doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need to understand these terms

There are a few terms I still don’t understand fully, and if someone could explain them I would greatly appreciate it:

Fences - it sounds like this is a reference to o engraving, but I’m not sure
Water table - I can tell this is part of the action, but I’m not sure which part
Cape Gun - it sounds like this is typically a rifle/shotgun combo with the barrels stacked vertically?

Again, any clarification on these will be appreciated!

Larry

Fences are: Hemispherical outgrowths of the receiver of a double gun that mate with the breech ends of the barrels. The term derives from the flanges (or fences) in this position on a muzzle loading gun that were designed to protect the eyes of the shooter from sparks and escaping gasses.

Water table: The top of the bar of the action, the flat projection on the front of the receiver of a side-by-side gun, perpendicular to the standing breech. The cocking arms, hingepin and locking bolts are typically mounted inside the bar, below the watertable. The Table, or the Action Flat.

Cape gun: A two-barreled, side-by-side, shoulder-fired gun having one smoothbore shotgun barrel and one rifled barrel.

Those are from Hallowell's Firearms Dictionary, which is usually pretty handy, though I take exception to the terms watertable, and receiver, when referring to doubleguns, preferring the terms action flat, and action.

http://www.hallowellco.com/abbrevia.htm#F

Much appreciated Stan. Thank you

Just an add on to what you have above. The term Cape Gun comes from the sales pitch used by British Gunmakers to describe guns which were frequently sold to Farmers and Landowners in the Cape Colony of South Africa. They were normally of side by side construction with one barrel shotgun and the other rifled in order that they could be used for a variety of purposes. Shot for smaller game and the rifle barrel for more dangerous stuff. Most common are 12 or 16 bore in the shotgun and .577 or .450/577 in the rifle. These two rifle calibres, especially the latter, were in common use in that area being of military calibres with plenty of ammunition obtainable. A Dealer friend may have one coming in soon of which I have first refusal. The rifle is .450/577 and I believe the shotgun part is 16 bore. Lagopus.....

Also, I believe it was Winchester that coined the term >>Water-Table<< in its adverts and too was a sales pitch, I guess. I couldn't find the exact thread, but there are many threads as well as opinions on >>Water-Table<<.

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=248701

A Cape gun was also a poorman's double rifle. He could shoot slugs & have 2 projectiles @ his disposal.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

I can't replace the images on the thread Raimey linked, so here they are

Architectural 'water table'



Maybe?

Dare I mention since we’re talking terminology?

Would be nice if Walt was along shortly to remind us (as he does every year or so) that break actions have frames rather than receivers.

I really appreciate all the responses. I understand the terms much better now, and I enjoy learning the history of the terms too.

I stand corrected, it was Fox(Not Winchester)......


]
Fox 1914 advert:

>>"THE extension of the frame(water table) under the barrels is shorter than on any other guns."

So all you Fox owners step forward and call it what it is.

Like Mcintosh, I too believe the term originated from the use to water to make the flats plane. It also appears in Sears, Roebuck & Company adverts(typically in Railroad publications) circa 1905-1907.<<


https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=355108

Serbus,

Raimey
rse

I always thought fences were on percussion guns a piece of material resembling a fence between your face and the cap it was carried on later guns