doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Single Barrel Game guns

Many of these fine single barrel guns were designed for the trap shooter, or am I wrong?

Best Regards, George

Same here Rockdoc. I was probably around the same age, a 16 ga, that I still have. Shot a fair number of ruffed grouse and ducks with that gun.

Can't say that I got game the 1st time I fired it though!

No, George, British single barrel game guns are a different gun from dedicated trap guns. Many of the game guns are very light, and the hammerless variations normally have safeties. The game guns are also often ribless.

I don't have any of the nice British single shots, but since the discussion has turned to American single shots, I thought I'd plug my personal favorite, the Savage model 220. No external hammer and a tang safety.

I have one in combination 16ga (with poly-choke) and separate 30-30 rifle barrel with fore-end. The frame is marked model 219 which is the rifle version. Also have a 20ga that I often carry when training bird dogs over released Bobwhites.

I like'em well enough I bought a pristene .410 with full case colors for my grandson. I figure he'll learn the safety habits with it that will transfer over to the Miroku 20ga tht's also waiting for him...Geo

Geo. I'm disappointed to hear your praise of the Savage. You gave me so much encouragement to keep hold of my Beretta Folder. I love getting my fingers pinched on letting it fall open when I hit the lever. Getting slapped silly with stout loads is always a plus. Love it that it weighs 5 lbs. Only positive I see. Randy

Sorry Randy, but I was just trying to make you feel better since I knew you'd never be able to sell your Beretta folder. Don't feel bad though, I have the 20ga folder in my PERMANENT collection also. Sure is sweet to carry, but even the 20 kicks a lot!...Geo

I have a Meriden single shot 12ga that needs a little tune up before shooting it. But it'll be nice to break some clay targets with it once completed. ...evil twist steel barrel and all.

A pretty sleak shotgun all considered. Much different from the Stevens and Savage models I remember with the built in flinch
mechanism for young shooters.
Maybe it was those Peters HV baby magnum #4's you HAD to use or you'd never have a chance at bringing down a pheasant.

16 gauge single by J. Graham of Inverness, Scotland. Four and a half pounds with a 30" barrel. Full length stock. Fun gun to shoot and a delight to carry on one of Amarillo Mike's fabled death marches. Gun is so light and has so little momentum that it will clearly point out every shooting flaw you never knew you had the first time you pull the trigger. It'll even tell you if that extra cup of coffee in the morning was really necessary....I love 'em.

Agree w/gunman & eightbore; not anywhere close to a dedicated trap gun. Wholey a dif animal. I'm inclined to think of them more in terms of a 'stalking shotgun'; that would include surprising & straffing a few ducks [think punt gun] or a sitting hare or even a fox caught off guard. More something light to carry about the estate on an outing. In the smaller gauges, think 'garden gun' for dispatching bothersome birds or bunnies from the immediate area surrounding the estate. On this side of the pond a better quality S.B. game gun's quarry would more likely have been a bunny that stopped for a moment or a squirrel on a convenient limb or a grouse for that matter. Not saying that one cannot take a bird on the wing, rather that they were intended for the rough and targets of opportunity, furry or feathered.

I have a v.g. condition Hopkins & Allen take-down damascus 12 that would surely provide the shooter a good thump given the opportunity. It is hardly fancy, tho well enough made [edit: for it's intended purpose]. I see it more as an intended farm gun or as Thorny used to say, 'leaned behind the kitchen door' for quick access when needed, for fending off the occasional skunk or fruit stealing possum or blasting a tree'd raccoon from his last stand.

FWIW, lots of small gauge singles were sold in S.A. & nearly any hardware store in outlying towns will have a box or so of 24, 28 & 32 gauge ammunition on the shelf.

addendum: You bring outright laughter, Joe. Lovely gun, I'm sure Amarillo Mike is comfortable knowing you are there for the third shot backup, JIC its needed;-)Snow's a bit early this year, ain't it?