I was just in Namibia bowhunting plainsgame and my outfitter asked me it was safe to shoot modern ammo in this 12 guage side-by-side shotgun.

I told him that I thought so but I would try to find someone who could be more definitive.








Guernica-Spain



Borchers-Celta



Any idea as to what year the gun was manufactured? I see a stamp that says 12/70


What does 850KG mean?


What does this mean?

12/70 means 12ga with 2 3/4" chambers

850Kg should be the proof load it passed this = to 850 X 14.2233 = 12,089.805 psi it should be good for modern loads as they usually to out at around 10,000psi, most loads are a bit lower.

Just from it's appearance I would say this shotgun was made between 1960 and 1980. So if it locks up tight and is still on face it should be put back to work.

Hog Killer

Without further inspection I would say that yes, it's safe to shoot modern ammo in that shotgun. The 12/70 is the gauge and it will handle 70 mm shotshells, which is 2 3/4". I'd guess it was made 25-40 years. It's your basic moderate priced Spanish made side-by-side.

Looks like the date code might be K*1, in which case it's 1965.

850kgs is the standard Spanish smokeless proof for shotguns.
So it's fine for standard 2.75" loads.