doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 1927 Lancaster 12/20

One just walked into the shop that we sold several years ago. This gun drives me crazy.....14 1/2 LOP, 28 tubes, SLE self-opener, gorgeous(!), 5lbs14!!!!!

I don't normally covet much anymore but...gawdalmighty, what a bird gun.

Hits like a 12 carries like a 20. To some that's a 16 not a 12/20. They were an interesting attempt to fill in a niche. Ultra light 12. Great bird gun concept but I would not like it that much in a hot dove field. As my wife says to me about guns go for it, money is only a means to keeping score, not winning life.

Exactly! There are no guns that I have regrets about buying. But there are a number of them that I regret not buying. And not a single one of those I passed up with regrets has dropped in value.

I turn 60 in January.

But nice if you're walking a lot and shooting only a little. Only problem is, you go that light, then anything heavier than an ounce at modest speed and the recoil will get your attention.
I had a Lindner Daly Featherweight a bit lighter than that. Can't recall ever touching off any of my Gamebore 1 1/16 oz field loads in it. Let alone anything we'd put through an American 12, like a 1 1/4 oz Super X--which is a whole lot lighter than some of the pheasant loads they're pushing these days.

I do not see a problem here.
Likely chambered 2 1/2 inch, and proof for 1 1/8 ounce.
Using suitable cartridges, the gun is a dream upland gun.
One ounce of plated shot is plenty for me in 20 or 16 gauge, so why not a feather light 12 bore.

I have a tough time shooting most guns that fall under 6lbs well, regardless of gauge.
Single exception is a Remington model 17 pump. It isn't much under 6 lbs, and goes over 6 when the magazine and chamber are in the happy condition. If I had extra common sense, I'd sell EVERYTHING else and become the man with but a single gun.
An ounce in the Remington sure gets my attention. Especially with the 21" barrel installed. I imagine a sub 6 lb 12 would do the same.
I'm less of a zealot on weight, as I become more "seasoned". I don't want the field guns much heavier than 7, and 6 1/2 is preferable, regardless of gauge. I have two near 8 lb pumps I could shoot at the range all day long, but, they almost never go into a woods with me.
The 5 3/4lb Darne 28 is a difficult taskmaster, for me.

Best,
Ted

Ted:

My 16BLE is also 5lbs14 and is dimensionally almost identical to this gun. I find my 16 to be almost ideal for me in the uplands. And, much like my boxlock, when loaded with two 1-ounce shells it weighs.....6lbs.

If the barrels or LOP were much shorter, then I could see a potential for problems. Not the case here.

I've lusted for a Merkel 1620, a 16 ga. on a 20 ga. frame. My light 12's at 61/2 lbs. loaded with 21/2 RST's with 1oz. of shot work well enough for me to cancel my lust. Still, there is always that "one more gun".
Karl

The Lancaster '12/20' is an interesting gun, as KY Jon says, an attempt to get on the 'lighter the better' bandwagon between the wars. What some do not appreciate is that the core of the gun was a Birmingham designed and built gun by the famous Baker who was responsible for a multitude of the designs that we generally attribute to better known 'makers.
The Baker design which is often described as a 'self-opener' but is more accurately described as an 'assisted opener when un-fired' was retailed by many of the gun trade at the time, not just Lancaster and Grant who are best known for it, but most did not go down the 'ultra-light' route.
Given the much vaunted superior strength of the back-action design, these other makers could produce a stronger action at normal game gun weights rather than a lighter gun with average strength.
I am finishing off a good example of this in the form of a Blanch right now which I hope will become my go-to game gun for the next few years. I don't have the final weight yet but I guess it is going to be in the region of 6lb 10oz.
It will amuse me that I will no doubt receive many comments about my 'lovely new Blanch BAR action' which (in keeping with the Blanch tradition) it is fact strictly speaking a BACK action.