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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22
Boxlock
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OP
Boxlock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22 |
Thinking about purchasing a 2" chambered 12ga SxS. Will be used primarily for grouse and woodcock with a little bit of pheasant hunting. Any feed back from any of you that have owned 2" 12s would be apreciated.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,185 Likes: 67
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,185 Likes: 67 |
I've used my Hellis 2" for grouse & woodcock and I can't think of a gun that might be better to carry for that type of hunting. I can one-hand it with ease when ploughing through close quarters and briars. Weighs about 5-9 w/ 26" bbls.
Key though is gun fit. I was lucky enough to find one that fit me well with the addition of a pad. Many of these guns were made for women and have undersized stocks. Mine patterns well enough but I need to have it opened up a bit.
What maker are you looking at? If it's one of the newer Spanish guns fit shouldn't be a problem and you can get 28" bbls if you like. I also know of a Churchill for sale in the $5K range.
My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.
- Errol Flynn
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002 |
Mine was British and made in the 30s ... sold to help fund a new car  It carried like a 28 and patterned like a 12. Remember, though, that the factory loads are pretty hot and recoil can be an issue with such a lightweight 12. As Rob points out, most are also pretty short on LOP. TT
"The very acme of duck shooting is a big 10, taking ducks in pass shooting only." - Charles Askins
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22
Boxlock
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OP
Boxlock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22 |
Looking at an Arrieta with 15" length of pull.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,002 |
L.L.: What length barrels and what weight? TT
"The very acme of duck shooting is a big 10, taking ducks in pass shooting only." - Charles Askins
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,185 Likes: 67
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,185 Likes: 67 |
The Arietta were made for standard shooters so fit shouldn't be a problem. TT is right about the recoil, I put a leather covered Declerator SC on mine. But I never notice recoil while hunting.
My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.
- Errol Flynn
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22
Boxlock
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OP
Boxlock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 22 |
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 15 |
If you're interested, I know where there's a 2" 12g boxlock.
It's English - a Powell I think, but it's basically a Webley & Scott 700. It looks all original and it has lots of condition (80%+), 28" bbls, double triggers, straight grip, ejectors, etc. I think the LOP is around 14".
It has a smallish beavertail on it, but it appears to be original.
The seller wants $3500 for it - not a bad price, really.
The gun's in southern Maine.
OWD
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,573 Likes: 165
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,573 Likes: 165 |
The 2" pretty much shoots 28ga loads through a 12ga bore. The Brit 2" guns are extremely light, but it can be tough to find one with both decent LOP (many were made for women and youngsters) and barrels longer than 26". The new Spanish 2" guns weigh at least half a pound more than the vintage Brit guns, but are all proofed at the current CIP 2 1/2" standard of 850 bars. But ballistically, you still have pretty much a 28ga using a 12ga bore. And there are a lot of 28ga sxs lighter than the Spanish 2" guns. Ammo availability, ease of reloading . . . 28 definitely wins out there. But if the equivalent of a 6# 28ga still trips your trigger, why not.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,725 Likes: 1360
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 10,725 Likes: 1360 |
Cheapskate that I am, I always feel a bit of pain when I purchase good quality English 2 1/2 low pressure ammunition for my old 16, annoyed by the notion that American ammunition makers would happily sell me 12 or 20 gauge SAMMI spec 'stuff for less, a good bit less, usually. 28 gauge ammunition, even the cheap stuff, sells for more, so that eases my mind a bit, but, I wonder about the folks who run 2" 12 or 24 gauge ammunition. The rash of burst barrels seen of late seems to back up my English gunsmiths notion that reloading can be more expensive in the long run, so I've gone off that path, since it wasn't enjoyable to me, though some folks seem to consider reloading the prerequsite to enjoyable shooting. Some of those people have even have posted pictures of their guns, here, and at other sites, after the levee broke, as it were.
A five and 1/2 lb 12 makes even less sense to me than a 5 1/2 lb 28-my good, 30" Italian single shot 12 weighs more, and I shoot it better than I could either of the above, thanks to a 30" barrel, and the extra weight. I know I'm not alone in that assessment, light weight guns being stern taskmasters.
A fellow who used to post here had the tagline "Light 12s rule", to which, I used to secretly ad the comment "until you have to shoot the sombich all weekend" in my mind. Most 12s should weigh more than 6, and everything else would be better for the shooter at about 6 lbs, those sveldt 20s and 28s, especially so. Quite a few 16s fall right at that weight. No surprise to me. Perfect for the usual load (strictly 1 oz at my house for that gauge) and for our assortment of upland game, furry stuff included.
Remember the commercial "I 'coulda had a V8"! You 'coulda had a sixteen also, and the penalty price (gun, ammunition, resale) would have been lower, too. Think about it.
Best,
Ted
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