Has anyone ever seen a “normally” configured back action hammerless sidelock , 28” tubes- lower than 5 1/2 # ?
I know Thomas Turner offered featherweight guns with dished out/ skeleton stocks- but has anyone recorded a fully stocked 12 gauge sidelock with that kind of 20 bore weight?
Best Regards,
JBP

Turners are often box-locks, they may have retailed side locks but none I can recall. I’ve weighed several Turners and most came in at 6 pounds, 3-4 ounces. There is one for sale now, but described as barrels being rough, with pitting and erosion in the bores. None that I measured were above .025”barrel walls which makes sense, to get a light gun they had to strike them thinner. But erosion and putting makes me runaway from a Turner. And this guns weighs 6 pounds 2.6 ounces. If you remove .010 from a 30” 12 bore you take away about 2 ounces. So if that gun was .025 to start with it has already lost a few thousandths. Maybe .002-.004 if it started out at exactly 6-4.

If you clean them up and remove .004-.006” that puts those barrels in the very lower limit of my comfort zone. And that assumes they are .025 now. What if they were cleaned up to .023-.021” before the most recent erosion and pitting? Then thin gets into OMG, no thin range. Pity we don’t have economical sleeve options in the US. By the way that gun is on GunBroker right now. I’m not bidding on it.

Watson Bros under Michael Louca's leadership is the leader in light weight London best quality SxS and O/U side lock ejectors guns, as outlined in the book "Gun Craft" by Vic Venters. Not only does Louca's team build 12 bore SxS SLE's that only weigh 6 pounds------ they best quality English made 12 bore O/U's at 6 1/2 pounds (with 29 inch barrels) almost unbelievable.

Take a look at this Watson Bros. 12 bore SxS with 28 inch barrels and a 15- 1/2 inch butt stock that only weighs 6 pounds & 1 ounce---- with 2-3/4 inch chambers mind you. Who else can do that? And these guns do not have thin barrels but are made of modern EN24 alloy steel.

https://auctions.holtsauctioneers.c...++1455+&refno=++198290&saletype=

What do you think it would weight if it had a 14-7/8 inch butt stock and no steel butt plate?????

Kindest Regards;
Stephen Howell

Csmc just listed a wp jones at 5 lb 9 oz. Seems pretty impossible

There are always the 2" 12 gauges but they are rare as diamonds in sidelocks never mind back action sidelocks with 28" barrels. Of course, they wouldn't be "normal" either. They are, however, often under 5 1/4.

Rule of thumb is that you need 6 pounds weight of gun to comfortably shoot 1 ounce of shot.

If you get below that it is unlikely to be pleasant to use.

The WP Jones caught my eye- I see it was listed at 6.1 # when sold at Holts in November. I wonder which listed weight is correct?
5 # 9 oz as a 28” , 2 1/2” proof fully stock 12 bore seems the stuff of unicorn sightings.
Best Regards,
JBP

Steve Helsley sent me this to post - not sure if he wanted on this thread, but seems likely. Anyway, he wins for lightest 12 gauge I think. I hope he sends me some pictures of the gun to got with it.

My lighter 12b guns are a 6# Cashmore with 2.75" chambers and a 1.25 oz proof. It's a fantastic gun for any game. And now a 5.3# Jeffery with 2" chamber and a 5.5# Skimin and Wood, also with 2" chambers. Both of these are only 7/8 oz proofed, of course.

My lightest 12 is a 70 cm barreled Ferlib BLE. It weighs 6#3oz and I wouldn’t want it any lighter. Beautiful gun and I shoot it well, but I hand load for it to keep the recoil down. For clay bird shooting (skeet, usually), 7/8 oz loads work well in it.

My 12 ga. Churchill boxlock with 26" barrels - mwt at .036" - 2 1/2" chambered, weighs 5 lbs. 12 oz. I shoot RST 2 1/2" 1 oz. and Fiocchi 2 3/4" 7/8 oz. trainer loads in it very comfortably. It works for me. The current ammunition situation has caused a lot of problems for everyone.
Karl

To my way of thinking the scales at Holt's weighing the gun at over 6 lbs are the scales to consider accurate.

I have seen a 5 lb 12oz Grant on a 12/20 frame. Awesome feel

The very light 2" 12s were made after 2" guns were granted a lighter proof.

I have a Lang back action sidelock at 6lbs 2 ounces, it has a Silvers pad. I would imagine without the pad it’s got to be 6 or sub 6. I find it absolutely fascinating what they can be done with gun weight.

I have a Henry Atkin best Spring Opener (Beesley action with 1909 Atkin modifications) with original 27" CL barrels and original wood wood that weighs 6lbs. 1 oz. Made in 1930.