Timeline on Shotgun Developement

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Further to my notes on shotgun ammo timelines, here are my notes on shotguns themselves;

Of course, muzzleloading double shotguns go way back.  What is not really apprecaited is that they persisted well into the NCOWS period. Hunting in America differed from Europe where aristocratic privilege led to a very high-end market.  In America with its colonial history, subsistence hunting was almost universal. American guns tended to the basic single loaders, surplus muskets, and some doubles for the more well-to-do.  Farmers and homesteaders were among the relatively poor and their arms had to be inexpensive and above all, useful.

The newest European developements did appear in the hands of the Eastern elites. How fast they migrated West was a function of wealth.  Ranch owners, some professionals, and ambitious politicians going West to seek opportunities for power. Lawmen were better paid than the average and had a healthy self interest in being well armed. When breach loading doubles became reasonably priced they did take a place in the armories of law enforcement.  When arms and armed men were horse born arms were generally restricted to revolvers and rifles (repeaters when available.) Shotguns arrived when civilization made its inexorable advance.

1836; Inventors working on breach loading "systems" tried about every trick known to the mechanical arts with a wide variety of success. I will start with Lefaucheux's double of 1836.  It was imperfect at first but had the tremendous advantage of accepting an ammunition system, the pinfire, which is still being used sporadically, 176 years on.  When improved ammunition in the form of complete center fire  rounds were developed his gun, and most other pinfire shotguns, could easily be adapted to the new ammunition.

By 1877, when Husqvarna began production of sporting arms, the Lefaucheux design was produced in both pinfire and in centerfire configurations. Pinfire persisted up to the turn of the Century and the Lefaucheux design was produce up to the end of WW II. The Husqvarna underlever is an authentic reproduction of the Lefaucheux design.

1852; In England Lancaster designed a double with a vertical underlever.

1853; Sharps made a single barrel shotgun on the percussion version of the world famous falling block system.  Others, like Maynard, were contemporary. They used different forms of cartridge but were outside primed with percussion caps.

1860-1862; Westley Richards brought out a double with top lever. The first top lever was conceived by Matthews in Birmingham but was much improved by this time. External hammers, of course.  Most of the hammer doubles used today are derived from this development.  When and how they would have reached the West is beyond this little list.

1862; Daw made a bottom lever gun, but it was chambered in center fire ammunition based on Pottet's patent.

1862; Needham designed a side lever gun.

1864;  Greener half-cocking gun chambered for pinfire ammunition.

1865; Greener "Treble wedge fast" locking system. The introduction of the Greener cross bolt locking system that is common today.

1867;  Reminton Rider No. 1 single barrel shotgun

1868; Parker underlever. Used outside primed maynard style ammunition.

1871; Murcott's hammerless action was the first to achieve distinct success, and the first to use a conventional sidelock action.

1874; Parker "hidden hammer" gun.

1874; Remington hammer double.

1874; Needham introduced ejectors for double guns

1875; Anson & Deeley hammerless boxlock double.  The prototype for the vast majority of double guns in use today.

1875; Baker. push the front trigger to open. this was the foundation of the makers later known as L.C. Smith / Hunter / Marlin.

1876; Stevens hammer double.

1878; Lefever, the first American made hammerless gun.

1880; Winchester marketed English made doubles. (Likely the model called the 1879.)

1880's; Fox.

1880's; Spencer. The first slide action shotgun.

1883; Ithaca hammer double.  Hammerless guns from1893.

This list is far from exhuastive, and is not guaranteed to be error free! If you are able to add details or correct errors, feel free. If any of you can add information from catalogues of shipping documents, it would be appreciated.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Modified.  Added bold for the most significant developements when determining an appropriate shotgun for a specific timeframe for your persona.

[Sacramento Johnson]

Howdy!
In the percussion era, were all double barrel shotguns side by side, or were there under over ones as well?
I'm trying to figure out if this was some sort of fantasy shotgun put out by Baretta, or was it actually based on something they made in the percussion era:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/8594/cat/9

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Howdy!
In the percussion era, were all double barrel shotguns side by side, or were there under over ones as well?
I'm trying to figure out if this was some sort of fantasy shotgun put out by Baretta, or was it actually based on something they made in the percussion era:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/8594/cat/9

The ad you linked has expired, but I think I know the Beretta ML percussion O/U.  The short answer is I don't know, either way. None are shown in THE AMERICAN SHOTGUN, 1973, David F. Butler.  Most of the O/Us in America were turn-barrels.

In THE GUN and its Developement .9th Ed. 1910, W.W. Greener, says that early doubles were over/under but that was in 1616 when wheel-locks were the thing.   Doubles for fowling seem to be somewhat "recent' as they were written about in 1784 as a new thing, and Manton was the first to join the barrels with a rib. All I  see are side by sides. However many tidbits I find, I still can't find an O/U percussion double.  But that doesn't mean they never existed.  Hey, ya never know

P.S;  here's one from Italy, so Beretta did not invent the O/U percussion Double;

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7137742

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

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