doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bought a Baby.

Bonjour Larry,

You are spot on with the "L": it does stand for "lisse" or "cylinder"
The "LA" stands for "lisse amélioré" or Improved Cylinder (.010" in 12 bore).

JC

If I delivered a baby that ugly I would have slapped its mother!!!!

Larry, here is a webpage in French with some info on choke denominations:
Chokes

JC

Larry and JayCee, thanks for that. It does seem lightly choked which is perfect for what I want. Eley make a 12 bore 21 gram (13/16th. ounce) load and that is what I will try first and then graduate to a 24 gram (7/8th. ounce) load. I thought that I might use it for rabbits and generally use a 7/8th. ounce load anyway for that purpose. I will see how I get on with it. I have a female friend who is slightly built and would like to try it. I shall give it a trial first before handing it over as I don't want to be the cause of recoil shyness. If it suits her then I might just relinquish possession. It was such a novelty and the price was right so I just had to have a go with it. Lagopus.....

JayCee, thanks. I've never seen "lisse ameliore". I have a few books in French on shotguns, one of which includes a list of terms. It gives "lisse", but in the section on choke, refers to the British "fractional" terms--which show up in your link as well.

Lagopus, the golden rule says the weight of load charge in grams has to be equal to 1/100 of gun weight (in grams also). Your baby's weight is aprx. 2300 grams, so recoil comfortable load would be no more than 23 grams.
Enjoy and count days, when you'll be tired with playing and sell this thing

Lagopus, you are welcome.
The Babies are guns designed for carrying around a lot and shooting a little,
mainly for becasse and even with shallow rifled barrels for dispersion. It should be
efficient for walking around hunting rabbits. It would also be fitting for the Baby to
have a mum, ;-)

Larry, amélioré does mean improved, so... I was also told that an "IP" designation
means 3/4 choke.

JC

Here is a full sized Bretton in .22/12 gauge. Unusual combination in an even more unusual configuration. I've somewhat desired one of the Brettons since reading Roger Barlow's articles years ago - maybe a Baby in 20?

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Bretton-Combo-2212-Gauge.cfm?gun_id=100085971

Well if anyone goes over to England to hunt or shoot with our most distinguished member Mr. Lagopus you know what gun you're gettin!!!
"Could I use your Purdey; maybe, sir......."
"Hmmm, let me think........NO"

You either need a 5lb 12 gauge, or, you don't. At the point that you do need one, what it looks like is a somewhat secondary notion. I use a 30" barrel Italian hammerless, 5lb, single shot 12 for hunting grouse on snowshoes. The longish barrel makes it an effective balance pole, and the notion of needing more than one shot for this type of hunting, is far fetched, at best.
You likely wouldn't think that gun was pretty, either. But, it works.
Best,
Ted