doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com To Shoot or Not to Shoot? That is the question.

Mark, I take it you are home safe and sound and I hope you had a good show.

I've had some success but just don't talk a lot about the failures. Remember deer or rifles the fun is in the chase. My longest hunt was twenty years from the day I found it to the day I brought it over to my safe.

Well above in this thread, SDH asks about my attempts to return guns not only to pleasing appearance, but also to safe shooting condition - even though I don't think I've shot any of my guns or rifles in 30 years. I will continue in that practice as I just plain enjoy the process of finding interesting guns and helping them back to decent condition! The "clunker" Optimus Lefever from last year's Vegas show and Greg Martin auction was on a table for display at Vegas, and many favorable comments were made on Keith Kearcher's work and the gun's present state. Barrels are still too thin for prolonged use, but the Teague option is still under consideration.

The "to shoot or not" has gotten me another fine project! At the Vegas show, I was talking with a man (well known to this board) who admitted that a thin spot in one barrel of a high grade D. M. Lefever box lock gun worried him as a shooter. Since I don't have that problem, and because the gun in not really unsafe, but certainly should be treated with the utmost respect, it is now coming to my home to reside. This one would not lend itself to Teague's treatment as the bore is tapered from end to end, so that very unusual feature would be lost with their thin wall sleeves. Perhaps a removable insert barrel is the answer.

Would that thin spot be on the right barrel at 6'o'clock about
14" from the breach?

It sounds as if you know the gun!

I do not know the exact location, but he said it was in a spot that would be bad news if it ruptured, so even though he shoots low pressure loads exclusively, he would probably always be a bit nervous while shooting, and that is no fun.

We'll do a double check on the measurements, but .018" (I believe that is what he told me) would make me nervous, too! Even if it did not blow out, that thin a tube would be highly likely to get dented in normal field use (although my guns don't see that, the next owner might not have the same orientation I have).

Titanium Briley tubes should work just fine and it would become a 6 1/2 pound or slightly less 20 gauge.

Should I shoot it?

Baker Elite from 1915-1919

Lou W.

Well, I'm back from Vegas and am the one guilty of giving Terry another project with the high grade crossbolt he got from me. I had planned to restock it and make it my hunting gun with my 15 1/2" pull on the new stock. A thin place in the barrel made me rethink the shooter thing. After seeing the wonderful restorations Terry had done, I told him about my thoughts on the gun and I am now very glad he has it and will look forward to seeing it's completion. It is in the right place.

On the Baker Elite above, that is a nice example. Over the years I may have owned a couple dozen Baker traps and unmolested ones are hard to find. If the gun is pristine , I try to keep it that way. I have a few that have warts and don't mind shooting them, but in a trap gun, use every week at the trap range might be left to a more modern gun. About 3 or 4 hundred Elites of that mechanical model were made.

All of the thoughts above are on shotguns. The summary is that I might shoot each and everyone of mine, some just a few shells at clay targets, sometimes sharing shooting with friends so they get the "feel". I take many different "old" shotguns bird hunting. Lots of fun, but for rifle hunting, where the terrain is rougher and game is bigger, I have used only three guns for 40 years. The vintage "collector" rifles stay home, but sometimes get a few shots in friendly Sunday get togethers.

Just have to add one more thing. On a Texas quail hunt this fall, I loaned a friend , a 16 ga. nut, a three barrel 16 ga by Morian with three triggers. He in turn, loaned me his 20 bore Purdey. I smiled as he took the first two birds out of a rise with the Morian, but could not "find" the third trigger for a tripple, birds for which were available. I am sure my friend did not smile as he watched a fence post break as I was crossing it. I kept the Purdey safe as I tumbled. Both instances give us reason to "shoot or not to shoot".

Good post SDH

Lou, Welcome to the board.

I have a dog a lot like yours but I only take him out on nice sunny warm days.

Mike and Lou. Same engraver on both guns, of course.

Yes, both were from the same litter.

Mike and Lou, here are a couple of dogs similar to yours. Sorry to sort of hijack the thread, SDH .