100 dollar or 1500 dollar shotgun?
Hi I have a shotgun that I got at a auction about 5yr ago, they said it was French made but I dont know I paid 150 dollars for it. I had some people look at it and one said it was worth 100 dollars and one said it was worth 1500 dollars. On the barrel it says MECANIS PAR LE FABRIQUE NATIONAL D ARMES DE GUERRE DE HERSTAL, it has 28 inch barrels, it has 3 inch chambers. In the middle of the barrels is a number 25365. I need to know if I can shoot modern shotgun shells in it. Do you know if this is a old gun or newer, one person told me it has the NITRO barrel. I have enclosed some pics. I would like to shoot this gun but the stock is only 4 and quarter inch around behind the trigger. I have shot the gun with real lite loads and it shoots real good-- I am afraid the stock will crack with heavier loads. THANKS FOR ANY HELP[:)][:)]--JON
This is what is on the barrels
This is what is on the reciever
some more
This is what is on the barrels
This is what is on the reciever
some more
0
-
Handsome old gun in good condition.
But why do you think it has 3 inch chambers? Has it been reamed out?
It is clearly marked 65mm which is the old 2 9/16" length.
The (Lion)PV is nitro proof, but you need to scout up some 2 1/2" shells for it.0 -
It's made in Belgium not France. Has modern Belgian smokeless powder Proof Marks, although I would not be shooting any kind of hot short magnum loads in it. It looks like a good quality modern made shotgun from your photos. 0 -
Nice looking item,,,,worth more than 100. just for the quality,[:)],list it if you want to sell it,and post a link. Will get a bid or two,,,nambu 0 -
whoever told you it was worth 100 dollars was trying to rip you off. It's value is much closer to the 1500 dollars you were quoted, and probably higher to a collector. It's an antique FN Herstal made in Belgium (not France). I wouldn't shoot high power loads in it personally. Sounds like you got a real steal.
Edit: While I still think it would be valued significantly higher than $100, I would defer to Rufe Snow as to it's marketable value.0 -
65 is 65MM 2&9/16 70 = 2&3/4 inch 76=3inch a 3 inch shell will most likely chamber but when the star crimp opens it will have this part of the shell in the forcing cone and cause very dangerous high pressure and may very well break the butt stock in the grip area. 0 -
If you can dig them up, Stoeger "Shooters Bible" catalogs from the 50's/60's use to carry similar modern made Belgian hammer shotguns. This was way before SASS and cowboy action shooting became popular in the States, resulting in the resurgence of "Hammer" Guns. In the 50's/60's you couldn't give away a modern made hammer gun, that why so few of them are around. It's a nice looking gun but I don't see it being worth even close to $1500, even $500 would be a stretch IMHO. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Hawk Carse
Handsome old gun in good condition.
But why do you think it has 3 inch chambers? Has it been reamed out?
It is clearly marked 65mm which is the old 2 9/16" length.
The (Lion)PV is nitro proof, but you need to scout up some 2 1/2" shells for it.
I dont know alot about these guns, I put a 3in shell in it and it fit fine a 3 1/2 inch will not. I dont know what 65mm means but you guys will have to educate me--it is a neat old gun.--thanks JON[:)]0 -
Bojangies46
The "65m/m" (visible in your 6th photo)is the chamber length, in millimeters. Someone else has already given you the conversion to inches.
Shotgun shells are measured by their FIRED length, which is why a unfired folded crimp 3" will fit but be unsafe to fire (not to mention that the 3" shell didn't exist until some 40-50 years after your gun was made).
"Nitro" powder is what today we call "smokeless" powder, so yes it will handle "modern" shells IF they are the correct length IE 2 9/16" (NOT 2 3/4 or 3" shells).
As the risk of lowering it's value, you could possibly have the chambers lengthened to accept 2 3/4" shells, than stick with "standard" loads (not the "baby magnums"). Alternatively you could locate some Agulia Mini shotshells (they come in #7 1/2, buckshot and slug) which would be perfectly safe to use in your fine shotgun http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4259810 -
Just because an unshot 3" case fits in it, doesn't mean its chambered for it. You need to read this http://www.chuckhawks.com/chamber_length.htm
It gives a detailed description in the difference between european 12ga and american 12ga, and yes they are a little different.0 -
Great gun ..Best place for it is over the fireplace where it can sit with diginity .. 0 -
THANKS GUYS for all your help I have learned a few things. 0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
11 comments