- Location
- New Brunswick
I have a Neumann Bros 12 ga double barrel external hammers shotgun that is stamped "Best Rolled Steel". Is it safe to shoot? It is also stamped "The Interchangeable". What does that mean?
Best Rolled Steel
- Thread starter gerardjohnson
- Start date
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I could never figure out the "interchangeable " part either, I thinkit's just a trade mark thing.
The proof marks will tell you if your Neumann will handle smokeless or not.
is the gun tight?
I shoot only black out of my Neumann Bros. shotguns, but they are etight in the lock up as well as good in the bores.
Cat
- Location
- New Brunswick
It is tight.
gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
The gun should really be checked out by a competent gunsmith who knows what to look for with these old double barrels. Is there any pitting in the bores or cracks? Have the bores ever been polished or reamed already to remove pitting, thus making the walls thinner? Even if safe, the gun should really be used with the pressures designed for its time period. If the gun checks out safe (and hopefully it will), have fun with it.
IIRC, the "Interchangeable" was an early mass-produced gun that touted the "advantages" of having standardized parts that could be used as replacement parts in any gun of that model. Personally, I don't subscribe to this "advantage". It has been my experience that hand-fitted guns last much longer than mass-produced models.
While Neumann Bros. was capable of producing high-end pieces, the vast majority of their production was of lower quality field guns. At about the same time as the "Interchangeable" was being produced, Belgian makers were flooding the market with cheap guns, many sold through hardware stores in North America.
Most such guns weren't of high quality to begin with and were subjected to harsh conditions. This often resulted in the guns being off-face and corroded. Still, if it was properly cared for over the years, it's possible that your gun could be in perfectly usable condition. If you don't have the experience to evaluate this yourself, you should take gunsaholic's advice and have the gun checked out by a qualified smith.
If it checks out, the odds are extremely high that you'll want to reload 2 1/2" black powder shells for that gun.
Personally, I shoot vintage shotguns almost exclusively. In good condition and used with the loads for which they were built, they can be safe, effective, and lots of fun to shoot.
While Neumann Bros. was capable of producing high-end pieces, the vast majority of their production was of lower quality field guns. At about the same time as the "Interchangeable" was being produced, Belgian makers were flooding the market with cheap guns, many sold through hardware stores in North America.
Most such guns weren't of high quality to begin with and were subjected to harsh conditions. This often resulted in the guns being off-face and corroded. Still, if it was properly cared for over the years, it's possible that your gun could be in perfectly usable condition. If you don't have the experience to evaluate this yourself, you should take gunsaholic's advice and have the gun checked out by a qualified smith.
If it checks out, the odds are extremely high that you'll want to reload 2 1/2" black powder shells for that gun.
Personally, I shoot vintage shotguns almost exclusively. In good condition and used with the loads for which they were built, they can be safe, effective, and lots of fun to shoot.
