doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Double Rifles, Paradox Guns & Gauge Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Need an Opinion

I have an C&H Avant Toute 12 gau. boxlock, ejector. The ? is would this gun be a good candidate for a conversion to say - #1 choice .303 British but likely to much pressure---right?, then #2 say a .38x55, #3 a 20 gauge rifled slug-gun---likely the best choice. The main object is something handy, fairly light, and not too punishing on the shoulder. I would appreciate any opinions pro. & con. on an endeavour like this from someone who has travelled the road. Thankyou in advance --- John Can.

We need to talk!!!!!

I'm working on having exactly the same done, O/U 20 ga, rifled barrels. For exactly the same reason you state.

Just bought a Ruger Red Label 20 ga with trashed barrels and am working with a smith in Iowa who is going to make a stab at converting.

Would love to caompare notes.

Ben....

I am in the process of a similar project, using a trashed O grade 12 LC Smith converted to a rifled 20 bore. I have the name of a smith in Washington State that does excellent barrel work like this. Drop me a line
Mark

Ben & Mark: No problem in "talking" send me an Email anytime you wish, I've been contemplating this project for some time. Hit a snag right at the git go - it seems that it has become somewhat difficult to import barrels of any type into Canada, (must look into the legal hoops). I'll likely have to hang out out some local gun shows and see what becomes available. I think I would make use of a slug gun more than a DR since we have a deer shotgun season and a landowner can always get a license. I'm sure some of the old hands at this will eventually pop in here.--- John Can.

John Can & Ben, I just purchased two 20 ga rifled blanks. I'm in the begining phase of this project, and trying to finish a double rifle project. Let me know if I can be of assistance to either of you. Mark

John:

I just got replies back from Hastings and E R Shaw, both of which make rifled 20 ga blanks. My Red Label is going off to the smith on Monday if everything works out right.

I've used the new Hornady 265 grain saboted shells in my wifes rifled 20 ga and they shoot very well. As best I can tell it has about the power of a .444 Marlin. We hunt hogs for the most part and in the Florida swamps, we walk the hogs up usually, a light short double would be great.

And we have the same problem here with shotgun only seasons. As soon as the deer season closes we have to use shotguns on the hogs and I HATE buckshot.

With the Hornadys you can easily shoot 100 yards, maybe 150. And when you kill him he doesn't have a bunch of holes in him. A concern because we eat 'em.

As for the actual conversion. I'm not a smith or trained machinest but from what I can tell it's not that easy to get the barrels regulated. The rest of the project, while requiring skill and significant knowledge and care, especially in the area of being sure it's safe when it's all done, is more straight forward. The regulation part I gather is part art and part majic.

Where did you get the barrels? Diameter across chamber? Across muzzle?

Did you bore out the block or heat and the old barrels released?

We're hoping to do this with a 20 ga frame and I'm a bit concerned that the sleving will be very dificult.

Ben, I bought the rifled shotgun barrels from Hastings. These are unturned and I believe they measure 1.13 no taper and are 26.5 inches long.

Reference the double rifle conversion I sent the barreled action to John Taylor in Washington State. He turned two 30 caliber rifle blanks outside diameter of 1.125 down to fit inside a 16 gauge monobloc and tapered them down to .500 at the muzzle. The finished barrel length was 26 inches. He threaded the monbloc, made and fitted a bushing ant the breech end to fill in the gap, chambered for 30-30 Winchester, fitted and installed new extractor, and bushed the firing pins. Sent the finished work back to me before I sent him a penny. This guy is a good christian man and takes his work seriously. Oh by the way. Does great work and his turn aroud time was a little over two months. Highly reccomend. Contact john@johntaylormachine.com

mark

I approached Hastings and the problem is with Export ? Import permits, I believe the problem is they do not have a permit to export to Canada but are working on it. Will contact Shaw they may have the Lisence, in the meantime I can dream & plan. My plan B is to put liners in a under-lever, hammer gun to keep the damascus pattern, this gun is a real beauty except for the barrels outside very good inside toast and too thin, same barrel problem-getting some in the first place, until I find a pair I'm stuck. I see TrackofWolf has liners, maybe a way around the barrel situation but I would have to go the rifle route. Oh well life goes on - keep me posted on your progress, I'll let you know how it all unfolds at this end. --- John Can.