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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103 |
Don't have a heart attack, Ted. It has a top lever! It's a 2" 12ga marked "Mondiale" on the top lever. Double St. Etienne proof, "50" (for chamber length in MM) stamped on the flats. No bottom rib. Weighs just a bit over 5 1/4. Looks to me like it's yet another gun built on the Helice action. For photos, go to gunsinternational. The GI # is 100953983.
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,469 Likes: 386
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,469 Likes: 386 |
Last edited by canvasback; 12/07/17 06:21 PM.
The world cries out for such: he is needed & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 641 Likes: 3
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 641 Likes: 3 |
That is a beauty! Those 2" guns are really interesting and the weight is fantastic.
Mr. Brown, do you think the receiver has been polished? It appears to have some fine scratches on it. Did the French typically build silver receiver guns? The engraving still looks very deep and sharp though...
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,076 Likes: 441
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,076 Likes: 441 |
Larry, how much "cast on" does it have. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, one photo of the underside of the action and stock, it looks like it has "cast on". Pretty little gun. Gil
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,405
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,405 |
A characteristic of most french doubkes is that large top lever. And all that I have handled had very firm lever springs. This one having the scallops on the frame is intersesting.
B.Dudley
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 182
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 182 |
Congrats, Larry! Was looking at it just last night on GI. A local dealer gushingly showed me a Spanish 2-incher weighing over 6 lbs--more than my 12/65 St. Etienne anonyme. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it missed the whole point and had zero advantage over any other 12 gauge except for the severely limited ammo options. The Mondiale is the real thing for sure. Happy Shooting!
Bill
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,711 Likes: 730
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,711 Likes: 730 |
How are the trigger pulls, Larry?
I like it, just not enough to put up with the Easter egg hunt for ammunition, or, the cost of same.
You going to let the chambers out to 3 1/2"?
Just kidding.
Enjoy. Try to enjoy it for more than a week this time.
Best, Ted
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,978 Likes: 105
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,978 Likes: 105 |
Pretty little gun, Larry. Those short barrels, less than 26”are interesting. This one would be hard for me to shoot except in the closest of quarters. Maybe woodcock habitat? Good luck with your new gun. A gun like that with 28” barrels and 5 1/4 lb weight would be great in the grouse woods for me.
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103 |
The GI number wouldn't get you there, canvasback? Computers cause people to be too lazy. I like to give them, if nothing else, a couple clicks' worth of additional finger exercise.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,372 Likes: 103 |
Answering above questions:
I can't detect any scratches on the receiver. A CC receiver would certainly be more typical, but the engraving is also still extremely sharp.
No cast either way that I can detect, either by looking down the gun from both ends or by mounting it.
The top lever has the "stop" on the left side, which I think Raimey indicated seemed to be a characteristic of the Helice action guns.
Wood to metal fit on scalloped actions can be tricky. It's excellent on this gun.
Good trigger pulls.
This will be strictly a grouse and woodcock gun. (Maybe quail?) It's been a long time since I shot anything this light, and I normally don't do all that well with short-barreled 12's. But it struck my fancy more than most Brit 2" guns I've seen (and definitely more than the too heavy Spanish 2" guns)--and I've never seen a Brit 2" gun priced anywhere close to this one. Great condition! We'll see how she shoots. As Ted pointed out, due to ammo cost and availability, I won't be busting a lot of clays with this little Frenchie. Definitely not going to take the plunge into reloading stubbies! Although I have a friend who's equipped to do that . . .
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