Single Barrel Shotgun Question

[Shotgun Steve]

 Hi Folks,
I was wondering why I am having so much trouble trying
to find information on single barreled shotguns. I can't believe
every shotgun made in the old west was a SxS or a pump.
What was used in the 1870-1885 period??

Shotgun Steve

[BlaiseNSaddles]

I am sure there a quite a few others but the lever model comes to mind and there were single barrel, single shot break-opens along with probably a few muzzle loaders

[Shotgun Steve]

Thanks for the reply. The single shot break-opens are what I am trying
to find out more about. Like who made them ect. Anyone have any pictures
or websites that I can take a gander at?

[Pettifogger]

Single barrel shotguns were abouit the cheapest gun you could buy and dozens of companies made them under hundreds of brand names.  There is virtually zero collector interest in them so I have never seen any books or detailed articles about them.

[Delmonico]

I'll add another type that many have never seen, these are old French Muzzle Loading muskets converted with a Snider type breech block, all I have seen are 12 gauge and were sold heavily in Africa and the US.  Most have the trade name Zulu stamped on them.  I have one that has been in the family for years, safe to shoot, not me, not even with black.

[Modoc]

Rifle or Handloader magazine had an article last year about what they refered to as farm guns, all of which are single shots.  These are published by Wolfe Publishing.