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Earlier American ball and shot guns were built heavier in the breech area to withstand higher pressures. Many of the straight shotguns of that era are marked "Not for Ball", some European shotguns are marked the same way. None of the ball and shot guns I have seen had either barrel rifled.

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Exactly - Engish guns are the same - buddy of mine has 2 - one is .75 and caplock H-Whall while the other is .80 and flintlock - don't remember it's name. They are quite heavy in the breech, much more so than shotguns of those gauges. They are characteristicly about 30" to 32" of barrel as shoter doens't shoot well with shot with older BP's. the .80 has 36" of barrel. Another friend has a 6 bore double, ball and shot gun, about 14 pounds and has a sight lump on the rib, while the first two, have a concave shaped rib at the tang for sighting down the short oct flat.

It was common practise in India to use any double or single shotgun with round ball and heavy charges as a dangerous game gun in the mid 1800's - even the first Lefaucheau pin-fires altough they were of small capacity.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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