AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
I have embarked on a bit of a firearms journey. I really enjoy older hammer sxs shotguns and have been hunting with them since my freshman year in college. I was enamored with them at a young age, my bolt action shotgun died on a hunting trip with my dad and my dad let me use his shotgun and he borrowed an old Rem 10ga hammer sxs, it was long enough ago that the local hardware store had 2 7/8" 10ga paper hulled ammo on the shelf. We had a great time, and dad shot that old 10ga well, luckily, he didn't need the second barrel often as he was prone to forget to cock the second hammer.
In college I bought my first hammer sxs, an English made sxs that was converted from a MZL to cartridge ($25.), I still have it. It hangs in my BinLs living room, his home is the old Weyerhaeuser company store from the first logging of northern WI. His living room is pretty much a museum of the end of the 1800's with guns, logging gear, ice harvesting gear and trapping equipment.
My first Hammer shotgun 16ga MZL conversion
My go-to shotgun for waterfowl Husqvarna Model 51 12ga 2.5" chambers.
For a number of years I've been trying to collect hammer sxs shotguns from the major firearms centers of Europe. With the non-toxic shot requirements in Europe, a lot of old hammer guns are making their way to this country. I've been able to find hammer sxs's from England, Sweden, Germany, Itally, and Spain most costing less than a framed outdoor print. I've been looking for a high-end Belgium sxs and seeing as I have various types of locking mechanisms, I wanted to find an under lever (Lafaucheux) locking Belgium hammer sxs. I found one, and to me it is really special.
We think of Belgium shotguns especially old hammer sxs's as cheap relatively poorly made hardware store shotguns from the late 1800s. There were some very high end shotguns from Belgium also FN brought us the Browning Auto 5 and Superpose. Belgium Damascus barrels grace some of the high end shotguns from this country, Parkers, Fox and Remington and the high end London makers. There were high end Belgium makers.
Borrowed picture
In my searches I found not only a quality Belgium sxs but a little piece of history also. It is in very poor shape but still functional. Nicely patterned Damascus barrels, Lafaucheux underlever and is a hammerless backaction lock with side cocking levers. Instead of the action cocking when you break open the barrels you cock the internal hammers by pulling back on the levers as you would cocking regular hammers. This is even early enough that it doesn't have rebounding hammers and you have to pull the lever to half-cock before opening the action as in the down position the firing pins are still imbedded int he fired primers. I have a suspicion that this might have been a conversion from pinfire. The shotgun was made by the Victor Collet company.
As I've researched the shotgun the dates keep moving back in time and I'm sure it is a converted pinfire. Pinfire firearms were popular on the continent from the 1830's to the 1860s when centerfire shells became available. So while there is no definitive way to date this shotgun it being a pinfire originally dates it to the 1840s to 1850s. There is a block on each barrel to fill the old pin fire hole.
So here it is.
Filled pin holes
Levers to replace the original pinfire hammers when the centerfire conversion was done, note Damascus pattern.
Lafaucheux locking system not common on modern shotguns but strong and was used on Husqvarna model 15, 16, 17, and 20's into the 1950's.
This action is quite petite, it is a 16ga and is .2" narrower than a modern 20ga sxs.
A pinfire shotgun (borrowed picture) no
I hope you enjoyed a little bit of history.
In college I bought my first hammer sxs, an English made sxs that was converted from a MZL to cartridge ($25.), I still have it. It hangs in my BinLs living room, his home is the old Weyerhaeuser company store from the first logging of northern WI. His living room is pretty much a museum of the end of the 1800's with guns, logging gear, ice harvesting gear and trapping equipment.
My first Hammer shotgun 16ga MZL conversion
My go-to shotgun for waterfowl Husqvarna Model 51 12ga 2.5" chambers.
For a number of years I've been trying to collect hammer sxs shotguns from the major firearms centers of Europe. With the non-toxic shot requirements in Europe, a lot of old hammer guns are making their way to this country. I've been able to find hammer sxs's from England, Sweden, Germany, Itally, and Spain most costing less than a framed outdoor print. I've been looking for a high-end Belgium sxs and seeing as I have various types of locking mechanisms, I wanted to find an under lever (Lafaucheux) locking Belgium hammer sxs. I found one, and to me it is really special.
We think of Belgium shotguns especially old hammer sxs's as cheap relatively poorly made hardware store shotguns from the late 1800s. There were some very high end shotguns from Belgium also FN brought us the Browning Auto 5 and Superpose. Belgium Damascus barrels grace some of the high end shotguns from this country, Parkers, Fox and Remington and the high end London makers. There were high end Belgium makers.
Borrowed picture
In my searches I found not only a quality Belgium sxs but a little piece of history also. It is in very poor shape but still functional. Nicely patterned Damascus barrels, Lafaucheux underlever and is a hammerless backaction lock with side cocking levers. Instead of the action cocking when you break open the barrels you cock the internal hammers by pulling back on the levers as you would cocking regular hammers. This is even early enough that it doesn't have rebounding hammers and you have to pull the lever to half-cock before opening the action as in the down position the firing pins are still imbedded int he fired primers. I have a suspicion that this might have been a conversion from pinfire. The shotgun was made by the Victor Collet company.
As I've researched the shotgun the dates keep moving back in time and I'm sure it is a converted pinfire. Pinfire firearms were popular on the continent from the 1830's to the 1860s when centerfire shells became available. So while there is no definitive way to date this shotgun it being a pinfire originally dates it to the 1840s to 1850s. There is a block on each barrel to fill the old pin fire hole.
So here it is.
Filled pin holes
Levers to replace the original pinfire hammers when the centerfire conversion was done, note Damascus pattern.
Lafaucheux locking system not common on modern shotguns but strong and was used on Husqvarna model 15, 16, 17, and 20's into the 1950's.
This action is quite petite, it is a 16ga and is .2" narrower than a modern 20ga sxs.
A pinfire shotgun (borrowed picture) no
I hope you enjoyed a little bit of history.
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. That dove would have made a stunt pilot proud as the rod whistled by right in front of him, tumbling end over end. Was hunting a plowed field and managed to recovered my rod stuck in a soft furrow no worse for the wear.