Standardization?

[tiriaq]

Just bought an English ML 14 bore shotgun. It is a composite - Stock assembly is from one gun, barrels from another. To fit the barrels, the tube for the wedge was shifted, and some minor barrel channel scraping was done. Not really apparent externally.
NO alterations were made to the standing breech or breech hooks.
Just wondering if the Birmingham gun trade might not have more or less standardized the standing breech and plug hooks. Would have facilitated the manufacture of these very common mass produced guns.
I'm going to do some measuring of other specimens I have.
Have a look at yours.

 

[sunray]

Hi. A 14 bore isn't standard. I very much doubt anything else would be either. Everybody and his brother was making firearms when BP was the rule and Birmingham was only a small part of it then.

 

[tiriaq]

Not referring to the gauge. I was referring to the basic dimensions of the standing breech and corresponding hooks on the plugs in Birmingham made guns.
There was a major industry in Birmingham mass producing small arms for the trade. Hundreds of thousands of guns a year. Guns were not made by one guy working at his bench; there were specialist shops for all the different aspects of production. Mass production would benefit from common parts.