Poor Mans Double

I think most of the East German guns have double locking lugs and a dolls head? Not to mention the cheek pieces and drop in the buttstock. Definitely a factor in this flight of fancy. I don’t know the specifics of the BRNO sidelocks, but apparently they are built like tanks. Plus that would really complete the H&H paradox gun look.

Not to dwell on the “why” but besides the excellent “it’s a free country and I feel like it” point there’s an answer in the title. I want to play with a double or ball and shot gun, but I don’t want to/ can’t spend 10k plus and 10 dollars a round. Ball and shot guns existed for a reason; I just support them making a comeback :dancingbanana:
 
Well dreaming doesn’t cost anything but if anybody is willing to put real money down to satisfy their curiosity they might want to contact Gary Flach, a very experienced gunsmith near Vancouver, I believe he’s a business member here on CGN. He has built a successful double rifle ( 45/70?) using a Browning BSS action following similar conversions done in the US. The gun was completed perhaps 10-15 years ago, has been hunted and changed hands at least once on CGN about 7-8 years ago. It functions perfectly and looks great but he said it was more of a challenge than a practical exercise.
So obviously the cheapest way to go here if someone wants to play in this field would be to get an inexpensive very sound used 12 gauge double, cut the barrels to the desired length, epoxy on some cheap sights, get a small propane torch and some ammo and start shooting and tinkering. You might get something useful eventually, (useful but ugly) and if the experiment fails you’re only out a few hundred bucks. Or buy a new European ( mostly over/under) double rifle for several thousand, a vintage British double for the price of a good used car or even a new one for more than most people have invested in the roof over their head. Too rich for me.
 
I wouldn’t have an issue with a gun like tiriaq talked about in post #21. Even if it was a round ball slug in one barrel and buckshot in the other. Buckshot still does the job for deer and other big game.
 
I have a Savage 24, .22/20ga. Outstanding small gun; my favourite for arctic hares and ptarmigans. Zeroed the sights for the .22, of course. Just out of curiosity, I tried shooting slugs out of the shotgun barrel. Ha. The point of impact had nothing whatsoever to do with the point of aim. I don't think the sights could have been adjusted far enough to zero for slugs.
I suspect that trying to get a double shotgun to shoot slugs to a common point of aim from both barrels would be an exceedingly time consuming and frustrating experience. Cape gun style, one barrel zeroed with sights for slugs, the other reserved for smoothbore use might be workable. Maybe that is why cape guns are not uncommon.
 
^ this is how a lot of these guns were used in east Germany apparently. One barrel sighted in got slug, another used for shot.

A ball and shot gun was basically a double rifle that happened to able to shoot shot loads. No wonder they were expensive

I still have hope this could happen for a lot less than 4300 bucks. Even importing that shortened one on guns international would be cheaper

Or buy a new European ( mostly over/under) double rifle for several thousand, a vintage British double for the price of a good used car or even a new one for more than most people have invested in the roof over their head. Too rich for me.
Click to expand...
So close to getting the idea
 
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How about going Red Green and getting a cheap double and drop in 20 gauge tubes and shimming them with heat resistant tape to adjust the POI? Drop in tubes weigh ~1lb, which isnt a bad thing on those light 12 gauges.
 
Assuming good alignment, my thought would be that you would make a load that the shotgun is regulated to. This may mean trying a ton of slug loads to find out one that is close, and adjust from there.
Ideally they hit the same height, and cross at some point, then you adjust the load, more or less power, to pull the round out or in, until they are where you want them, then make/adjust a site for vertical.
In theory, changes that increase recoil will pull the left barrel left and the right barrel right. So that is increasing weight or powder load.
This is just from reading about paradox rifles and the like, so take it for what it is worth.
 
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