Quote:

---

Buckstix - Unfortunately for us poor mortals you certainly have an eye for a good gun!
The fully rifled barrel is a rarity in such a gun and most desirable
The Acanthus scroll engraving is most attractive
As usual we await a range report, especially on the rifle
Many thanks for posting
TH44

---

Quote:

---

Wow you can pick them up matey!
Yes the engraving is a nice touch as with the inbuilt sling - I've never seen anything like that before, an absolute corker idea with a truly unique proprietary touch that could be added to new rifles (especially with heaven forbid synthetic stocks)!
Take a serious note of this idea all the bespoke makers......in my eyes its bloody brilliant!

Great to have the full rifled barrel to boot - Nitro proofed I presume at 1100 Kg/cm2? = 15,645 psi?
Yep - can't wait to see what this one can do!

---

Quote:

---

nice find, here in the 1931 catalog

most to all pre war guns ( pre WW 2) were made for the 65 mm long shell so its possible and happen many times that an old gun was rechambered for the 70 mm long shell when it became the new "normal". don't know enough about proof marks but thinking when this is "16 Normal" and the 65 mm long shell was "Normal" then it would get another mark in the proof house showing it was born as a gun for 70 mm long shells.

don't know what for a bullet it was made for then, here are some in the 1900 Gevelot catalog

I would start with a round ball and then try a 16 ga paradox bullet if you don't want to use modern slug bullets.

---

Hello lanchaster,
Thanks for the reply.

I really appreciate the catalog pictures. I'll save them in my file for this gun. Thank you.

As for chamber length, although the seller's ad stated 2-3/4" I didn't take that for granted. I measured both chambers and they are 2-3/4". Close examination with a bore scope shows that it appears to be the original un-altered length. Having said that, I use 2-1/2" brass cases for the rifled barrel.

I did my first testing on Saturday, and I think this paragraph from a fellow on another Forum pretty much describes the gun I have .....

" ... There is another particularity which we are going to find on the barrels ..... The (shallow) rifling. For the dispersion of shot when firing at a short distance, and for the shooting of ball...."

The targets below show the results of Saturday's testing. I started very conservative, and at close range because the snow was only plowed to our 25yd range. I will carefully increase velocities in my next load testing. I anticipate with the correct load the gun will shoot more to point of aim. I will be adjusting both velocity and bullet weight to try to achieve this. I found it difficult sighting with the swamp rib and a single bead front sight for aiming the rifled barrel. I think a lot of the dispersion was due to that. I'll likely get better as I become more familiar with this sighting system. I'm guessing the option of shooting a ball, was intended as a way to take advantage of as unexpected opportunity for a deer, or boar, at reasonably range.

Of particular note is that both the light weight 1oz hollow base bullets, and the heavy 1-1/2oz bullets stabilized in the slow twist of the rifled barrel, as evidenced by round holes, in close (although separated) groups. I did not shoot either bullet in the smooth bore barrel.

I tested first with shotshell on the 17" square target. A mild 1oz target load of 7-1/2s. The shotshell fired from the left smooth bore barrel patterned a bit high because I aimed the gun like a rifle, instead of "covering the bird" like one normally would with a shotgun. However, the results
shows a good pattern from its modified choke. But, the shotshell fired at 25 yards from the rifled right barrel shows only 23 pellets from the 338 pellets in the 1oz cartridge. (the black circles) I fired a second shell in the right rifled barrel on the same target, but this time I moved closer to 12 yards. That shot shows a very uniform pattern. (the red circles) This barrel would be excellent for shooting of close flushed game, or in-coming driven game, with the ability for a follow-up shot from the left barrel if the range increased.

Next I tested the rifled barrel. Some years ago I had a custom bullet mold made for the 1-1/2oz (655g) .676 dia. 16 gauge bullet. I wanted a bullet that duplicated the German bullets used in Vogel Schiessen rifles. I have two of those types of rifles, one in 18 gauge and one in 16 gauge. The bullet casts .676 and was sized down to .660 dia for this gun's bore. The hollow base 1oz bullet is from a Lyman mold and casts a .695 dia. slug. Although the groove dia of this gun is .660, I fired this bullet as is. The soft hollow bullet swages down through the forcing cone with no effect on pressure. I did not directly lube either bullet. After the cartridges are loaded, I dripped 6 drops of oil, one drop in each for the fold openings of the crimp, and store the cartridges "bullet-up". The oil coats the bullets and is absorbed into the fiber wad below it. This method has worked well in my Thomas Bland Paradox gun with no leading. I used the paradox crimping tool I designed (and sell) to hold the bullets in place.

GERMAN VOGEL SCHIESSEN BULLETS


.
.
.
.
.

MY 16 BORE BULLET


.
.
.
.
.

1-1/2oz 655g BULLET - .676 dia sized down to .660 dia


.
.
.
.
.
1oz 438g HOLLOW BASE 16ga SLUG - .695 dia


.
.
.
.
.

BULLETS CRIMPED WITH THE CUSTOM PARADOX CRIMPING TOOL - THAT I MAKE & SELL


.
.
.
.
.

TARGET SHOWING BULLETS FIRED IN RIFLED BARREL @ 25yds


.
.
.
.
.

TARGET SHOWING 1oz #7-1/2 SHOT FIRED IN RIFLED BARREL @ 25yds (BLACK) and @ 12yds (RED)


.
.
.
.
.

TARGET SHOWING 1oz #7-1/2 SHOT FIRED IN SMOOTH BORE MOD CHOKE BARREL @ 25yds



.
.
.
.
.

--------------------
"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."

Post Extras:

Quote:

---

Agree with the other comments on this..
Great find --
Congrats..

---

Quote:

---

Great find Buckstix, your shotgun is simply beautiful and looks in really mint condition; that's a lucky pick as Models 32-E-S are extremely rare on the market. According to the excellent book in French "Le Fusil Robust" (Jean-Claude Mournetas), unfortunately now out of stock, Models 32-E-S ("32" for luxury finish, "E" for "Ejector" & "S" for rifled barrel) were only manufactured in 1930, while Robust shotguns were continuously manufactured from 1913 (patent issued) until 1980 (Manufacture de Saint Etienne's end of business), apart from the period 1940-1946 when production stopped. Of interest, Robust models were also offered in a side-by-side double-rifle version from 1929 until 1934, in calibers 8mm Lebel, .405 & .450; they are also extremely rare on the market now and command extremely high prices when some re-surface from time to time.

I also own a Robust model 222S in 16 ga, with one fully rifled barrel for slugs; this one is younger than yours, it was manufactured in the mid-50's and has been in the family since then; I'll need to present it on the Forum one day. I had it fully refurbished circa ten years ago when it was passed to me and it has been in my safe since then as I do not hunt with shotguns.

Louis

---

Quote:

---

hello buckstix

just one note- when you size down the big 16 ga bullet the pic here shows the lead is flowing into the grease groove

dip the bullet into melted bee wax or paraffin before and size than. this will hold the groove intact when sizing down because the wax/paraffin is allways there and the lead flow into another direction usually extending the bullet.

I had this problem with the .575 Minie bullets I use for my Husqvarna 17a with a 28/40 cartridge. swage the minie bullet in the die with a hammer to .600 diameter. when you fill the grooves before they will hold the shape. if not they are filled with lead after the work.

---

Post Extras:

Quote:

---

Here in Europe we call them woodcock guns, because of the increased spread of the right barrel. I have photographed an Ideal with rifled right barrel (canon raye) and several Verney Carrons. The French seem to specialise in this type more than other makers.

---

Post Extras: