Moore & Harris 12 ga. muzzle-loading shotgun

Tomjohn1963 · January 8, 2020, 09:06 AM

Hello,
I am a new member of The Firing Line.
I have been a gun enthusiast my whole life, new gun and old, I enjoy collecting and shooting all of them.
Among my collection;
Late 1930's model 52 .22 target rifle, heavy bull barrel and 20 power Fecker scope.
2 Remington 03A3 rifles
Model 97 Winchester 12 gauge
And the newest and most interesting is a Moore and Harris 12 gauge muzzle-loading double barrel shotgun.
This shotgun was given to my father when he was a teenager and just recently passed on to me.
My father used to hunt with it and I am interested in doing the same.
Any suggestions and or comments?
The gun appears to be in excellent condition, zero rust, no cracks in the stock, inside of the Damascus barrels are in great condition.

I would appreciate any feedback,

Thank you,
Tom

johnm1 · January 9, 2020, 08:14 PM

Welcome to the forum. You will find some really knowledgeable people here. I cant help you with your firearm, but I'm sure someone will be along who can.

The only thing I can suggest is to use the search function and learn about Damascas barrels. There is a fairly heated debate if any Damascus barreled gun should be fired. Some say never fire them while others shoot them. There is a lot to read and learn about the subject. I dont have a dog in that fight so I'm no help.

Pahoo · January 9, 2020, 08:48 PM

Tom,
As noted, you will have to do some homework on this one and likely take it to a smith.. There are some Damascus barrels that can be shot but most should not. There are some old barrels that have a Damascus barreled "finish" and are solid steel. One primary test you can do is to suspend just the barrel and tape it with a mallet and you don't want to hear any chatter or anything other than a "ringing" sound. You can even get it X-Rayed. Lets say that after all this, you find that it is shootable. I would shoot a light load and hang it up. Ask yourself if it's worth the effort. Back when I was dumber than a Day-Old Boot, I shot one using the scientific tire jig. Shot fine and proved nothing. …..

Welcome aboard and;
Be Safe !!!

johnm1 · January 9, 2020, 09:16 PM

I forgot about this one.

https://youtu.be/_vM7ncT5UMk

This is what Pahoo was referencing.

EDIT: Now that I think this through, your muzzle loader is probably configured differently than the video. Though you may be able to accomplish the same thing.

Pahoo · January 10, 2020, 11:15 AM

Quote:

This is what Pahoo was referencing.

Pahoo didn't read the category and now have to take back my previous reply. It is likely that it is a true Damascus and would now recommend that ya just hang it up. Oh, you can load down but misinformation is just that. …..

Be Safe !!!

January 8, 2020, 09:06 AM	#1
Tomjohn1963 Junior Member Join Date: January 7, 2020 Posts: 2	Moore & Harris 12 ga. muzzle-loading shotgun Hello, I am a new member of The Firing Line. I have been a gun enthusiast my whole life, new gun and old, I enjoy collecting and shooting all of them. Among my collection; Late 1930's model 52 .22 target rifle, heavy bull barrel and 20 power Fecker scope. 2 Remington 03A3 rifles Model 97 Winchester 12 gauge And the newest and most interesting is a Moore and Harris 12 gauge muzzle-loading double barrel shotgun. This shotgun was given to my father when he was a teenager and just recently passed on to me. My father used to hunt with it and I am interested in doing the same. Any suggestions and or comments? The gun appears to be in excellent condition, zero rust, no cracks in the stock, inside of the Damascus barrels are in great condition. I would appreciate any feedback, Thank you, Tom

January 9, 2020, 08:14 PM	#2
johnm1 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 652	Welcome to the forum. You will find some really knowledgeable people here. I cant help you with your firearm, but I'm sure someone will be along who can. The only thing I can suggest is to use the search function and learn about Damascas barrels. There is a fairly heated debate if any Damascus barreled gun should be fired. Some say never fire them while others shoot them. There is a lot to read and learn about the subject. I dont have a dog in that fight so I'm no help. __________________ John M. Mesa, AZ

January 9, 2020, 08:48 PM	#3
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Granpa would want you to hag it up !!! Tom, As noted, you will have to do some homework on this one and likely take it to a smith.. There are some Damascus barrels that can be shot but most should not. There are some old barrels that have a Damascus barreled "finish" and are solid steel. One primary test you can do is to suspend just the barrel and tape it with a mallet and you don't want to hear any chatter or anything other than a "ringing" sound. You can even get it X-Rayed. Lets say that after all this, you find that it is shootable. I would shoot a light load and hang it up. Ask yourself if it's worth the effort. Back when I was dumber than a Day-Old Boot, I shot one using the scientific tire jig. Shot fine and proved nothing. ….. Welcome aboard and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing. Last edited by Pahoo; January 10, 2020 at 11:09 AM.

January 9, 2020, 09:16 PM	#4
johnm1 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 652	I forgot about this one. https://youtu.be/_vM7ncT5UMk This is what Pahoo was referencing. EDIT: Now that I think this through, your muzzle loader is probably configured differently than the video. Though you may be able to accomplish the same thing. __________________ John M. Mesa, AZ Last edited by johnm1; January 9, 2020 at 09:22 PM.