While picking up a shotgun on which I'd had some work done, I got to talking to the gunsmith. During the course of the conversation, he pulled a set of 8 gauge barrels off the rack, which are in for refinishing. The barrels were marked as being Belgian twist and were extremely heavy. As in about 6 pounds heavy. Massive. 36 inches long. Barrel wall thickness at the muzzle looked to be approaching 0.1 inches. Unfortunately, the rest of the gun was not present.
The barrels had faded to a muted grey and white, but will be refinished to black and white. I suspect they'll be spectacular when completed. The ribs appeared tight and the barrels rang like a charm. Bores were bright and shiny. No pits on the exterior, either. Not even a mark on the rib.
I've no idea where this gun might have lived for the last 100 or so years, but it was obvious from the condition of the barrels that the owners had cared for the gun during its life.
I was curious, though. What would such a heavy gun have been intended for? It seems too heavy to be a sport gunner's tool and too light for a market hunters gun.
In any event, the barrels were a reminder of a time past, when the tools of the hunting trade were not nearly as efficient as they are today. I really enjoyed being able to hold and examine them.
