doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2" 12ga vs. 2.5" 12ga prices

Battle,

I have a Birmingham 2" and I love it. Mine weighs 5# even. Light weight is big the attraction for me. I would not buy a 6# 2" gun, at that weight I would go with a 2 1/2".

I do not understand the price differential either, but 1cdog may be right regarding limited supply.

I have not seen any real advantage shooting grouse & woodcock with it over my 20b, or even my 28b, though.

But the Birmingham 2" guns are another interesting example of the gun trade from another time.

I have never regretted buying mine.

So what's my options? Can I take a 2.5" 26" barrel gun and reduce the weight enough and still keep the dynamics true to a 2" gun?

Probably not. The little 2 inch guns were made down to that weight both in the barrels and the action. They cost more due to scarcity and desirability. If you find one around the 5 1/2 pound mark I doubt you would part with it and not many other people do either so they don't come onto the market that often. Most were made in the 1930's and not in large numbers. They handle very fast even at the side of a 20 of the same weight. It was some time before I found mine. Lagopus.....

Battle,

Reading this thread made me curious about the dimensions of my 2" guns, so here are some numbers for you. Unfortunately, I do not have a lightweight (6# 2 oz or 6# 3 oz) 2 1/2" 12b to compare them to, but maybe you do.

The 26" barrels on my 2" 12b weigh 2# 2.8 oz.

That is less the lightest 20b barrels I have (2# 4.5 oz), and within an ounce and a half of those on my 28b, which has a total weight of only 4# 9.5 oz.

The 2" barrel walls are .030", I really expected the thicknesses to be .022" to .025".

The firing pin centers are 1.035". My 20b, which is a 5# 2.5 oz gun, is .993".

I have another 2" that is 4-5 ounces heavier, but the centers on that gun are .980", less than on a light weight 20b. That is amazing, to me.

The action bar width on the 2" is 1.440" at the angle, on the 20b is is 1.453". So apparently it is on a 20b sized frame, at least width-wise.

One of my 2" guns was proof dated in 1933, the other in 1934, just as Lagopus indicated.

redoak/lagopus

I just weighed my 2 inch gun barrels. The first, a Jeffrey with 26 inch barrels weighed in at 2 lb. 7 oz.

The second gun, a B. Halliday & Co., with 28 inch barrels weighs 2 oz. more at 2 lb. 9 oz.

Each gun respectively weights in at 5 lb. 4 oz. and 5 lb. 8 oz. I don't have a way to measure wall thickness but I would guess each gun is over .030.

The lightest set of barrels on my "best" 20 bore with 28 inch barrels weigh 2 lb. 15 oz., considerably heavier than either of the 12's.

As lagapus stated they are very fast guns and carry better afield, for me, than any of the other guns I own, including my 28's. I have bought and sold lots of guns in my time but I doubt if I would sell either of my 2 inch guns. There is really nothing quite like them, IMO.

I have shot two inch shells in both my 2 1/2 inch guns, which weigh in around 6 1/2 pounds, but the feel is entirely different.

What a dummy I can be. I weighed both barrels with the forends on. Now with them off, they weigh in at 2 lb. 4 oz., for the Jeffrey and 2 lb. 6 oz., for the B. Halliday. Sorry for the previous misinformation.

The "best", 20 bore barrels weighed in at 2 lb. 10 oz.

The low barrel weights are possible because 2" is low pressure cartridge. Matter of fact original 3/4oz load had to be increased to 7/8oz to increase pressure and obtain proper combustion of power translating into good results. The 28" barrels of old Beretta O/U weigh 2.9lb, but there is big difference between $600 and $5000+ and cartridges for Italian gun can be purchased at every small town Walmart.

I quail, woodcock sometimes grouse hunt over 1 dog if my buddy goes 2 dogs. We walk a lot. I have a French 28 a Parker and Lefever 20 ga. If I wanted a 16 I'd probably go with a Fox but I don't. I want a English 2" that I can carry. It can be plain box lock. After handling a few over the years and picking up that 28ga I have the 2 incher is a grail gun for me. Unfortunately my OCD will add fire to my obsession until it's found and bought.

Shortround,

So the forends (with iron) on your two guns weigh only 3 ounces each?

Boy, that seems really light, I thought they would be a couple more ounces than that...

Good luck with the search. Even in their home Country they are hard to find. Lagopus.....