Combination guns in a single gauge, SxS or O/U

H Wally

H Wally

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After years of casually wondering about this I figured I'd get CGN's collective knowledge on the subject. In my heart of hearts I would like a SxS with one smooth and one rifled barrel, and have both barrels in the same gauge. I know I can have a drilling or combo gun with multiple calibers, and I know I can have rifled chokes, but none of those really fit the bill for me. They inevitably end up heavier than I would like, more complex, or less accurate. I've been really impressed by how accurate a full length rifled slug barrel can be (their ballistics are close to standard large caliber BP muzzle loaders or cartridge guns) and love how light and easily pointed side by sides are, even the heavier guns. Being only a single rifled barrel, there's far less concern about regulating barrels, as your sights only have to match the single barrel, while the other is for shot loads, so only need to be as regulated as a standard shotgun is.

Only issue is, it seems no one makes them. To date I have found one obscure brand that did this and that's it. So, can the CGN experts name any manufacturers past or present that make such a gun?
 
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Most of the current manufacturers of double shotguns either offer a rifled choke tube or they are available from aftermarket choke tube manufacturers like Carlson or Briley to fit them. You could use this in one barrel and experiment to find an accurate slug in your gun. Be aware, in BC at least, you may not use shotguns for some game, such as grizzly, moose, caribou, elk, sheep, goat, etc.
There are many reasonable weight rifle/shotgun combos available and they are super useful guns. At least one currently listed on CGN.
 
Ashcroft said:
Most of the current manufacturers of double shotguns either offer a rifled choke tube or they are available from aftermarket choke tube manufacturers like Carlson or Briley to fit them. You could use this in one barrel and experiment to find an accurate slug in your gun. Be aware, in BC at least, you may not use shotguns for some game, such as grizzly, moose, caribou, elk, sheep, goat, etc.
There are many reasonable weight rifle/shotgun combos available and they are super useful guns. At least one currently listed on CGN.
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Part of the issue with rifled chokes is that they don't offer nearly the same accuracy as a fully rifled barrel, at least in my experience. They improve it, but not to the degree that I'd hoped for. After discussing the paradox idea earlier last year I went down that track but never got the accuracy I saw in a rifled slug barrel.

In terms of a multi caliber gun, I've tried them as, and actually like them and have owned several different styles, but they never quite do it for me. Inevitably as the quality increases so does the complexity, resulting in a gun that is a pain to disassemble and dry out, or so expensive that I don't want to drag it through the bush. I suppose what I'm encountering is an example of limited demand, and therefore limited supply... with that in mind I'm surprised I'm the only person that wants one :p
 
John Taylor mentioned these side by side paradox or jungle guns in at least one of his books on dangerous game hunting in Africa/Asia.
Course the ammunition and the short bit of one rifled barrel near the muzzle only, was very much tailored to this very special shotgun.
 
Connecticut Shotgun was making a rifled 20ga SxS a couple of years ago. They'd probably make you one custom, with one smooth bore, likely have some barrel blanks still, would not be cheap though. The reason no one makes one is that there may be no one else but you who wants one ;)
 
I would try an O/U with rifle sights, the Brno 22HP/12 gauge I had was pleasingly accurate with slugs in the shotgun barrel, so acurate that I would rather have 2 12 gauge barrels than 1 in 22HP.
 
H Wally said:
After years of casually wondering about this I figured I'd get CGN's collective knowledge on the subject. In my heart of hearts I would like a SxS with one smooth and one rifled barrel, and have both barrels in the same gauge. I know I can have a drilling or combo gun with multiple calibers, and I know I can have rifled chokes, but none of those really fit the bill for me. They inevitably end up heavier than I would like, more complex, or less accurate. I've been really impressed by how accurate a full length rifled slug barrel can be (their ballistics are close to standard large caliber BP muzzle loaders or cartridge guns) and love how light and easily pointed side by sides are, even the heavier guns. Being only a single rifled barrel, there's far less concern about regulating barrels, as your sights only have to match the single barrel, while the other is for shot loads, so only need to be as regulated as a standard shotgun is.

Only issue is, it seems no one makes them. To date I have found one obscure brand that did this and that's it. So, can the CGN experts name any manufacturers past or present that make such a gun?
Click to expand...

Sauer, Valmet, Hyem ,Simson Suhl Fair (East and West German), Sabatti and a multitude of others are all but a few of whst available from Europe.
Rob
 
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Verney carron can make them. TradeEx is an importer. They sell ou rifled shotguns for around $2000-2300. They could get you a smooth and rifled setup I'm sure. May cost more I'm not sure but they are well built guns
 
French and Belgian makers commonly make the type of guns that you desire. I see them listed in German gun catalogs. Never saw one in person in Canada, but if you search the web and have some language skills they are available to import.
 
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