Is there any good web references to cape guns? Is the rifle barrel on the left? Would a 12ga/ 500 NO.2 Express be a good combo?

Lars,
a 12/500 NE would be great.. and a 12/470 would be better.

i don't KNOW which is supposed to be left/right, but i would prefer left being skattergun, as the left barrel, of the same caliber, recoil hard into a righty.

jeffe

the brits make the rifled barrel on the left and the krauts make it on the rigth. think Krieghoff make cape guns with big game cartridges but they have a new TPOPPENDRILLING, two 500/416 barrels about a 20/76 magnum shotgun barrel

I'm about to take delivery of a W. Richards 12ga double hammer gun made aproximatly in the 40's.
The 500 No.2 shoots a 340gn bullet at 1925fps. I don't want to run the pressures very high in this one as it doesn't have a 3rd fastener.

The Brits were unique in the regard of barrel placement. Like PWM said, the rest of Europe put them on the right. Don't have a clue as to why. Have a Belgium pre-war 12Ga/.405 Win underlever that is a jewel...wish it could talk! I think the Cape Gun concept is best served with large bores on both sides. I've seen them in chambering combos that spoke only to small game but that is somewhat uncommon as far as I know.

That would depend on whether you'd call Sweden a European or a Scandinavian country...
Husqvarna did their cape guns with the rifle barrel to the left. I've also seen some Belgian guns fitted the same way.

Pettson

I guess if there is not a standard, then the rifle barrel on the right would seem to make good sence as far as recoil goes. I already have the 470 Reamer. Maybe I could chamber it for that and only run light loads through it? Maybe a 400gn at 2150? Quickload indicates that pressure would be almost 1/2.

Didn't know that, thanks! If I was living in Sweden I'd call it Scandanavian.

I assume you're aware of www.gunshop.com where the double gun people e-congregate. Someone on that board might be able to give you a good reference.

A 12 / 500BPE sounds perfect, especially if its a back action hammer gun

Yeah, I would to, I'm not a great fan of this union thing...



Here's a 9,3x57R/16 gauge combo. I was originally thinking about rechambering her for the x72R, but had second thoughts due to her rather nice original condition.



Pettson

Oh I say! Spot of all right, that combination gun. Hammers belong on anything with barrels beside each other, don'tcherknow, and that particular pair of borings is just the ticket for the Continent unless one has the pecular need to climb after chamois. Lovely, that, just lovely!

Well the gun got here today. It appears that it is a W. Richards copy. It has Damascus barrels, so I'm thinking that the seller either didn't have a clue or mislead me with it being made around 1940. The top of the rib says London Fine Twist. I'm thinking that should have been a big clue. The left lock plate does say W. Richards', but after looking at the W. Richards web site, then they say that the gun should have W. Richards on the rib. I'll have to think about this one for abit as I wasn't expecting to have Damascus barrels.

Lar, don't dispair! I've a buddy with one of the W. Richards guns, all damascus, in 16 Ga/?. Looks pretty much like a 40-40 Maynard or something like that. Underlever gun that had been reduced to in-the-white condition by some idiot with steel wool. Action was drumhead tight, and the bores impeccable. Anyway, off the the hospital it went, restored totally by a genius out in Colorado. One of the absoultely prettiest and petite guns I've ever seen. Shoots just fine with FFG and patched lead. I'm 100% on clays with it BTW.

Lars,
Send it back? call the seller and talk?

jeffe

Well it was cheap/ inexpensive and was intended to be a rebuild/ project gun. Maybe I'll have to see if I can make a 4140 Monoblock for the action and go from there.



With no clear manufacturer and the damascus barrels, I wonder if I could treat this as an Antique? Did any shotgun makers still do damascus after 1900?

Lars,
there was this gun on auction arms, that was a rebarreled 10ga... in the amazingly approporite choice of 460 wby,,,,,

why do i say that? sooner or later, some onemight stick full poewr loads in it...

jeffe