Early Breechloading Shotguns

[Queasy Dillo]

Another dumb question from a (mostly silent) pest.  I've scoured the internet and what books I've got available - no dice.  So here's the deal.  Also, this is for a small project that doesn't require my actual  possession of the article in question, so availability in the present day isn't really a concern. 

I know the self-contained shotgun shell came around at some point in the middle to late 1860s.  From this, I assume there were arms available to chamber said shells. 

...this is apparently not the case.  From what I've discerned so far the first production breechloading scatterguns surfaced in 1878 (Colt and Lefever).  The patent dates I've found seem to run five to seven years prior.  But the more I look at that, the more it seems flawed.  That can't possibly be right.  A cartridge/shell can't exist in a vaccuum for a decade, by my reasoning, so at some point there HAD to be somebody out there turning out something besides high end English sporting guns. 

In a nutshell, I'm looking for something in a double configuration, available by 1874, preferably manufactured in range of the pocketbook of someone who didn't happen to be European royalty.  Foreign design and manufacture is okay, provided it would have been available in the given timeframe. 

So...anything out there fit the bill?  Or should I just scratch the whole thing and resort to a percussion gun? 

[Forty Rod]

Hi, stranger.  Here re some for you.

Remington-Whitmore models, made 1874, 1876,1878.  Several thousand made.

Ethan Allen "Hinge Breech", made 1865-1871.  A few hundred made.

Colt 1878.  Over 22,000 made.

Ithaca, 1873 on.  Thousands made.

Lefever, early cartridge doubles.  Thousands made.

Hopkins and Allen.                                   "

Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Works        "

Parker Brothers                                       "

L. C. Smith                                              "

and many more.....and these a just the U. S. makers.  It doesn't include dozens, scores, hundreds that were imported.

Hope this helps.

[Roscoe Coles]

Charles Lancaster of England produced his first center fire breach loading shotgun in 1852.  Obviously, centerfire shotguns were not common until after the Civil War.  The early generation of breach loading shotguns had under levers (rather than levers on the top of the wrist).  This layout was used quite late in Europe so you should be able to find one you could use.  Remember that all the early guns were damascus barrels so be sure that they are in good condition and use BP. 

[Queasy Dillo]

Thanks, all.  Did some more hunting this morning (actually, more chasing wild geese for the most) but by luck or good fortune or accident I believe I have a suitable animal.  One of the lesser-known models of the period in question.  Rare enough that I only found three decent pictures on the whole of the internet and not so fancy that it'd be out of the reach of the average man. 

Now, on to hunting down stuff on the early shotgun shells...

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The French underlever double shotgun patented by Lafaucheux in the 1870's was licenced for manufacture in Sweden to Husqvarna from 1877 until 1942. Thanks to Simpsons, and Allens Armoury, good examples are currently available in the US.

Someone posted an old catalogue that showed the Lafaucheux available in the US quite early.

PS;  The spelling is probably "LeFaucheux",

[w.b. masterson]

Howdy,
While I certainly don't consider myself an authority on shotguns, I was fortunate enough a few years ago to go through the Remington museum in upstate New York.  Remiington Arms bought out Parker brothers in 1934 and the museum contains a number of Parkers along with all the Parker records.  The Parker breech loading shotgun goes back to 1868.  I've enclosed a web site that relates some of their early history.  For anyone going to New York, I strongly urge you to not miss the Remington Plant tour, as well as the museum.

BAT

http://www.ogca.com/parker_gun_by_ron_kirby.htm

[Forty Rod]

If you're not hooked on "cartridge" cartridge guns you might look at the Roper four shot revolving shotgun.  It used reloadable steel cases with percussion caps on the rear.  (The later ones had modern primers.)  Most came with adjustable chokes at the muzzle.

[Queasy Dillo]

I looked into the Roper, albeit briefly.  I'll keep it filed for future projects.  Never know when you'll need a good oddity.  As it stands I've got the options more or less settled.  An early 10-gauge Parker for the protagonist in this little misadventure, and an appearance (and brief use) of a Dexter Smith rolling block. 

Thanks again to one and all who threw in for the hunt.  I'd forgot how much I liked it here....and unfortunately, you may find yourselves stuck with me now.  Again. 

QD

[Forty Rod]

Well, there goes the neighborhood, all over-run with boiler-plated 'possums.   

Welcome back, cuzzin.

[Queasy Dillo]

I thought you was my uncle...now I'm all confused again....

[Forty Rod]

Don't mean I can't cuzz atcha. 

[Queasy Dillo]

S' a strange family tree. 

At any rate, I'll be back in the near future with more gun questions that could have probably been solved with a little research on my own, yet are more fun to ask here.   

['Monterrey' Jack Brass]

Q Dillo - I copied and pasted below info I posted earlier that might be of interest. In short it's referring to period catalog references of makers for breech and muzzle loading shotguns. It's a re-post of a thread that was on the Historical Society some months back. Hope it can be of use:

Ridgeway – I agree with OCB that a muzzle loading shot gun would just as likely been used as a cartridge gun from 1870-73 and likely longer. And muzzleloaders were in common use well past the 1870s as is evidenced in period catalogs in my collection by the quantity of muzzle loading shot guns and related paraphernalia sold alongside their breech loading brethren.

Here is a sampling of some info from period catalogs that may be of use though it's not too much and doesn't quite perfectly fit your range of 1870-73. The implication of referencing period catalogs here in some measure addresses the idea of what shot guns were commercially available via at least a few mail order catalogs and perhaps 'common' or popular by virtue of this fact.

1864 Schuyler, Hartley & Graham catalog:
Muzzle loader = none listed in catalog
Breech loader = William Greener, LeFaucheaux, Poultney & Sneider

c1869 National Arms Company catalog:
Muzzle loader = brand names not detailed, sold 'English' and 'German' guns
Breech loader = Ethan Allen, Parker's, Whitney's

1871 J. H. Johnston Great Western Gun Works catalog:
Muzzle loader = sold as 'English', 'Belgian', 'American', only Greener is called out by name
Breech loader = Greener, Westley Richards, E. M. Reilly & Co

1874 P. Powell & Son catalog:
Muzzle loader = brand names not detailed, sold 'English' and 'German' guns
Breech loader = Greener, Wm Moore, W. Wellington, Thomas White, I. Hollis & Sons, Weston, Wm Monroe & Co, W.W. Forsyth, Alfred Woodhill, LeFaucheaux, Chas Daly, Charles Miller, J. Harris & Sons, Joseph Dexter

A great source of further info on target with your topic is a relatively new book called 'Arming the West' by Herbert G. Houze (2008). This excellent reference details bulk firearms sales from Schuyler, Hartley & Graham from 1868-1886. One thing to consider here – does an old surplus smoothbore musket count as a 'common' or popular shotgun of the era? Methinks it could and this is arguably supported in some measure in 'Arming the West'.

YMH&OS,

Brass

[Shotgun Franklin]

I'm in the middle of my work week and can't look up the dates but if you'll check 'The Gun' by W W Greener he gives a fairly detailed history of Shotguns. The first hammerless breechloading shotgun was in 1874 or there abouts.