doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Tobin

Dave,
I had one Tobin that was not off the face due to the frame distortion-my 16, which was my last Tobin. The five previous all were.
A friend owns the last 12 gauge I owned, a gun that came from out own prankster John Mann. It was the pyro version Tobin, and the gun had a shim put on by Mike Orlen. It didn�t appear to have been used much, but, it needed the fix. John didn�t know it needed to be fixed, the prankster notation comes from the story about the Amish goat herd with the two high grade LC Smith�s that he posted, and taught a few regulars here a stinging lesson about naked greed.

Best,
Ted

Drew--Good to see you back! Don't let the critics get you down.

Thanks Larry. I guess Dave has declined my pole...uh...poll proposal

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=536437&page=4

My 16 was as nice a handling gun as I have ever owned, 6lbs 1oz. It may be the last gun Stan Baker ever worked on, it was shipped back to me on a Monday, received on the next Thursday, and I learned of his death on Wednesday. Stan removed the forcing �steps� that were in the barrels, lengthened the forcing cones, opened the full x full chokes to SK and MOD, and polished the bores. I took the day off on Friday to grouse hunt with my girlfriend, and knocked the first bird I had ever fired the gun at out of the sky.
It was quite a week.

Most Tobins I�ve seen were low grade beaters. I can honestly say that about many various double shotguns built here in the states. But, I think the Tobin, perhaps more so than other early American designs, If fed a diet of high pressure ammunition, will fail sooner, rather than later.

Best,
Ted

Thank you all for furthering my understanding of Tobin guns.
I think that I don't want one now.
All other things aside, I cannot abide a fake sidelock.
Just me.

O.M

I wouldn�t characterize them as Fake sidelock s.
Their side plates actually carry some essential parts needed for the guns function.
Drew has some pics of one I photoed as I took it to bits.

I didn't know what other term to use for that type of lock because it is not actually a side plated box lock either.

O.M

All hammerless Lefever Arms Co guns have their hammers mounted solidly to the frame. Early models had the sears mounted on the side plates. Later ones with the large single cocking hook have the sears frame mounted as well. Never-the-less they are not simply boxlocks wearing "Falsies".

The side plates give access to the lock works & the layout of the hammers & mainsprings are like a bar-action sidelock, Except they aren't mounted on the plate. Sear notches on the hammers are located on the outer periphery f the hammer rather than close to the axle for much more secure sear purchase.

I too abhor a normal Boxlock with falsies but do not see any feature on the Tobin which would lead me to trade a good Lefever for one, even if it were originally of a higher grade. The Lefever has a better frame shape, both for handling & aesthetically & is Stronger. In short, the Lefever is about the best of both worlds with advantages of both the Box & Side lock guns.

When I think fake sidelock, I think of the guns that have the side plates just screwed to the action sides as a place to place engraving.

In the spectrum of sidelocks, there are some that only have one pin, and there are some that have 9 pins, and everything in between.

I think we are safe calling Tobins hybrids mostly because the mainspring isn�t attached to the sideplate like traditional sidelocks.

This might help; from http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/24779062