Old Gun Type
I have been handed down a gun from my grandfather and am unsure about the manufacturer or any info on it.
It is a side by side double barrel, looks like a 12ga. The only wording on it is as follows, on the side of the receiver is "RIKARD" on the top of one barrel is the word "CHOKE" and the top of the other barrel is "TWIST FINISH BELGIUM" it has a hammer for each barrel with push rods for firing. It has two triggers. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
It is a side by side double barrel, looks like a 12ga. The only wording on it is as follows, on the side of the receiver is "RIKARD" on the top of one barrel is the word "CHOKE" and the top of the other barrel is "TWIST FINISH BELGIUM" it has a hammer for each barrel with push rods for firing. It has two triggers. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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Sounds like one of the millions, ok thousands, of damascus barreled, black powder, shotguns made in the last years of the 19th century. The barrel was made by wrapping strips of steel around a mandrel, heating it red hot and hammering them together. It is not, under any circumstances, safe to shoot. It's a wall hanger only. 0 -
This gun is not a black powder gun. The hammers fall onto pins that push into the cap of a shotgun shell. 12 ga shells fit into the barrels. 0 -
Carson
By black powder gun, we mean a gun that was designed to fire shells that were originallly loaded with black powder. The pressures on black powder cartridges is considerably less than what you have on modern smokeless powder. Do not confuse modern black powder front loaders (either side lock or inline) with antique guns.
AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY0 -
Good Afternoon Carson...Welcome to the Ask The Experts FORUM'S..I read you request for information on the recent acquisition of Your Grandfathers RIKARD Shotgun...I pretty much Agreed with what was posted by several Members....But something was Bothering Me, Something I could'nt put my finger on........So...I delved Deep into my Data Base and guess what I found out...We have two Shotgun Makers using the Name of RIKARD...One was the RICKARD ARMS made by Crescent for J.A. Rickard Company of Schenectady, New York circa 1895 to early 1900's.
Then along comes Your Shotgun, but with only RIKARD stamped on the Barrels...Ah Ha..! Your Gun is definately a Belguim 'knockdown' A copy of a Noted and Well Known gun made by a reputable Company..A lot of Belguim Gun Makers would make a Close copy of a Notable Gun and change the spelling of the Name and sell to Hardware Stores and Mail Order House's, who in turn would sell these guns to the uneducated or Poorer masses That could only afford to buy the cheaper guns....thru out the Midwest Farm belt..RIKARD and RICKARD are pronounced the same...but are in noway connected...and if you did'nt pickup on the Spelling you got the knockdown Model...I'm not saying that it did'nt shoot any better, just that one would buy what He/She could afford...and a couple of Dollars was always better in the Buyer's Pocket than in the Seller's...! The Shot Shells of the period were made of Paper and used Black Powder...and if you were affluent and could afford Brass Shells, You could Load your Own....But using Black Powder Only....With the advent of Smokeless Powder in Shotshells it became a whole new ballgame...I've seen some Nice Shotguns, ones with Known names, Blown apart...Barrels unraveled, Burst or Blown Off the Reciever, because someone thought it was O.K. to shoot Smokeless Powder Loaded Shot Shells in a Black Powder Damascus Shotgun...PUNCHIE and SUNRAY have both given You Sound advice....Sorry about getting so long winded...But, just wanted to give you a little further information...Hang Grampa's 'SCATTER GUN' on the Wall or over the Fire Place....or in the Den...and enjoy its History.....Don't Shoot it...!
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0
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