doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help please on Belgian gun

I have a friend that wants to know if he can shoot modern 3" 1 7/8 ounce loads in this gun. I would imagine any gun that originally came with 3" chambers could handle the pressure. I know nothing at all about Belgian proof marks and any information you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Skip

SH I don't know about this gun but I can tell you that there were lots of guns with 3" chambers that cannot handle the pressures generated by moderen ammo. There were pre 1900 guns with 3" chambers and I would not shoot modern 3" ammo. I like my fingers and eyes too much.

It appears the gun was proofed in 1932.
http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

I am looking for the optional double or triple proof marks and do not see them.

Pete

The barrels, 1.5 kg (3.3#), don't appear to have the weight of a heavy fowler. I'd be very concerned about cracking the stock or for abusive recoil. High recoil loads need a heavy gun. I'd not risk it.

However, you can probably reload some heavy shot loads with lower velocity and lower pressure. These could be OK.

I appreciate the help and advise so far. I already implied to the owner that even if the metal can withstand the pressure a steady diet might not be a good idea. Knowing that the barrel weight isn't in the range typical for a fowler is helpful. Would a gun intended to be used as a fowler also have a thicker wrist to withstand the heavier recoil?

Skip

Skip, who is the maker of your gun ? It looks like barrels off of a higher grade gun.

I would suspect that it would have been intended for the same 3" magnums as in use in Britain at the time. The shot load in those was 1 1/2 ounce. Those big booming 1 7/8 ounce things would soon wreck it and possibly the firer too. The American magnums which you mention were developed long after that gun was made. Lagopus.....

Skip-

Lets see the gun! Those lumps look Purdey-esque.

Is it a Defourney or maybe a Dumoulin?

Thanks

OWD

I have a nice No name Belgian SLE,all the nice touches..art'trigger , to the fences,bushed pins, lovely burl root stock , it has the same Andrews Toledo Sheffield bbls.
I'd like to see more pics.
Daryl has one also.
I posted a thread to SDH..on the Toledo bbls not that long ago
cheers
franc

In terms of pressure, SAAMI (American) standards for the 3" 12ga are the same as for the 2 3/4" 12: 11,500 psi. According to
Kennett's Gun Digest article on Belgian proof, under the rules of 1924: "In the case of guns with chambers longer than standard (2 3/4"), pressures are raised to 14,700 psi and 16,100 psi respectively." (The higher figure is for guns smaller than 16ga.) "Guns passing this proof are stamped on barrels and breech with mark no. 19." That mark is the rampant lion over PV, which is present. So it looks like the gun does have a heavy enough proof to handle the pressure. However, as advised above, with older guns and especially those on the lighter side, you're better off going with lighter loads than 1 7/8 oz--for the sake of the wood, if not the metal.