1878 Colt SxS 12 gauge black powder hammer gun

Here’s an interesting old black powder shotgun I used on our Dove opener September 1st.
Brought down a dozen, couldn’t find 4 that came down in an over grown clear cut…I did due diligence trying to find them but with head high briars & weeds it was tough, and there were sure to be Copperheads in there so I definitely didn’t search down in the ground cover on my hands & knees…LOL.

It’s an old Colt 12ga SxS hammer gun that was made back in 1878…30” Damascus twist barrels, M & F chokes, originally used brass black powder shells. It was handed down to me a few years ago, checked it all over, cleaned up the bores with long shaft cylinder hones made for that purpose, and finally gave her a try this year with some black powder shells I loaded up as follows:

Remington hulls (I had no brass hulls)
65grns Goex 3F black powder
1/2” Circle Fly lubed cushion wad
Circle Fly over shot card
(no shot cup-bare bore)
1+1/8oz #7.5s
Circle Fly over shot card

The old gal did great and made all those previous generations proud…mailed a copy of this photo to my 92 year old step-Father yesterday.

MachIVshooter said:

I have a neat old Bayard SxS 12 ga. hammer gun with twist steel barrels that I'd love to fire..................but I'm afraid to. Will probably end up doing 20 ga. inserts at some point so it can use modern ammunition.

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I'm lucky that this one is in exceptional condition...as mechanically sound as you'd want...some patina of course, but not a spec of rust/corrosion on any of the mechanics, seams, ribs, etc. When I was finally able to tease the locks out of their mortises, I was was amazed at the tight fit, and to find the internals were amazingly clean.
Both locks have the "V" spring internal design that was the norm for good quality locks back then and they're both very fast.
As I mentioned, there was some scattered pitting in the bores but cylinder hones cleaned them right up to about 98% condition I'd guess.
Your .20ga inserts sound like a good approach if you're not certain of the structural condition of yours and you plan to shoot it a lot...

I tried this one out on our Dove opener just for the sake of nostalgia and feedback to my step-Father...the pattern testing and dove hunt were probably the first times it's been fired in 100 years. I don't plan on shooting it regularly although having broken the ice with it this way, I might let it become an annual event to use it on opening day of Dove seasons in the future.

Thanks, yes, already checked the chambers...their design is a gradual slow-taper chamber transition, not a sudden cut-step chamber design;

Remington & AA hulls actually measure shorter than a full 2+3/4" open;

I use Circle Fly lubed fiber cushion wads and no modern hard plastic base shot cups...and if need be the CF fiber wad compresses easily compared to the hard stiff base of a modern shotcup;

Given all the above I concluded there wouldn't be any issue and there wasn't...have run 2-3 boxes, of two different types, of Remington hull reloads through them and they're just fine.
And no more than I'll shoot this gal, no plans to get into brass hulls and all that.

oneounceload said:

Glad to see an oldie still doing its job

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At first I wondered if you were referring to me or the old gun, and immediately realized it applied either way...LOL