When was double barrel shotgun invented

The English continued to refine the design of guns over the next three centuries, culminating with the application of percussion ignition in the 19th century, and the introduction of a fully functional hinged breech in the s. Finally, the advantages of a new cartridge that contained the primer, propellant, projectile, and firing pin, heralded the birth of the modern shotgun. While shotguns of the muzzleloader and musket types were originally imported to America from England and other European countries, it was an American—Daniel Myron Lefever—who is credited with having invented the first hammerless shotgun in His design for a new shotgun featured a cocking lever on the side of the breech, the first of its kind.

That year saw Lefever win first prize for the best breech-loading shotgun at the St. The gunsmith patented the hammerless shotgun in , and even improved upon the design in the three years that followed, by internalizing the cocking mechanism to function only when the breech was closed. The end result of these innovations in shotgun design helped the shotgun find widespread use throughout the American West, as a firearm with a smooth bore designed for firing a shotshell containing a charge of small shot at relatively short ranges.

One of the earliest gunsmithing companies, Parker Brothers, started after the Civil War and produced , guns by the hand-assembly of machine-made gun parts. The Parker inventory included shotguns ranging from lightweight bird guns to heavier caliber gauges for waterfowl hunting.

This approach to manufacturing made guns more plentiful than ever before for the masses. FG powder, and one ounce of No. I used such a gun because it was what I had, and I could not afford two.

If I could afford a gun specifically for grouse, as long as they would lie to the dog, it would be a gauge, inch barrels, 6 to 7 lb. Powder and three-quarters of an ounce of No. The shooting is the simplest and easiest of all game shooting. Again, the M-1 Garand was A shorter barrel length with buckshot proved to be more effective in the typically extreme close quarter engagements of the day. During the Korean War the shotgun became the guard weapon of choice because of its great effectiveness at close range.

The muzzle of the barrel had a side-cut type of choke system that would produce a horizontal pattern with devastating effects. The weapon of choice was a pump-action Ithaca 10 gauge with 00 buckshot, while the Remington 12 gauge was used with great effectiveness as well. The history of the shotgun continued into urban terrains in the s and beyond, and it became more than just a weapon. As a ballistic breaching tool it gave soldiers a quick, lightweight and effective way of opening doors, gates and anything else that obstructed the assault style of warfare that has become common in the last two decades.

The military has now adopted the Benelli M-4 auto loader as the new shotgun of choice for combat units. Many other manufactures are experimenting with fully automatic shotguns with box magazines that hold up to 10 rounds. The history of the shotgun will continue to add new chapters as new developments are made. Shotgun ammunition has also progressed along with the weapon, but that is a discussion for another time.

While the shotgun may adapt, the utility of the weapon still makes it my favorite choice, and if for some strange reason I ever find myself with only one gun, I sincerely hope it is a shotgun! Smith, Parker, Remington and Stevens all got their start making black-powder double-barrel shotguns, many of which sold in the Western market.

In a seemingly backward step, but in reality simply a trend governed by econ-omics, the single barrel shotgun continued to main-tain its attractiveness rather than lose it.

New guns sold as well as ever, even as gun sellers converted military metallic cartridge rifle actions into saleable shotguns. These were really just civilian versions of the government M shotgun, in use with various army units throughout the frontier. Despite the abundance of these and other inexpensive smoothbores, in general, quality guns still ruled the roost for serious shooters. In April , Christopher Spencer, inventor of the famed seven-shot repeating rifle of the Civil War, patented his pump-action design for rifles and shotguns.

Five years later, Winchester began marketing its John Browning-designed Model lever-action shotgun, a six-shot scattergun that found favor with professional Old West shootists such as Arizona Sheriff John Slaughter and Texas gunman George Scarborough. As America moved into the 20th century, the Old West passed into history. The buffalo were practically all gone, save for a few protected herds. The Indians, too, once proud and defiant, were eking out a meager existence in isolated reservations, and gunfighters were shooting it out in silent films … ironically, in studio sets located in the East!

The new West was a tamer breed, yet some of the tools of its colorful and raucous past were still needed. The shotgun was one necessity that lived on. Improved and refined, these smoothbore arms continued to serve Westerners in the modern world, as they had when the frontier was young and wild.

The scattergun was still a reliable hunting companion, a trusted friend or a formidable foe. Garavaglia and Charles G. Worman, published by University of New Mexico Press. Cantey, Jr. Available in 10 and 12 gauges, it had a six-shot capability when fully loaded, and the simplicity of its internal workings allowed for use in extreme climes. Collection — These circa Pueblo, Colorado, lads are all set to hunt with an Winchester lever-action rifle and a sidehammer double-barrel shotgun.

Ten- and gauge shotguns were the preferred bore sizes in the West, and while 16s, 20s and smaller bored scatterguns were plentiful, they were considered good only for specialized shooting. In this photograph, taken in Dakota Territory, This buckskin-clad, young frontiersman is prepared to take on the Wild West with his Colt revolver, bowie knife and side-by-side, caplock sidehammer shotgun.

From the looks of the guns and gear—including the shot flask hanging at his right side—this photo probably dates from around the late s or early s, and it was most likely taken somewhere on the Northern Plains. Collection — By the end of the s, Westerners had a variety of breech-loading shotguns available to them, yet the old muzzleloader was still the preferred scattergun on the frontier. This outdoorsman is holding one of only about 1, Model Colt revolving shotguns ever made.

Collection — Single barrel shotguns enjoyed a revival of popularity in the s when civilian firms made or gauge breech-loading shotguns from obsolete or condemned government-issue Springfield trapdoor rifle parts like the one shown here.

The lad at left has a full-stocked, front-loading percussion rifle with double set triggers and an elaborate patchbox.