doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What Ever Happened to Gauge?

As the old saying goes there are three ways for everything, The Right Way, The Wrong Way & My Way. Well My Way is if someone asked me what size shotgun I had, I would give the "Gauge" number ie 12 gauge etc. Should they then ask, how do you know that's it's size I don't see a mark on it to say (Most old Classic American doubles are unmarked), I would then say that's easy I measured it with a "Bore Gage".

Caliber, dagnabbit... as in "Anyone seen my 12 caliber bullets? All I can seem to find is these little yellow ones..."

I use "bore" when referring to British guns and gauge for all others. If that's what the makers called it, it's good enough for me.

I use the terms interchangably, 12 gauge and 12 bore, and really never gave it much thought until it was brought up here! A bit of thought on my part reveals that I use 12 bore, on occasion out of,believe it or not, respect for British history and their reputation as shotgunners! I am suprised at myself in this regard as I have always been a bit embarrassed for the English people in that they still support their monarchy. I even resent it when people here call the Kennedy family our royals. I'm sure the British don't care I feel this way. You'll note I interchange English with British too. Though my ancestry is German I'm not caught up in it so much as I am being an American. As such, I admire the British people and believe I have a God given right to screw up the english language as I please! So blyme I'ma gont ta talk anyways I wunts, ya-all.

Gauge is a gauge! The number of round bore size balls made from a pound of lead are gauged to be 12.

I get the a an the u backwards alot when I type, as well.

Best to you,

Kurt

As Barry Goldwater might say "Oh what the hell?"

Rob-

I can buy that--in English made (or market) shotguns, why not keep the flavor of the country of origin?

Language is evolving and who is to say that we will not abandon the term gauge for bore or allow it as an easy way for us to distinguish between a double shotgun and other types while at the same time convey the gauge? However, I will continue to call shotguns by gauge, no matter where they are from, because that is what I learned.

As for your observation regarding the country of origin use, I do agree to call a Parker, LC Smith, Fox, Winchester or Browning made in or for the US a "bore" seems particularly out of place.

The side by side is every bit as much an American classic as it is an English one and I while don't think it necessarily degrades a Fox to call it a 12 bore (if anything it is an effort to put the gun on a common footing), it nonetheless doesn't seem right because it is almost as if in order to get the firearm any respect, it must be referred to as a "bore". Take a look at the guns for sale and see how many sellers use the term "bore" for their American made/marketed double guns and you will see what I mean.

I wonder how many would refer to Winchester Mod 12s as a 12, 16 or 20 bore? I bet not nearly as many as those speaking of doubles.

Kurt- I also have trouble getting the "a" before the "u" when I type the word gauge (in fact I did so in my title to this post and had to edit it!)...don't know why that is. Gauge is often abbreviated Ga., so that might help.

Does anyone know the history of these two terms, and if there was ever a past common usage?

Doug

You guys are funny.
Do those 12 gauges errrr bores shoot? Is that important?
Didn't Shakespeare say something bout how roses smell?
Was he English?
Jake

We would say "Boot","bonnet" and "mate", but interestingly definitely gauge when it comes to shotguns.
"Trunk" is part of a tree and "hood" is something you pull over your head.

We were obviously heavily influenced by the British, however in more recent times American culture has become more common.

But then of course what would I know, I'm just an "Antipodean"!

BTW I also get the "a" and "u" the wrong way round as often as not.

For goodness sake, Gentlemen please learn to speak and conduct oneself correctly when one is in ones company.
When we released you from our Empire we believed you were mature enough to make your own way in the World.
Obviously not.
Tisk, tisk, what are we to do with one.
It is and now for ever shall be, BORE.
We use a bore guage to measure. NOT a Guage guage.
Now be off with you, like good children.
Deary, deary me, modern children are soooooo naughty.

Didn't smooth bore rifles come before shotguns and weren't these rifles measured as bore, shotgunning appeard later and was just a fist full of shot thrown down the barrell instead of a lead ball. Gauge seems to be a Yankee thing invented to be different to the Pommies probably because you guys don't like them all that much. Here in Australia we don't like them much better either and have migrated to the yankee term. Also we have the situation where we have bore rifles in singles and doubles, a 4 bore double rifle is described as that and not as a 4 gauge double rifle, Perhaps we could start a new term and talk about our 729 shot gun, that is if we could remember all the different bore measurements or then should we go down the metric line, for me I don't give a sh-one-t what it is so long as you use the number ie 12 14 16 20 etc

Hotrach