Vic,
I'm sorry to hear that such hasn't worked out for you. Our friend Leatherman has said the same but I haven't heard back from him as yet as to whether his experience was with a conventionally configured drilling (SXS shot tubes with rifle below and using the left tube only). This is disturbing as I don't want to spread false information as I was given such by a person I consider very knowledgeable on the subject. As I replied to Leatherman I have to imagine there are exceptions especially in light of the efforts/cost associated with "regulating" the left shot tube and rifle barrel in like fashion to that done with double rifles. I am beginning to think though that this regulation was more of a customer request and not necessarily the norm for drillings made by "the better German gun makers". It also is sounding like I have fallen onto a bit of luck as out of my four "conventionally configured" drillings my Richard Knopf (1944) and Carl Bock (1937) are regulated as discussed. My Brenneke SXS 16ga/9.3X74R (1912) and August Wolf SXS 16ga/7X57R (1928) are undergoing stock work thus I haven't had them out to the range with the Brenneke slugs. One of my favorite sayings as an engineer is: "In God we trust, all others bring data". Me thinks we need more data (a larger sample) to get a better understanding of things. Unfortunately, and as "written facts" would help us a great deal with these early German guns, we have a mere dusting of record (order documentation - invoices etc.). In this case I would very much like to see record of a special request to regulate the left shot and rifle barrel of a drilling. Today I am only going by what I've been told ... though the word of someone that has a way better idea of what was done back in the day than most of us.
Though a lot of water may be thrown on the regulation issue I hope to hear from many. I welcome any correction that will help us, as a community, reach an accurate conclusion.
Regards,
Mark
