompanied his young family on failed farming ventures near poplar bluff, mo. And Hardin, Montana .
Some primitive repairs are visible if you look closely.
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Tragically this gun was involved in the hunting accident that claimed the life of my grandpa's brother circa 1910.
 
From the other side of the family is this sweet little Piper 16ga sxs. This one belonged to my mother's grandfather.
My great grandfather was known to be meticulous about things. I was told that he would 'cork' the barrels of this sxs after he cleaned it. One night he grabbed the gun to investigate an uproar from the henhouse and fired a shot without 'uncorking' the barrels. That's why this little 16 has the short stagecoach look! I kinda like it, don't you?
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Oldest overall, 1860s double 13/11 gauge percussion back action Belgian double. Hunted with it for years until I scoped the bores and found severe erosion ahead of the breech plugs. Oldest cartridge gun, my great uncle's CS Shattuck, Hatfield, Mass, single 10 with Damascus barrel. Most made without a forend. He market hunted with it outside of Detroit around 1905. During the 64 riots, looters stole a chest that had his decoys, loading tools and brass shells. He gave me the gun which had been hanging in the rafters of the porch, in plain sight. I bought some Herters shells, loaded them with fg and an ounce and a quarter of 7 1 /2 shot and proceeded to win the "b.p. cartridge trap championship" at the Wisconsin Sportsmans Alliance annual black powder shotgun championships. Early 70s. Sent uncle a pic of me holding the gun and trophy which he got a month or so before he passed. He was in his mid to late 90s. Odd looking gun, two triggers in a double loop guard. Front breaks it, rear fires it.
 
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Oldest overall, 1860s double 13/11 gauge percussion back action Belgian double. Hunted with it for years until I scoped the bores and found severe erosion ahead of the breech plugs. Oldest cartridge gun, my great uncle's CS Shattuck, Hatfield, Mass, single 10 with Damascus barrel. Most made with a forend. He market hunted with it outside of Detroit around 1905. During the 64 riots, looters stole a chest that had his decoys, loading tools and brass shells. He gave me the gun which had been hanging in the rafters of the porch, in plain sight. I bought some Herters shells, loaded them with fg and an ounce and a quarter of 7 1 /2 shot and proceeded to win the "b.p. cartridge trap championship" at the Wisconsin Sportsmans Alliance annual black powder shotgun championships. Early 70s. Sent uncle a pic of me holding the gun and trophy which he got a month or so before he passed. He was in his mid to late 90s. Odd looking gun, two triggers in a double loop guard. Front breaks it, rear fires it.

Would love to see some pictures of these. :)

Regards,
hps
 
1912 vintage Model 12. Small gun. 20-gauge. Like my 1930s vintage Model 12, except it wasn't Sanforized. :)

Bet that little 20 ga. is a heck of a quail gun. Had a friend who hunted ducks with a .410 pump that I believe to have been an old model 42. He seldom missed and left a lot of fellow hunters red faced who were shooting 12ga.:rofl:

Regards,
hm
 
Oldest overall, 1860s double 13/11 gauge percussion back action Belgian double. Hunted with it for years until I scoped the bores and found severe erosion ahead of the breech plugs. Oldest cartridge gun, my great uncle's CS Shattuck, Hatfield, Mass, single 10 with Damascus barrel. Most made with a forend. He market hunted with it outside of Detroit around 1905. During the 64 riots, looters stole a chest that had his decoys, loading tools and brass shells. He gave me the gun which had been hanging in the rafters of the porch, in plain sight. I bought some Herters shells, loaded them with fg and an ounce and a quarter of 7 1 /2 shot and proceeded to win the "b.p. cartridge trap championship" at the Wisconsin Sportsmans Alliance annual black powder shotgun championships. Early 70s. Sent uncle a pic of me holding the gun and trophy which he got a month or so before he passed. He was in his mid to late 90s. Odd looking gun, two triggers in a double loop guard. Front breaks it, rear fires it.
My Dad has a Shattuck 12ga side-lever sorta like this one:
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First and only Ive ever seen. Think he paid $25 for it at a gunshow when I was a kid. Doubt hes ever tried to shoot it. Hes retiring down here soon and bringing his "accumulation" with him. That Shattuck will see the light of day for the first time in at least 20 years soon.:D

My oldest is a 1918 Ishapore SMLE converted to a .410 smoothbore after WW1-
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My kids get a kick out of it.:)
 
My oldest would be either a 1921 Winchester Model 12 or a single shot Iver Johnson 16ga. Oldest I've owned was a percussion sxs, it had a wooden ramrod and no recoil pad or plate, just a plain wood stock.
 
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