Example of short barreled Smothbores?

Got a couple of smoothbore barrels that I'd like to build into usable flintlock guns but their only 26" long. I'm looking for ideas as to what type of gun I could try to emulate.
I need some pictures of short barreled smoothbores please...

Thanks in advance.

Mine isn't that short, it is 31". Personally, I stay away from short barreled shotguns or rifles of any kind. The blast is too close to the ears and, literally, deafening. But, do wat floats yer stick. BTW, I ordered a 36" barrel, it came 31". Go figger.

This musket has a 16 1/2” length of pull so you can tell by looking it is not a long gun.


Both of these are guns I hunt with.





I hope this helps.
William Alexander

Two that are a bit longer is the best I can do for ya. First is a Caywood 12 ga english game gun with a 30 inch barrel

And this one is a 12 ga english smoothbore with a colerain 32 in oct to round barrel. Hope these might help ya a little

Google "Clay Smith", he has kits that have short barrels that might give you some ideas. JZ

I like short, handy guns. In fact my next project is to get a 20ga NSW "canoe" gun kit with a 20" barrel.

Razor,

What kind of barrels, do you have? Round, octagon, oct to. Round? How big is the breech? Swamped, tapered, flared?
This information can help you get better suggestions

Sorry, no photo, but I have a trade musket that resembles Tinker's, but flint and about 19" barrel. I made it for shooting from horseback. I hunt with it and find both groups: ball and shot are not much less than when it is full length: 50 yards with the ball; 20 yards with shot. I tuck it barrel down into my mountain man belt like a very long pistol! It's .63 and my common load is 70 gr powder with ball or equivalent amount of shot. I find the blast not too bad. Good luck

How's about a half stock...

I have a NW trade gun in 20ga that has a 24" barrel, it is light, fast and handy in thick brush, I have taken alot of small game with it and a moose. I also have a brown bess carbine .72 cal. with a 31" barrel, heavy gun to pack all day but it has worked very well on big and small game.

That second gun you show is pretty nifty looking.

Cynthialee said:

That second gun you show is pretty nifty looking.

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Thanks I do enjoy using it; it’s a fun gun to use. Now I guess I should make one in flint one of these days.


William Alexander

Thanks for all of the feedback folks! Keep it coming I find it inspiring! :grin:

Capt. I've got a few modern (cartridge) shotgun barrels which I intend on breeching and converting to flint. Some of them were never chambered or reamed to full bore diameter which means that it'll be relatively simple to install breech plugs and there's no choke to impede a round ball. Two measure .570 and the other two are .670 bore.(If I remember correctly.)All are 26" in length.

I would go with something like this

http://www.peterfiner.com/current-stock/item/1208/

The British Army considered a 16 gauge ball to be the size ball of their carbines. Your barrels are short enough and small caliber enough to make into British Army carbine copies. The nice thing about the British Army carbines is that there were several different sizes and shapes depending on who ordered the lot and when. The Bess used by line troops was pretty much standardized from model to model.

Many Klatch

Ye shoot with tack heads against yer cheek? :shocked2:
Ouch!

Rifleman1776 said:

Ye shoot with tack heads against yer cheek? :shocked2:
Ouch!

Click to expand...

Good point but my cheek does fit in front of the tacks.
Tacks can be a problem with long hair and or whiskers.


William Alexander

Capt. Jas. gives good advice, especially if you want to be correct for the 18th century. There were some short guns, but getting it right is tricky. Many cut-down guns were done so crudely; other short guns have a completely different barrel profile from a modern shotgun - a blunderbuss, for example.

That said, here's mine - not necessarily historically correct, but fun:



It has a 26" bbl. in 16 ga. "Sweet William" Douglas built it for ChuckPA, and I traded him for it years ago. It "could" be a trade gun, an oddball carbine, or just fun.