doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com toying around with a single shot shotgun

Something different as a I have a pile of sxs guns. Considering Savage model 220 or Lefever Long Range. Both I believe cock when the lever is opened. Certainly the Lefever is higher quality (I guess). Anyone have both or tried either. Like to hear opinions. PS. This would be a Woodcock gun, so looking at the 16 or 20 gauge. I'm not a .410 fan.

PS. Don't want a gun with a hammer. Started my youth using a H&R Topper in 12 gauge an have bad memories. Cold fingers and hard hammers were not a good combination. Both the above have tang safeties. Like a tang safety.

Can I suggest that you ensure that whatever you chose has sufficient weight to follow the 6 pounds of gun per 1 ounce of shot rule.

I used to own a lovely Damascus barrel Edwinson Green hammer 12bore with Jones under lever.

I would like to post a picture of it but thanks to Imgur blocking the UK I cannot.

Although it fitted me well, even being cast in for a left hander, I just could not shoot with it - even by my mediocre shotgun standards.

I found on clays that it tended to leap out of my forward hand.

The only live game I killed with it was an oncoming hen pheasant (I know, but we shoot both cocks and hens on this side of the pond).

It brought her down in fine style, but I suspect that was down to the gun leaping to intercept her forward flight.

I have a Savage 20 single hammer less. It has fired without the trigger. I do not trust it to use or sell it.

Parabola, for a hunting gun, that rule is useless for the average person, in my opinion.

you are right...

the Ithaca is a step up from the savage...

but both are hard to close...

better off finding another european made gun...

We had a 220 in the family early on. I think its still around in someones closet.
A 12ga and it was a very hard kicker, seems the stock drop was quite a lot. Perhaps the shells recommended back then to kill things were
a bit much for such a lightweight gun.
Dad said Peters HV Baby Magnums were needed to hunt with. ouch..
Maybe a 20 or 16 would be more tolerable.
I can't ever remember any mechanical problems with it other than the forend wood coming loose.
Seems like it opened rather easily, had a full-time ejector. I think it was a bit harder to close as you were cocking the ejector spring as well as the hammer spring on closing.
Might be wrong there.

All in all, it was not a favorite.

I had a Model 219,,the .22 Hornet rifle on the same action but they were built on the small one (16/20ga action. That seemed nicer in size and much easier to handle.
I think it would make a big difference and with appropriate light loads even better to like.

I’m interested in a single shot myself. This thread has some nice ones. I’ve always thought the 28 gauge that Campero uses is especially elegant. I look forward to reading more on this new thread!

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=632452&page=1

Tom,

I know you appreciate a fine gun. You might take a look at this, a British single barrel game gun. If I didn’t already have my Tolley I’d be having a good look at this one.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...-between-the-wars--.cfm?gun_id=103300655

Walter Snyder includes Harry Howland's comment about the Lefever single barrel in his book The Ithaca Gun Company, From the Beginning.

"I think it was the poorest gun I ever helped to design, although we sold over 16000 of them before we discontinued manufacturing them."

Tut
I recommend you take an aspirin and let this pass.
KR

Tut, I've had 220s (break, not bolt action as made today) in .410, 20 and 16 ga. The .410 and 20 shared the same frame with the .410 being considerably heavier than the 20. To accommodate the .410 barrel, the chamber was as thick as an old coke bottle to keep the striker firing pin centered. It is truly hammerless as it has a striker rather than internal hammer. It is a decent gun, nothing fancy. As James noted, an English game gun has overall more beauty. Having a top tang safety is a feature. Another consideration is the Beretta M412. It is a folding break action, but of high quality. Here's mine made in 1954 with a shared limit of two guns. 4lbs., 13 oz. It taught me the convenience of a second shot.