Bore guns and rifles

[WR1894]

Since I have been off and working from home, I have had some time to look and spend time in the gun room. Since I started collecting guns the term bore guns and rifles has interested me. I know bore and gauge are mostly the same but to me to say I have a 20 bore rifle sounds cooler then a 20 gauge rifle
So in my room I started to look at what I have gotten over the years and thought I start a post on Bore guns and rifles
I will start with a pair of French Gastinne Renette of Paris 20 bore rifles. These guns are not consecutive serial numbers being separated by 9 numbers 51 and 60
I can find little information on Renette except he was consider a high end gun maker and closed in the 1990’s. At the end of there business they didn’t make guns but sold quality guns
Myself I believe these guns were made for the same family or the same person
Both are 20 bore (.625) and the chambers are 1 5/8 long. I have fired one with 60 grains of 2F powder and a round ball so these would work for deer or even boar
Both guns are in good condition and nice engraving
Non rebounding locks and bar in wood design with push lever in front of trigger guard
Single bite locks with 21 ¾ inch Damascus barrels with 2 flip up sights
If anyone has any information on Gastinne Renette they would like to share I would be interest










Next will be a 16 bore

 

[jpc]

Nice
☺☺☺

 

[antiqueguy]

their very nice.

would be a good short range woods gun I wouldn't hesitate going moose with the right load. the load they were regulated for should be on the water tables.

 

[Brutus]

About the correct size of bore in side by side configuration for a howdah gun.
There were howdah long guns as well as handguns.

Maybe....

 

[tiriaq]

With non-rebounding locks and bar-in-wood design, I suspect they are fairly early.
Very nice pieces!
Ross Seyfried has written about gauge rifles in The Double Gun Journal.

 

[WR1894]

Since these guns are French they dont have proof marks let alone loads marked on them The proof laws in France was not enfored much in the early years so unforturnaly there is not loads marked on these. Alot of early English guns are not marked either.

 

[antiqueguy]

Since these guns are French they dont have proof marks let alone loads marked on them The proof laws in France was not enfored much in the early years so unforturnaly there is not loads marked on these. Alot of early English guns are not marked either.

you will want to find a load that hit level with point of aim the left barrel should hit left of the aiming point and the right should hit right of the aiming point. good regulation should be a calibre width apart at what ever range you are using but even newer double guns don't get that normally.

 

[WR1894]

On the 20 bore i have not shot much and do need to get working with them

The next gun i have shot some and have had good luck with point of aim with the sights and load
This is a 16 bore pinfire rifle made by William Powell in Birmingham and this company is still going but i am not sure that there are any of the Powell family involved with the company, when the research was done on this gun in 2003 Peter Powell was the director of the company that started in 1812 i believe
The gun is a double rifle with 28 inch barrels and again in very good conditon the barrels are very good inside
Sights are marked 100, 150, 200 & 200 yard
The gun completed Janury 6th 1865 and sold for 48 pounds with some extras for loading the gun
When i bought the gun there was a new custom mould for it that toss out a .665 diamter parodox style bullet that weighs 575 grains
I have some old pinfire shells and with 75 grains of 3 F powder this gun shoots very good







Next guns will be 12 bores

 

[wr.sainsbury]

Gastinne Renette were a well established firearms firm in Paris from as early as 1812 under the original M. Gastinne who formed a partnership with Renette around late 1830's. Famous as makers of Duelling pistols in quality not surpassed by others of that time. Gunmakers for royalty-King of Spain among others. Developed their own system for shotguns in the 1860's and on. Carried on in business until closed by the germans in 1941. Later tried to restart and last seen they were clothing manufacturers I believe. There is a book out there -The Rise and Fall of Gastinne Renette authored by a notable member of the British Muzzle Loading Assn who has passed on and I have not been able to find a copy anywhere. It will give you the best background Their pieces are much sought after especially in Europe.

 

[WR1894]

Thanks for the information and i have not heard of the book so will have to start looking

Next guns are 12 bores

First one is a 12 bore Westley Richards from Aug 4th 1848, cased single barreled 2 groove rifle
The case still has the original bullet mould
The rifle is 29 1/2 barreled with 3 express sights marked 100, 150 and the 3rd blade isnt marked
Gun is engraved and is in good condition and still shoots well
There is a staking saftey on the hammer
Also in the case is letters wrote in 1934 to and from Westley Richards company for the research







This gun is another 12 bore Westley Richards but a double barreled rifle form 1851
Gun is a second quality rifle meaning no engraving (this is engraved on the trigger gard second quality)
it has staking safteys on the hammers
This gun has 23 1/2 barrels with one standing 50 and 3 folding sights 100, 150 and the 3rd blade isnt marked
It also has 2 groove rifling but also multi groove so is different then what i am use to seeing
The gun spent time in India and as the pictures show had the wrist repaired a long time ago
On one barrel there is sanscript which when i got the rifle was told it translates to Raj Palith (owners name) Sargent No 926 (rank and number) Gujerant India
Would be nice to have all the history of this gun as you can see it has been well used but still fires with no issues







Third 12 bore is differnet
This is a Holland and Holland 12 bore Pardox made in 1901
The gun is a grade 3 so again no engraving and hammerles with rear sidelocks
It has 28 inch barrels with flip up 50 and 100 yard sights and the bores are very good
Also has the proper H&H bullet mould and case crimp tool
From the letter form H&H the gun was shot with nitro powder for the shot loads and black powder for the bullet loads







Next will be 10 bore