I was looking at a wikipedia artical the other day and tring to learn all the differant gun calibers and gauges. I was very suprised to see a 4,3,2 and a 1/12 gauge! I thought that the 10 gauge was the biggest most powerful shotgun.I tried to find a picture online of these guns but the lowest gauge i found was a 4 gauge. Has anyone else heard of this??
Sorry i just realized i posted this under the handgun topic....
Last edited by wess; 01-09-2008 at 09:32 PM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
I've heard of people (in the past - not current) using a 2 gauge duck hunting. The way it was explained to me is that it is not a shouldered weapon, but sits on a stand like a mortar. That's the way I remember it - but that was probably 25 years ago. I never saw the thing, I just had a friend that described it. I don't think he was lying or anything.
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Yes, they are called punt guns, and were originally mounted on the front of boats, they were used to shoot down entire flocks of ducks and geese with one shot!
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People have throughout history made shotgun tubes in all manner of bore diameter. This was especially true in the black powder days. However, these massive bore guns such as the 4 bore had a capability to damage the shooter with massive recoil.
New addition to Wess - sometimes in publications such as Shotgun News you might run into one of these massive bore guns for sale, find a lead to someone who has one, or get a reference to an article about this type gun. One interesting large bore gun from the 1800's was called the Paradox. It was smoothbore almost to the end of the barrel where the projectile hit rifling. But always keep in mind these guns defined recoil in no uncertain terms. Also, I have read stories of safari hunts from the late 1800's in which the hunter put his back to a tree and held the butt to the tree so the tree would absorb the recoil.
Last edited by nathangdad; 01-11-2008 at 09:00 PM.
Reason: addition
Yes, they are called punt guns, and were originally mounted on the front of boats, they were used to shoot down entire flocks of ducks and geese with one shot!
I think I'll get me one of those for home defense. Not to mention zombies!
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Yeah thats when you hit elephant gun's. which on a side note depending on who you talk to they are either shotguns or rifles. shotguns because they are measured in gauge, and rifles because techincally they use a bullet not buckshot. at least this is how it was explained to me
Im not sure of the caliber but a buddy of mine inherited a elephant gun from his father. The progectile I kid u not was atleast 6 inches long and about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. it looked like a big rod made up of copper and lead the bullet with casing must of been about 10 inches. We were to affraid to fire it, and we are not little guys. It looked absolutly evil.
