doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hard hit heart/t bolt single shotgun

lads,
in my quest for a cheap,but nice older single break open shotgun (NONE CHEAP ENOUGH to mess around with cast round balls, I came upon a couple of these Bolt action shotguns, seems like built on a Mauser rifle action?
Amyone seen or shot one?
Read some posts that they were either death traps--or fine to shoot...any opinions.
If I can't find a break open..a bolt action would be ok by me
for messing around with.They seem cheap, but do have a kinda nice old look to them.
Any opinions??
Weird name, eh?
Perhaps a Marlin Goose Gun would be good too.
Thanks
Franc

I owned a 70's vintage 12 bore Mossberg bolt action, it looked like a rifle on steroids. I was quite light, around 6lbs, I freshened it up so that it looked nice, then I hollowed out the buttstock and the foreend under the barrel and filled it up with lead bringing the weight to about 8lbs. I used it as a trap gun for a few months. It was basically my answer to all the mediocre shooters at the club using expensive trap guns to compensate for their lack of skill and bolster their egos.
Steve

Franc
I think those were called Zulus and I would not want to shoot any of them. The suggestion of a Stevens, Mossberg or Marlin bolt action I feel would be much safer.
Glen

Pinduck...I believe Zulu's are different beast, but could be wrong.
I had the name wrong, its Hard hit Heart...from what I gather the Germans converted Mauser bolt actions after the war (2nd?)
I have a hankering for a Bore rifle, I have a H&R break open rifled 20bore that shoots great with my cast balls, but it IS ugly.
Those Marlin 36" weigh about 8lbs,decent weight.Seem cheep to.
Not as ugly as the H&R
Just wack of the chokes n off I go
But just love break open Guns
cheers
Franc

Franc, Mauser (Geha) made some number of 16 and 14g bolt action smooth bore guns before the war.
http://www.collectiblefirearms.com/RiflesMauser.html

Und "Nicht fur Kugel" Not made for ball- There were some Geco and bootlegged Mauser 98K pattern guns in the USA after WW1- rebored for shotgun shells I have heard- what gauge and how many, uncertain. Good luck!

Living in a slug only area for deer I have long wanted a classic sporter styled slug gun. I though about using one of the GEHA actions but the problem is this.

They needed to use a bolt head large enough for a 12 or 16ga so they attached one to the existing bolt. The front locking lugs and recesses were opened up to allow the shell to pass through so the only lug that bears is the rear safety lug. Kind of dicey to justify the expense of a custom sporter. Not sure if it could be made to work with a 20ga.

I have owned a Mauser 98 converted to a shotgun. Dont remember if it was a 12 or 16ga. It was a well built and strong gun.

I got one fairly recently for someone who wanted it as a curiosity. Sadly no photo on file. It was based on an 1871 pattern Mauser that started life in 11mm. The Belgians must have bought thousands of these and Chassepot needle fire guns that were probably leftovers from the Franco Prussian wars which they then converted to 12 bore and other calibres. I recall that the one I passed on was Belgian black powder proof and curiously was stamped as having a 76mm. (3 inch) chamber. Maybe one of our Belgian contributors can expand on this. Lagopus.....

If you want ALL the dope on these Mauser conversions, go to www.gunboards.com and look for the "Commercial Arms" forum. There is a "sticky" at the top of the thread listing that has a collector's research on these guns.

Aside from the fact that it is a military long arm converted to a civilian shotgun, a "Zulu" is unrelated to the Geha/Remo/Hard-Hit-Heart guns--completely different critter.

These Mauser conversions are interesting, but a Mossberg bolt shotgun with a rifled barrel would do as well, I think. I suspect it isn't hard to find a shop that rifles shotgun barrels. One I know about is White Dog Gunsmithing in Ilion, NY (assuming they have survived the economic mess). And besides, then you'd have a genuine Mossberg!