doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2-inch gun or an English 16?

Well...clearly both are English, and I'm sure this has been bandied about here before. It was a dilemma that I wrestled deeply with (first world problems, eh?) several years ago in my Don Quixote-like quest for the ultimate upland double. I've never fully-resolved the issue in that fate intervened and rather solved it for me. If the right 2-inch gun had come along before my W. Richards, I'd likely be having 2-inch 12-gauge shells shipped to my home and not 16, like this Christmas.



For me, it is the intersection of fit, weight, and lethality. Twelves (12s) kill stone dead for me more often than not, 16s come close, the rest....not so much. IMHO, it's a place where the 20 has little hope. Too light can be a problem (too-heavy isn't even considered).

Either will work
Great selection
Mike

I've clearly overthought this. I had written a fairly good missive on the subject and then fat-fingered it on my POS laptop and lost it. Let me see if I can recapture that thought...

The prey species and habitat are critical components here as well. Ruffed Grouse and deciduous forests are the biggest parts of the equation. All the factors must intersect for this to make any sense.









We're talking lots of walking (4 plus miles per day), often with opportunities to shoot either never happening or only seldom, and then usually without much warning. You rarely get more than one good shot off, and... if there is a chance of a second shot, it is almost always immediate and crucial.

I'm of the opinion that the 2-inch 12 should excel here. My 16 comes very close (at 5lbs14), but I suspect that the highly specialized 5 1/2 lb 12-gauge is the ultimate answer. But...it must fit and swing flawlessly. For someone of my size, 14 3/4-inch LOP and twentyeight inch barrels are critical (and seldom encountered, most are too-short and with 26 tubes). I've only seen a handful of 2-inch guns that would've worked for me and they were, accordingly, priced somewhat prohibitively. Thus my little 16...

Think I`d stick with the 16 tbh ,much more choice of loads and better wad column length and case closures.

No question, the 16 is far-more commonly encountered here than the 2-inch 12. My English gun happens to be in proof for 2 3/4-inch, so I can occasionally find shells that will suit my needs. Generally though, I choose to shoot 2 1/2-inch RSTs because of the gun's 100-plus years of age and thin wrist. I could also reload (and that would arguably be the best and least-expensive option).

The 2-inch 12 is clearly going to be difficult to feed in this country. You're likely going to have to either reload or special order everything you'll be using. However, the 2-inch is reportedly the best of all the "square" load options you can find. Very efficient, low pressures and almost no-stringing, with a near perfect one ounce "pie-pan" of ejecta impacting the target, thus the great lethality of the load.

Usually loaded with 7/8oz over here ,how would you get 1oz into those short cases and have an effective obturation and a good rto ?

I've seen the 7/8 ounce loads, but we sold far-more of the 15/16th-ounce 2-inch RSTs when I was working for Mark Reynolds. 15/16th of an ounce is effectively interchangeable for a full ounce for me, and they seemed to be a big hit with the 2-inch crowd we were selling to then.

I�d rather have a 2 1/2� 16 bore and a 1 oz load for grouse (& quail). Just my humble opinion though. I like 28� barrels and most, if not all of those 2� guns I�ve seen had 26� or shorter barrels. Short barrels are not my cup of tea. Plus, and I guess due to rarity, there�s a significant premium for cost of 2� guns.

buzz: Well...yes. And for all the reasons you mention, I'm shooting a 16 these days. I'd dearly love to try out a 2-inch gun though. Those "big" 12 bore tubes on that "little" 20-gauge frame look so-darn good to me. Almost feminine in a rather strange way. Not a particularly apt comparison but...when looking down the action they somehow remind me of a small-framed women with large-ish breasts. God help me.

I hear that!!