triple barrel shotguns

[kimh]

I have a triple barrel shotgun made by my great-grandfather who worked at the Three Barrel Gun Company....Moundsville WV...anyone else have any guns made there?

 

[Justin]

I had no idea that there even was a company in the US that made such a firearm.

Is there any chance you could shoot some photos and post them here, I'm sure I'm not the only person who'd be interested in seeing what a triple barreled shotgun would look like.

 

[kimh]

triple barrell shot gun

My husband corrected in and said it's not a 'triple barrel' but it's a drilling. Sorry about that and I'll see what I can do about posting pictures.

 

[oneounceload]

Justin, Peter Hofer builds 2,3,4,5 barrel firearms, including shotguns - excellent work

http://www.hoferwaffen.com/hofer_52s.php?id=35&lang=en

 

[Dave McCracken]

IIRC, both Baker and Hunter Arms (LC Smith) made some SxSxS shotguns, vs drillings with at least one rifle barrel.

The Three Barrel Gun Co (With business connections to Baker and Ithaca) was pretty much out of business when reliable repeaters became popular.

Please post Pics of your shotgun. Thanks....

 

[Capstick1]

That must have been a nightmare designing the trigger mechanism for the three barrel guns. I imagine getting all three barrels regulated to hit the same point of aim was also a cumbersome job as well.

 

[Jim Watson]

The Three Barrel Gun Company only operated as such from 1905-1910.
Their guns were what a German would call a drilling, two shot barrels over one rifle barrel. There is a typical one on a sale site 12 ga x 12 ga x .32-40.

A family connection to the company is very nice.

 

[Snow Dog]

Anyone remember the old spagetti western movie "The Stranger"? The hero in that movie used a four barrel shotgun. It was basically a double barrel shotgun with two extra barrels underneath that he rotated by hand after the top barrels were fired. I always found that gun fascinating but I expect the pump-action quickly relegated the type to movie prop status only.

 

[DM~]

My Krieghoff drilling has been my "go to" gun for over 25 years now,



I've harvested everything from moose and bear on down with it,



It's been the most perfect hunting gun i've ever held or used,



And at 7 pounds, it's a joy to carry and hunt with, doing everything i need a hunting gun to do!

DM

 

[SeekHer]

The five barrel guns are called funflings--funf means five in German

The four barrel guns are called vierlings--vier means four in German.

The three barrel guns are called dreilings--drei means three in German.

Drillings, the anglicised version can be three barrels side by side i.e.0-0-0 or 2x1 0-0/0.

Please note that they can be all shotgun barrels, all rifle barrels, they can be all the same calibre or all different calibres and bores...I've seen one drei that had three different calibre rifle barrels and another vrie with four different calibre rifle barrels.

Most common drie are 2x the same over a single.

We have a 2x.303 over 16 bore as well as 2x16 bore over .303

The way they are configured is also how they are described in German.

Hambrush Arms barrel configuration

A shotgun beside a rifle was normally called a Cape Gun and they aren't that common anymore...Two rifle barrels the same are the most common especially in O/U...three barrel jobs are the most common of combination guns...four barrel guns are still quite rare.

IIRC there are exactly six, five barrel jobs that were ever made and five were made by Peter Hofer and started at around 250,000 Euros or about $361,000 to 400,000 Euros or $578,000...I know one of his vierlings sold for $1 million.

I have never heard of or seen anything with more barrels in a hunting gun, not that there might not be some but I've never heard of or seen them.

 

[oneounceload]

DM - that's a Kreighoff?? The action style and cross bolt look like Merkel

What bore and cartridge and lengths is it to get it a 7#? Most I have held and seen were closer to 8 and were typically 16x16xone of the 8 or 9mm's

Thanks

 

[DM~]

Yes it's a Krieghoff, and it's a 16-16 8x57jrs, 24" bbls. I also had a Krieghoff 16-16 30-06 that was just under 7 pounds...

Here's some German names for bbl configurations,



DM

 

[cleardiddion]

This is just fascinating, gonna have to keep tabs on this thread.

 

[oneounceload]

clear - here's a site that shows possible bqrrel configurations from Peter Hofer in Austria:

http://www.hoferwaffen.com/hofer_52.php?lang=en

Just about anything is possible, from a SxS with a hidden third small bore rifle barrel to combos of multiple cartridges and bores on a single frame

Always intrigued me the way they made it all work

 

[cleardiddion]

Thanks for the website!
Never seen anything like it and it certainly piqued my interest.
Now, only if I didn't have all of these silly things like loans and a girlfriend to worry about I'd get one!

 

[oneounceload]

There's a lot of them floating around that were made in the 20 and 30's, and unless you like them, most folks will pass - these can sometimes be had for a good deal at a gun show, especially where there are a lot of older folks from that era that are starting to pass on. The auction and sale sites (like Gunsinternational.com) will have listings

Of course, DM, I can't believe you had choke tubes installed..........next you'll say you want to get it ported!......

 

[Tom Held]

multibarrel guns

The NRA's National Firearms Museum recently picked up a spectacular collection of guns (Peterson Collection) which includes a number of one of a kind multibarrel guns, all on display. Beautiful collection of outstanding firearms. Worth the visit.

 

[DM~]

Of course, DM, I can't believe you had choke tubes installed..........next you'll say you want to get it ported!......

I wanted to have the BEST hunting weapon for ME that i could, and to have what i always wanted a hunting gun to be, i couldn't care less how much my drilling is/was worth, or if it pleases you or anyone else. "IF" i wanted to have it ported' i'd do that too...

I'll be useing it until i take my eternal dirt nap, and then the next owner can worry about my choises...

It has worked out VERY well for me, and that's what's most important to me,







And with the Krieghoff 22WMR insert bbl installed,



it's an excellent smaller game gun,



But lately, it's been my go to deer rifle,





Over the years, i've put tons and tons of meat in my freezer with my drilling, and thankfully it only has to make ME happy...

DM

 

[oneounceload]

Guessed you missed my big grin in my post

 

[CWL]

How about this Vierling!

 

[Hamilton Felix]

OK, I'll bite: What movie is that from?

 

[DM~]

A friend of mine in Alaska has a Vierling, it's a Ferlach in 16-16 8x57jr and a 22 vierling bbl. just under the rib. It weighs 6-3/4 pounds! and is in excellent condition!! I'd love to have it! BUT, i'd want it to be JRS and 22WMR!

DM

 

[Jim Watson]

BUT, i'd want it to be JRS and 22WMR!

And that is one reason that, as 1oz says, a nice piece of workmanship may be had for a low price. Many, even most, older drillings and other European sporting rifles are in obscure calibers not easy to feed. There was one here used only as a shotgun because the owner had no clue as to what caliber the rifle barrel was. But he liked it anyhow because it had a left hand stock.

 

[RX-178]

That's from the Phantasm movie series BTW.

As I recall they pass up an entire wall full of pump action and semi auto shotguns to create that monster.

 

[nortexeric]

I actually would love to have a drilling gun due to their unique design and function. I can easily see why DM~ loves his for hunting. I may have to add one to my collection at some point if they can be had at a decent price.

I remember reading something a few years ago about the Germans issuing these rifles to air crews during WWII as part of a survival kit or something to that effect. Thought that was pretty interesting.

-Eric