Firing an old shotgun

[Dirtbikedude]

Hello my grandfather left me an old white powder wonder when he passed away and I was wondering if anyone knows a place I could take it to be inspected to see if it’s safe to fire also was wondering how much I have to post to gain access to the classifieds

 

[mtptwo]

Don't sell it. If you don't want it, just stick it on the wall. Any decent gunsmith should be able to safety check the gun for you.

 

[Lobo2087]

I second the dont sell but if you do let me know

 

[Ballistic Therapy]

Any gun store with a competent gunsmith should be able to tell you if it is shootable or not.

 

[Dirtbikedude]

Thanks guys yeah I have no plans to sell it it’s the only thing he left me plus it was his fathers gun so it kind of a family heirloom I just thought it would be really cool to shoot something my great grandfather shot

 

[Suck My Glock]

What sort of old smokepole are we referring to here?

Got any pics?

 

[Crippledtrigger]

Hello my grandfather left me an old white powder wonder when he passed away and I was wondering if anyone knows a place I could take it to be inspected to see if it’s safe to fire also was wondering how much I have to post to gain access to the classifieds

I think those are single shot sears shotguns. Hammer fired correct? Or cocked on closing?

Irregardless, make sure the sear is checked. As long as there isnt rust or pitting in the chamber you should be ok. Again that's generally speaking and any gunsmith will be able to say yes or no.

I say check the sear/trigger/hammer mating surfaces as there are no drop safety's or transfer bars to keep it from firing unless the trigger is fully pulled. As long as the internals arent rusted or worn those should be ok. Guns going off when the action is closed or because the hammer isnt locked back is not an ideal situation to say the least. I almost lost my head when a buddy's shotgun fired both barrels upon closing. He got a broken nose and a skin graft. The broken nose wasnt from me because he was not as diligent following the rules as I was too busy checking my shorts. The vent rib hit his face


Beyond that shooting old guns, especially family heirlooms are fun and rewarding as it connects you to your family heritage.

 

[xerts1191]

Yeah don’t sell it, you’ll look back years from now and realize how glad you are that you kept it in memory of Grandpa.

 

[Dirtbikedude]

I’d love to post some pictures but i don’t know how

 

[jlfornoff]

if you don't take it to a gunsmith (which is highly recommended) then i would treat it as a tree gun! use some padding to put between the gun and the tree so you don't scratch it. then lash it to a tree and point it in a safe direction into a back drop then, tie a long string to the trigger. stand way back and let it fly. then inspect the gun. i've done this a few times with old guns and only had one gun that came back with an issue, one of the shotgun i shot had a small breach in the chamber and the projectile only made it 3/4 of the barrel before stopping. i'm glad i had it on the tree because where it gassed out would have been in my face. this was on a shotgun that was hand made in Belgium about 1864 so this was a very old gun. i would still take it to a gunsmith though, just sharing my experience.

 

[Az desert rat 1]

Definitely hold on to it. When my grand father passed away, I inherited his fathers 10 ga. single shot goose gun. My great uncle wanted to have the shotgun. I was forced to give it to him, with the understanding that I get it back upon his death. Well I never did see the gun again. Don't let it out of your sight.

 

[shorepatrol]

Grandfather left me a LC Smith wrapped barrel dual trigger shotgun. It's on the wall looking cool.

 

[sonofbp]

This reminds me I have an inherited 1915 stevens sxs 12ga that I replaced some springs n parts on but never got around to test firing. hmm

 

[Harrier]

I remember back in the 60's tying an old Jap rifle to a tree to fire it for the first time... Since then I have used sand bags or an 80's Kevlar flak vest to cover the action against kaboom when testing (along with a stand-off pull cord).

I've been lucky as nothing has blown up yet, but before testing any old shotgun I would check to see if it has Damascus barrels and also have it checked by someone qualified.