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Author Topic: Size of bores  (Read 1720 times)

Offline oomcurt

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Size of bores
« on: October 10, 2008, 03:36:14 PM »
I am kinda curious about something. Seems like for some reason there were only 20 gauge smoothbores back then...and some smaller. In other words....I am guessing there weren't any or maybe very few 12 gauge or such. Now, there was a site, I foget the name that had period smoothbores for sale on it...and on that site they had some 11 gauge guns as well as others. So...my question is.....were smoothbores larger than 20 gauge that rare? Or....was it more of a thing where for some reason folks back then just thought that was "enough" gun? The reason I am asking this...what about geese..didn't anyone ever have occasion to take a shot at them..I mean..a 20 on geese???? Just seems odd to me that given the opportunity to take waterfowl back then sure would be something that I think most folks looking to put food on the table would have jumped on.
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Online Two Steps

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« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2008, 03:49:55 PM »
Curt...I'm no expert by any stretch...however...I have seen a Holiday Inn commercial   ;)
Al
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Offline Mitch

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« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2008, 03:49:56 PM »
larger bores were available, but use more powder and lead..and I've taken geese with a 20ga...
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Offline Capt. Jas.

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« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2008, 04:41:49 PM »
There were all sizes of bores.  I prefer a larger bore than a 20 to get more shot away from the barrel walls but not too heavy. The 16-12 suits my purpose for that.  From 11-8 you have a nice duck or goose gun.

The 20 seems in my opinion to be the most popular ML bore for smooth guns now because most people want to shoot round balls thru them but it still can be of use for shot. I do think it's acompromise of both abilities.
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Offline Gambia

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« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2008, 04:49:20 PM »
Here on this side of the pond the most popular  percussion gage for game  was the 12 with a close second the 14 and 16.If we go back to the flintlock then 16 18 and 20 gage  were popular.
For wildfowling then the large gage such as for percussion 4,6,8,10, in both singles and sxs doubles.The big 4,6,8 were mostly for flighting geese these would kill geese up to 50 to 70 yards  and the 10 was mainly for flighting duck.
I have use all the gages mentioned and most are still used today by muzzle loading shooters for both fowling and game shooting
Feltwad
A Flint Lock will not secure a chiken house door

A stand of game guns in 12 14 16 gage
[albumimg:37xl767f]3370[/albumimg:37xl767f]
A stand of big gage fowlers 2,4,6,8,10
[albumimg:37xl767f]3371[/albumimg:37xl767f]
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Offline mario

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« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2008, 07:01:18 PM »
The 20-24 ga. (.62-.58 cal) was the most popular trade gun bore size.

In New England, most militia laws specified a firelock of musket bore so you'll see a lot of pre-1780s NE fowlers of around .75cal/11 ga.


Ex:
"Every listed souldier ... shall be alwayes provided with a well fixt firelock musket, of musket or bastard musket bore..."

Mass. Bay Colony, Nov. 22, 1693

From a practical standpoint, though 50 rounds of 20 ga. ball is a lot lighter than the same of 11 ga.

Mario
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Offline Kermit

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« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2008, 05:30:14 PM »
Clever. I wonder if requiring militia pieces to be 11ga was to align with the Brits Bess bore size in order to use captured ball without having to melt down and recast. 'Twould be just like a frugal Yankee.
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Offline mario

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« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2008, 05:50:51 PM »
Quote from: "Kermit"
Clever. I wonder if requiring militia pieces to be 11ga was to align with the Brits Bess bore size in order to use captured ball without having to melt down and recast. 'Twould be just like a frugal Yankee.

Captured ball? No.  Issued ball? Yes.

In the era when those laws were written, them Yankees were still Englishmen and fighting the French and Abnakis, not Redcoats.


Mario
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Offline Kermit

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« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2008, 08:16:38 PM »
I was just thinkin' of 1780, I guess. By then  I don't 'spect the Brits were still issuing RB to colonials...

But I've been wrong before. Obviously.
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Offline hawkeye

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« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2008, 09:19:49 PM »
Quote from: "Kermit"
I was just thinkin' of 1780, I guess. By then  I don't 'spect the Brits were still issuing RB to colonials...

But I've been wrong before. Obviously.

Sure they were. They were called Loyalists. A great many colonists both black and white fought for England during the Revolution.
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Offline edwardamason

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« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2008, 10:16:16 PM »
With Fowlers You see a lot of really "odd" sizes"early in the 18th century.Odd meaning by todays standards.

.69, .76,.71,.68,79,.70.59,78,77,67 are all listed in Neumanns book prior to 1775,

Its only till after 1775 do we see things starting to become smaller.There is lots of speculation as to why the bores started becoming smaller but I suspect the reason is that powder and lead was becoming more scarce as the war progressed and smaller bores meant that powder and balls would go a lot further with the smaller bore.


.67 .65,.62,.70,.65 ,.68 are just a few of the ones listed in the book post F@I war.
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