doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com No need to baby.

Don�t have a pic but this gun�s toughness can be appreciated by its numbers. Only English gun I have ever handled that had 1 1/2 oz proofs.

Walter Betts, Birmingham
12 bore BLNE Waterfowl/Pigeon gun
30" barrels with sideclips, rounded pistol grip, double trigger
1 � oz proof, 3� chambers
Serial # 7xx Proofed 1934


R L
Bores .728 .727
Choke .009 .035
MWT .030 .033

LOP 15" to silver�s pad
DAC 1 7/16"
DAH 2 7/16"
Cast off ⅛� @ Heel
Wt 8� 1�

Kills ducks at 75 yards with 1 1/4 oz Rio Bismuth. Avoid steel because of tight choke.

Apparently Betts was a Birmingham maker that built for the trade in the UK but exported his own products under his name to Australia. I have seen two others and they were tough, well finished guns!

We just might do that this season, 67. One of my most valued friends farms at Barney. I could visit him, have a steak at your restaurant and we could have a go at some woodies one morning. Maybe Geo. could "jine" us.

Dr. P, that sounds like my kind of gun. Sure would like to see it someday. Old waterfowlers are special to me.

SRH

.
My bespoke Miroku, Montgomery Wards Western Field.
12 bore, 30", DT, low profile vent rib, 7 pounds.

Bob,
Did you order that gun new? Does it have 3� chambers? Circa 1978 I used my accumulated worm digging/cricket catching/snow shoveling money to become the proud owner of a new Remington 1100 from my local Woolworth�s store. The guy behind the counter let me look at all the guns in stock to find one with wood I liked.
It was a great day.
I remember a few doubles in the rack, but, my 17 year old brain was hyper focused on the task at hand, and mostly incoherent to anything else. I don�t recall if the doubles were new, or, used, but, I lean toward new because they had few used guns in the rack, and the doubles were lined up all in a row in the back.
Alas, the Remington was only around for about 5 years, at which point I sent it down the road to help fund a different gun, a used Ruger Red Label 20 gauge, another gun no longer around.
I do wish I knew what doubles had been in the rack that day. Best guess from here is Spanish guns.

Best,
Ted

Ted:

I worked in a Woolco (the big box segment of F.W. Woolworth) sporting goods department during that time period. The only doubles I ever saw were all low grade Spanish guns (Pride of Spain) and Brazilian (Boitos). Both were true clunkers.

There were Winchesters, Remingtons, Marlins, Mossbergs and some Rugers on the shelves as well, but none of them were doubles. The only used guns I ever saw were Mausers (Argentine and German).

Rem

Paul,
Thanks. I was sort of hoping that better quality guns might have been on the shelf, something like Bob�s Miroku, but, that probably didn�t fit the business plan at Woolworth any better than it did at, say, Target.
Target once had a gun department. A sad gun department. They did have ammunition, and occasionally blew the stuff out at good prices.

Best,
Ted

Ted,
I purchased the bespoke Miroku this year. 2 3/4" chambers.
Remarkable was the price, second only to the fact that I really break birds with this gun.
I bought it with the intention of sweating over it in the summer months,
using it in inclement weather in the winter months,
and having it as a loaner gun when the need arises.