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brent
PostPosted: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:39 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

I am looking for a 16 ga vintage double. Nothing in particular but French and English guns get my attention, but I am open to others.

2.75" chambers and pistol grips are pluses, but not requirements.

brentd@iastate.edu is a good way to find me.
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Savage16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:43 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1694
Location: Minnesota

Are you looking for any particular French brand?

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T-Bone
PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:32 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 31 May 2009
Posts: 153
Location: Orofino, Idaho

https://www.vintagedoubles.com/

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I have more 16ga. shotguns than I need, but fewer than I want...At present: DeHaan S2, Remington M31L, Remington Wingmaster 870.
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Little Creek
PostPosted: Wed Sep 16, 2020 8:04 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 367
Location: Anchorage, AK

Try: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875406798

I had a low priced french gun made around WWI for a while. I bought it in Maine in well used condition. Refinished it and used it quite a bit for 3-4 years. I began malfunctioning ( broke a mainspring, had sear problems...) Had it repaired and moved it on...

Vintage Doubles has several French w 2-1/2" chambers. Kirby Hoyt is a very responsible dealer.
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brent
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:17 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

Savage16 wrote:
Are you looking for any particular French brand?


No, none in particular. I found a Boucher about a year ago or so. At the time, it wasn't exactly what I wanted so I pointed it out to a friend that bought and now I lust after it. But I have thought that there seems to be a lot more gun for the dollar in French guns than the English guns that I have, and love. So, in the interest of increasing the diversity of my safe's population, French are interesting. But so would the right English gun, or even an American.

Features I look for, but do not absolutely require are 2.75" chambers, some choke, pistol grip. 26-28" barrels. 30" in a pinch. Probably no hammers. Light.

But again, it all depends. I want to keep an open mind and not pass another gun like that Boucher.

I suppose I should add something about grade or quality I'm looking for but $2500-$3500, maybe. That might be pushing the upper end a bit. Is that a fancy gun or a mediocre gun? Sort of depends what your perspective is, but that represents the high end of where my shotgunning I guess. I dont know if that's any help.
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Dave in Maine
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:48 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 12 Sep 2010
Posts: 1972
Location: Maine

If you're looking for French (or Belgian) and 2 3/4 inch chambers, you're going to be looking for a long, long time. 16 ga French guns (and Belgian - built to the same designs) are almost uniformly built to 65 mm chambers and then the barrels are struck with that dimension in mind. This yields the fine handling characteristics, usual light weight and sleek lines of those guns. But it also makes opening out the chambers into a dubious business. You'll risk compromising wall thickness in a critical place. Moreover, you're likely to be tempted into shooting high-pressure, high-recoil factory loads, which will not sit well with the gun.

To meet that, 2.5 inch, 65mm and similar length shells are routinely available in Europe. They are available here, too. Thanks to the low-pressure group here there are plenty of short-chamber loads in 16 available.

I have a French 16 boxlock and a Belgian 16ga hammergun, both of which I feed RST and Gamebore 2.5 inch shells (and my 2.5 inch handloads) exclusively. They do the job.

If you're insistent on a 2 3/4 inch chambers, you may want to go the whole way into French guns and go for a Darne or similar gun. Ted Schefelbein, a commenter on this site (and other sites), knows more about them than pretty much anyone else here in the US. All I know is they're hell for strong and they either fit you or they don't, and if they don't, their stocks are not amenable to bending, etc.

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brent
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:12 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

Dave.
You are leaping to a few conclusions that are unwarranted. Indeed, I might wait a long time for a 2.75" gun, and maybe I WILL wait that long, but maybe not. I've owned a 2.5" 16g Evans, and no, I did not even consider punching it out to 2.75". And NO, I did not, for one second, consider any factory rounds whatsoever. As I said, "2.75" chambers and pistol grips are pluses, but not requirements."

As for Darnes, I sold mine this week. It arrived at its new home today, as a matter of fact. At one time Ted Schefelbein owned that very gun before I did.

So, now back to the quest for a light, sleek, maybe french, maybe 2.75", maybe pistol gripped, maybe 6lbs or less, 16 bore double. And let's leave the leaping for the 6 lords.
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Ted Schefelbein
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:28 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 1480
Location: Mpls, MN.

It was a pretty severely right handed Dane that came to me, in need of a deep cleaning and a new owner. I couldn’t use it and it went down the road after I serviced it.
Sorry it didn’t work out.

Best,
Ted

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brent
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 7:34 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

No, it didn't work out, but it was fun and worthwhile. I don't regret it. The only way to learn about these things is to buy one. It's not like one will ever appear on the range that I could try or even look at. No one here had ever seen anything like it and only a few knew what it was, but had never seen one live and in person.

I'd try some other oddballs too, like a Manufrance, if things were just right. But we will see what comes next. I am convinced that I've ignored French guns to my detriment however. That has changed.
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 8:05 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3370
Location: The Great Northwet

This has a straight grip, but other than that, this excellent 2.75" Costo BLE would make a fantastic bird gun, and reasonably priced. Even has a retractable sling. Yummy.


https://www.gunbroker.com/item/876219773

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double vision
PostPosted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:52 pm  Reply with quote
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UncleDanFan wrote:
This has a straight grip, but other than that, this excellent 2.75" Costo BLE would make a fantastic bird gun, and reasonably priced. Even has a retractable sling. Yummy.


https://www.gunbroker.com/item/876219773


Me like!
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brent
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:52 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

UncleDanFan wrote:
This has a straight grip, but other than that, this excellent 2.75" Costo BLE would make a fantastic bird gun, and reasonably priced. Even has a retractable sling. Yummy.


https://www.gunbroker.com/item/876219773


Thanks for posting that but 6.7# for an upland 16 gauge seems much to heavy. I have/had 12s that are significantly lighter. I'm looking for 6# and down. I love the idea of a retractable sling.
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Swampy16
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:53 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Oct 2019
Posts: 453
Location: New Jersey

Are you considering O/U’s?
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brent
PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:17 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Oct 2014
Posts: 66
Location: Iowa

Nope. I don't shoot them well when I get the barrels oriented properly. Smile
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