I've been following the adventures of Walter and his trusty sidekick Saeed. With all the buffalo they've been shooting, I got to thinking about those old guys around the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century. Just curious if there were any of those older cape guns or combinations in dangerous game type cartridges. I don't think I've even seen a 9.3x74R in one. Not that I would want to get in a situation with one, but those old Boers and Englishmen were often exposed to that kind of opportunity. Surely that was a market.
Anybody have one or know of any?
Bfly

450 and 12 Gauge
500BP or N4B and 12 Gauge
577 / 12 Gauge

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I have two older exposed hammer cape guns! One is a V.Haffner 20 ga/58 Berdan with back action side lock hammer on a Jones under lever action, and the other is a H. Berrela 16 ga/8X57JR.

The V. Haffner is a Damaskus barreld black powder cape gun with 28 inch barrels, and the H. Berrela is a fluid steel nitro proofed gun.
I have taken quite a lot of game with the Berrela in cluding moose, elk, muledeer, and black bear with no problem at all!

S/S cape guns are one of my favorite typs of rifle/shotgun combos, and are so well designed for a one gun hunter!

I think many of the old settlers in southern Africa used this type of firearm used these even in the 8X57JR, 303, and 9.3X74R with mostly 16 ga shot barrels for the shotgun side, to take just about everything in those days!

I've seen a few in 577Snider/12 ga, and a couple in 577/450/ 10 ga as well!

I have a Sauer, cape gun, in 30-30 x12ga 2 3/4" made in 1917. A hammergun, would think made for someone in the USA with the chamberings it's in. The neat thing is the fixed sight is 70 yds, so marked, and shoots 170 grn 30-30 and brenneke slugs to the same point of aim.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I have a Sauer, cape gun, in 30-30 x12ga 2 3/4" made in 1917. A hammergun, would think made for someone in the USA with the chamberings it's in. The neat thing is the fixed sight is 70 yds, so marked, and shoots 170 grn 30-30 and brenneke slugs to same point of aim.

In Europe the 30-30 is known as the 7.62X51R and was very popular in Germany for single shots and combination guns before the great wars! Have you looked at the proof marks on the under side of the of the barrel butts? If so you may find the rifle chambering listed as 7.62X51R , MAX 170! The fact that it is 12 ga and 30-30 was probably made in 1917 for the German Jeager market for Eastern Germany! The 7.62X51R was a very popular chambering in Germany before the wars, and even after WWI and later afteh ocupation after WWII in east Germany.

You have to remember this was the first smokeless cartridge made in the USA, and was considered a high velocity, flat shooting round and Europe was quick to pick up on this cartridge for the type hunting done there. Especially the Germans built a lot of small double rifles, combination guns and single shots so chambered usually paired with a 16 GA barrel but many in 12 ga as well in the combination guns and drillings! I have owned several combination guns chambered for 16 GA/7.62X51R. The 30-30 is a very capable round that most Americans seem to have forgotten!

I have a H. Berella cape gun chambered for 16GA/8X57JR, that I have been thinking about having J.J. Piredeau build me a set of double rifle barrels for chambered for (30-30) but labeled 7.62X51R with a 1 in 10 twist barrels , and mounting a quick detach low powered scope along with iron sights! This along with the cape barrels would make a real versatile traveling firearm!

The way the cape gun is today it will place a 196 gr bullet from the rifle barrel right on the sights at 100 yds , and place a Brenneke slug right beside the rifle bullet also at 100 yds. The 30-30 barrels would really make this fine little cape gun something very useful.

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Thankyou for the info Mac.
It is listed as 30-30 x 12 ga and the sights have yd after the range stamp of 70 and 175 on the flip up. Does that mean anything?

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Thankyou for the info Mac.
It is listed as 30-30 x 12 ga and the sights have yd after the range stamp of 70 and 175 on the flip up. Does that mean anything?

Yes it probably means it was made for the USA market!