Picked up a Jackie Brown Canoe Gun

Dave Markowitz · Sep 3, 2022

Today I took a drive to Dixon's Muzzleloading Shop and saw this canoe gun (I know it's not an historical term) on the shelf. I've been looking for a 20 gauge percussion smoothbore and the fact that it's a lefty is icing on the cake.

Some measurements I took:

Overall length 40"
Barrel: 24.5"
Length of pull 13.5"
Weight 6.5 lbs.
Width of buttplate 2"

The barrel has a slight flare at the muzzle end. The front and only sight is a trade gun-style turtle. It's a large Siler lock and the cone is sized for No.11 caps.

I'm hoping to develop good patterning shot loads and also a round ball load.

troy fairweather · Sep 4, 2022

Very nice, you going to hunt with it. I liked 3-4 over shot cards on the powder, then shot and 2 soaked fiber wads in olive or veg oil. I love going to Dixon's, unfortunately it's been over to years since I've been there, may make a run some day to cabelas. I stop at Dixon's, then sarco. Makes the 2.5 hour drive worth it. The winchesters on the sealing are worth a trip at Dixon's.

Jackrabbit1957 · Sep 4, 2022

Square your loads, same amount of powder by volume as shot for a good starting point. 60 grains of powder is good starting load for a round ball, work up 5 grns at a time till you find the best accuracy.

hawg · Sep 4, 2022

More powder than shot opens up a pattern. More shot than powder tightens a pattern.

damoc · Sep 4, 2022

Nice I must admit when I read canoe gun I thought punt gun and expected something bigger LOL.

HUnter58 · Sep 4, 2022

Nice, I have the same one only in flint. Fun to shoot.

Armored farmer · Sep 4, 2022

Nice gun

Dave Markowitz · Sep 4, 2022

Jackrabbit1957 said:
Square your loads, same amount of powder by volume as shot for a good starting point. 60 grains of powder is good starting load for a round ball, work up 5 grns at a time till you find the best accuracy.

Yup. I have a couple other muzzleloading shotguns. I also use square loads when building up black powder shotshells.

I may also try tow or raw sheep's wool for wadding. Several guys on the Muzzleloading Forum report good results with them when loading shot or ball.

CraigC · Sep 4, 2022

Very cool. I have one as well but it's a flintlock. No pics but it's a handy little dude.

Ugly Sauce · Sep 4, 2022

I don't think "canoe gun" is a bad term, accurate or not. I also think of them as "cabin guns" or "teepee guns" as they would have been very useful in that role. Whether a long gun is a disadvantage in a canoe will always be debatable. Certainly, if a long gun suffered a burst or bent/damaged barrel, it would have been cut down, I would think.

Wow that's a very cool gun. That's a real score, being a lefty. What were the chances? And you don't see many "canoe" guns in percussion. What luck!

hawg · Sep 4, 2022

I think canoe gun is a misnomer that wasn't used back in the day. Did they cut down rifles and muskets I'm sure they cut down damaged ones. I kind of doubt they cut one down that wasn't damaged unless they had a surplus of them.

troy fairweather · Sep 4, 2022

Definitely easier to reload I guess, but how much did they shoot from a boat back then. I could see how going down a river/ creek could be a great way to find and get close to game quietly. I have I rule with canoes or kayaks that I wonder if they shared back then, don't bring anything your not willing to loose when you tip over. I'd think a shorter gun back then cut down or not was cheaper then a longer gun.

Ugly Sauce · Sep 4, 2022

Is the muzzle actually flared or coned, or just the outside of the barrel? That would be an interesting way to cone a barrel, buy just simply flaring the muzzle. ?

hawg · Sep 4, 2022

It looks a little flared to me. Maybe from the muzzle to halfway between the muzzle and front sight.

Ugly Sauce · Sep 4, 2022

I've not seen that before. (other than a blundershuetzenbuster) Not a bad idea for a short little smoothbore.

troy fairweather · Sep 4, 2022

Definitely help pushing a wad down the bore, I liked using wasp nest and even green leaves folded up works.

Dave Markowitz · Sep 4, 2022

The outside of the muzzle is flared. The inside is not coned.

Ugly Sauce · Sep 4, 2022

Here's my "canoe gun". Or Tee Pee gun. Or cabin gun. Whatever. .58 caliber, used to be a "Zouave".

troy fairweather · Sep 4, 2022

Your cat it looking a little thin better feed it. Nice gun, I just hate tacs seen so many Valuable guns messed up with them.

Ugly Sauce · Sep 4, 2022

I'm not "big" on tacks either, but there just wasn't much else to do with this old junker. Yes, I fed the cat lead, with a second helping, and he lost a lot of weight.

hawg · Sep 4, 2022

troy fairweather said:
Your cat it looking a little thin better feed it. Nice gun, I just hate tacs seen so many Valuable guns messed up with them.

Most of those valuable guns were tacked up back when they were just tools.

Paul R Zartman · Sep 4, 2022

Ugly Sauce said:
View attachment 1100837
Here's my "canoe gun". Or Tee Pee gun. Or cabin gun. Whatever. .58 caliber, used to be a "Zouave".

I like tacks, and yours are very tastefully done....its like engraving...but not.

HUnter58 · Sep 5, 2022

There was an article in one of the magazines back when Jackie started these. If I can find it, I'll post a copy.

earlthegoat2 · Sep 5, 2022

That is quite interesting.

A short handy 20 bore and a lefty to boot.

Might have to add something like that to the list of muzzleloaders I would like to build one day.

Dave Markowitz · Sep 5, 2022

HUnter58 said:
There was an article in one of the magazines back when Jackie started these. If I can find it, I'll post a copy.

If you can find that I'd really like to see it. Thanks.

Picked up a Jackie Brown Canoe Gun

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