The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Curios and Relics

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old March 11, 2009, 09:16 AM   #1
DG45
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 5, 2009
Posts: 904
Old Forehand Arms Shotgun; shootable?

I own an old single barrel top break single-shot shotgun that says it was manufactured by Forehand Arms Co. of Worcester, Mass. The patent date appears to be sometime in May 1896. The shotgun's serial number is 110315. Most of the guns of this type I've ever seen were sawed off by people who didn't have a lot of money and who needed a cheap and effective weapon, but this is just an old full size shotgun. I literally bought this thing about 20 years ago for $1.00 when it was just a barrel a stock, and a bunch of parts in a paper bag. I put them together and VIOLA! this shotgun appeared. It just needed a new firing pin which a local gunsmith put in for me.(He appears to have used a sheetmetal screw.) I asked him before he did this if this gun had a Damascus steel barrel and he said no, it had a milled steel barrel, that he could see the milling marks inside the barrel. There is no bluing left on the gun, if there ever was any, and the exterior of the barrel has light rusting all over. There is also some rust inside the barrel but overall it doesn't look too bad and naval jelly would probably take care of the rust. I've never ever fired this gun but according to the gunsmith who fixed the firing pin back 20 years ago, it was ok to shoot. (However, since he used a sheetmetal screw for a firing pin, I wasn't sure how good a gunsmith he was, and wasn't sure I could trust his opinion.) Does anybody have an opinion on whether this thing would be a safe shooter or not. If so, with what, black powder shotshells or what? Would a low power modern field load be ok? How about No. 1 Buck?
DG45 is offline  
Old March 11, 2009, 09:58 AM   #2
PetahW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 19, 2008
Posts: 4,678
I "MIGHT" try BP shells, but anything else would be a no-no - not even tied down, with a tree between the gun & me, and a string-pulled trigger.
PetahW is offline  
Old March 11, 2009, 09:05 PM   #3
TEDDY
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2006
Location: MANNING SC
Posts: 837
forehand arms

FOREHAND AND WARDSWORTH MORFED INTO FOREHAND ARMS IN 1900.you can take a chance but the guns were inexpensive guns that were sold to farmers ect .
TEDDY is offline  
Old March 11, 2009, 09:10 PM   #4
feudalson
Member
 
Join Date: March 2, 2009
Posts: 58
some old shotguns had wired wrapped barrels and are no longer safe to shoot with new ammo.... if i was you i would buy or find and old tire cut a hole through one side and but the barrel in it and stick the butt in the other side....string pull the trigger... but i myself would just keep it and not shoot it...
__________________
"It is destiny"--phrase of the weak human heart; dark apology for every error. The strong and the virtuous admit no destiny. On earth, guides conscience; in heaven, watches God. And destiny is but the phantom we invoke to silence the one, to dethrone the other.
feudalson is offline  
Old March 16, 2009, 02:17 PM   #5
Hawg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,177
The chambers will be somewhere between 2 1/2" and 2 5/8". 2 3/4" will chamber fine but when fired will raise chamber pressure quite a bit. I'd measure the chamber length and use shells cut to the appropriate length with mild loads.
BTW shotgun shells are measured after firing, not before.
Hawg is offline  
Old March 17, 2009, 12:51 PM   #6
PetahW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 19, 2008
Posts: 4,678
Most people measure a shotgun chamber incorrectly, and will go ahead and chamber/fire a 2 3/4" shell in a shorter chamber, thinking it's OK.

The bulk of these 100 Y.O. guns had short chambers - please don't use modern ammo in them !
PetahW is offline  
Old March 21, 2009, 10:26 AM   #7
DG45
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 5, 2009
Posts: 904
Thanks to all those who responded. I was surprised by the information about the chamber length. I'd been mostly concerned about the barrel. I'm not into making my own shotgun shells. This gun shall remain an unfired (since I've had it) wallhanger.
DG45 is offline  
Old March 29, 2009, 09:33 AM   #8
woad_yurt
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 15, 2008
Posts: 1,206
About the sheet metal screw firing pin:
Those screws are very hard steel. If your guy was able to use one as a blank and has made it work, more power to him. If it's shaped correctly, what's there to worry about? Now, new ammo in that gun is another story....
__________________
A Makarov? Simple, easy and works perfectly every time. ¡Vale!
woad_yurt is offline  
Old April 7, 2009, 09:51 AM   #9
TEDDY
Junior member
 
Join Date: December 10, 2006
Location: MANNING SC
Posts: 837
forhand

I believe the gun to be 2 3/4 as that has been the size since 1900 or earlier
the europeans used short shells. H&R bought Forhand I think.
TEDDY is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:17 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06891 seconds with 10 queries