doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How much can I shoot?

Old Joe, your certitude regarding Elsies seems to preclude any other American double as having a cracked stock issue. While not disagreeing with your take on Smiths, it should be obvious to anyone with eyes that Remington 1894's and 1900's have a serious cracking problem. It may have been asked and you may have answered but your answer was insufficient (and reeking with self importance)

Like many of you, I shoot century old SxS's. Doing so means that I will sometime have to replace minor parts, sears, springs, firing pins, etc.

When I hunt, I have a spare/second shotgun in the car.

It also means that I often have a SxS shotgun residingat the gunsmith's shop awaiting parts and/or repairs. Just part of the routine.

There are also two modern semi-auto's in the basement, so I can always go shooting/hunting.

JERRY

I have not owned a lot of Elsies but haven't had one with a cracked stock. First one i ever had was a pre '13 OO grade (Bottom of the Line) that had been rode hard, but its stock was still intact. Have has a few Ithaca Flusies, one of them had a cracked stock, in fact I bought it real cheap on that account. Of all my Lefevers I have one with a broken stock, not cracked per se, but broken. It was bought as a parts gun with several issues including a "Crack" in the Barrel. Elsies may have a higher percentage than others "Maybe" but they surely don't have a monopoly on cracked stocks.
Of course the original question here was as I recall concerning an English gun.
I have a pre 1900 Birmingham built J P Clabrough I have used considerably. On one hunt one barrel quit firing, so finished the hunt using it as a single. It is a back action sidelock with plates that look like a bar action. Turned out it had broken the stirrup in that lock, just made a new one for it & it still shoots "Both Barrels".
"theoretically" boxlocks are supposed to have stronger stocks than sidelocks, but I have seen about as many boxlocks with cracked stocks as sidelocks.

I've owned several Elsies that had small cracks behind the lockplates. None ever seemed to get much worse. I'd assume the damage was done by someone firing heavy recoiling loads in them. Considering the thin sections in the inletting of an Elsie, it's amazing that more of them aren't busted. I've seen a lot of Parkers and Remingtons with pins, dowels, carriage bolts, etc. through the stock cheeks, because the butt stock split. I've also owned and seen quite a few Lefevers that had wood split or missing in the thin fragile fingers above and below the sideplates where the wood meets the action. Ithaca Flues guns seem especially prone to having chunks of wood split out at the top of the action on either side of the upper tang. Some of these problems are inherent in the design, but most are exacerbated by use of heavy loads, loose screws, stock oil soaking, and other abuse. Others could have been foreseen because of the incorrect grain flow in the stocks.

I shoot 1890's Blanch shotguns only. I have never had one break down in a day's shooting and I guess I have spread about 10k cartridges between about 4 guns over the last 10 years.
Sure, they have gone out of wack, occasionally shot a bit loose, ejectors have had a hissy-fit etc etc but I have never had to use my spare gun (which I always take!).
Today, I shot a 44/50 on sporting with an 1880's Blanch SLE and beat all the OU's in my group. Joy!
Just get out there and use the old gal. She'll love you for it even if she breaks herself doing it.
(Okay, I have a nice workshop and the modest abilities to fix 'em but I would still shoot them even if I didn't.)
They are like a much loved dog or horse, they give and give.

I love using my vintage English doubles. Except for "skeet" and occasional water fowling with my Benelli M1 Super 90 they are all I shoot. I have converted several of my friends into English box locks and side locks and they too developed a real love for them. I have told them that they can expect to have to replace a spring now the then as the guns are 100 + years old and things can fail after that passage of time. 12 years and 1/2 dozen fine guns I have had to replace main springs on 2 and both springs on my Spanish side lock high grade Gaspar Arizaga. I have now a really nice Horton of Glasgow that is in need of a new right main spring. Not too bad of a track record for guns that see a lot of use. 2 have had a new finish applied after removal of old oil and grime accumulated over time. That's all that has been needed and a small cost to enjoy some very nice guns.

I am sure I have mentioned this before, BUT: I shot SC for a long time with a Lefever H that was WELL used..I put thousands of rounds through it. I had a clays course with electric trap behind my hay barn at the old place and almost EVERY day shot 100 rocks. It broke a hammer at a Vintager shoot at Cabelas. Buck Hamlin had it back to me in less than 10 days for under 100 bucks. I foolishly sold it, when I moved out of the country. BUT I bet its still going...

PS: So am I...