Classified Antique Shotgun Gauges

[Lebel]

Hi all;
Would any one happen to know what shotgun gauges are considered antique to a shotgun appropriately aged??????

 

[tiriaq]

Breechloading centerfire 10-12-16-20-28-.410 shotguns made prior to 1898 are not antique.

 

[Short Knife Johnson]

To the best of my knowledge, percussion and pinfires are the most common antique class shotgun (or "shotties" if you will ) but I bought a Whitneyville Phoenix in .40-65 that I was told was born as a 14 guage shotgun. Or an 8 bore perhaps?

 

[Steppenwolf]

There are always the pinfire breechloader, a percussion lock or flintlock muzzleloading shotgun

 

[starpuss]

the BIG pinfires make one Hell of a nice hand gun if the stocks are broken and Tips of the barrels are not good.

 

[Glockenshpiel]

Short answer: realistically, you can only expect 12/14, 14 and 32 gauge to be classed as antique here.

Long answer: if yours does not chamber any of the gauges listed by honourable tiriaq, and is not stamped in any of those, it's antique, because the olden days shotguns were sometimes made to odd gauges, such as 15, 18 and others. It's very unlikely you will come across those, but not impossible.
Note: it must not chamber due to diameter, not length - because 12 ga with 2" chamber, which does not chamber 12ga 2 3/4 hulls is not antique.

There's 24ga, but it's very rare. More rare than 14ga.

 

[mooncoon]

Long answer: if yours does not chamber any of the gauges listed by honourable tiriaq, and is not stamped in any of those, it's antique, .

A word of caution; the guages stamped on the barrels are often / usually the guages to which the gun is bored rather than chambered. For example 12 guage shotguns from the mid to late 1800s are often stamped 13 guage or 13 b 15 m. Those are barrel borings done to reflect the views of the various makers at that time. Such guns usually have 12 guage chambers and are 12 guage guns for the purposes of registration or of shooting. By the late 1800s, the stamp for a choked bored 12 guage was a 12 inside a diamond and I don't recall ever seeing any numbers inside a diamond that were for guages no longer produced today.

cheers mooncoon

 

[dingus]

I have a coach gun SXS 14 Ga with a RCMP Antique letter
Very nice light weight scatter gun the cases are all machined and stamped 14 ga it wont chamber a 12 ga and a 16 ga is loose.
14 fits perfect. I should post some pics its a wicked looking gun has a short 16 inch double barrel.
Took me almost a year to get the 14 ga brass cases made tho

 

[tactical870]

I have a coach gun SXS 14 Ga with a RCMP Antique letter
Very nice light weight scatter gun the cases are all machined and stamped 14 ga it wont chamber a 12 ga and a 16 ga is loose.
14 fits perfect. I should post some pics its a wicked looking gun has a short 16 inch double barrel.
Took me almost a year to get the 14 ga brass cases made tho

 

[tactical870]

The most common antique status cartridge shotgun would be the 44. Hopkins and Allen and several other manufacturers made 44 shotguns. Brass shells are easy enough to make from 303 british....

 

[Mike K.]

What about the German Made Tip Up, Single Shot Rimfire Shotguns in 9 mm Rimfire. Would they be considered antique as well?

 

[tactical870]

What about the German Made Tip Up, Single Shot Rimfire Shotguns in 9 mm Rimfire. Would they be considered antique as well?

As long as they are made prior to 1898 they are antique.

 

[smellie]

You can add 32-bore to the antique list, if made before 1898. Nice thing is that you can get Magtech brass for these or Fiocchi plastic. Either can be made into .50-70 or that Norski 12.17x44R.

I have a W&C Scott & Son 11-bore double gun which they say was made about 1870. Tens are too fat for the chambers, so I imagine it should be an antique. Nice thing here is that latest COTW actually lists the dimensions. This is awfully nice for me; I spent 40 years being called a liar because 'everybody knows there ain't no such of a thing'.
.