Ugliest shotgun ever made

[Ken Descovich]

This is the ugliest shotgun I own, show us a picture of your ugly shotgun. This one is a Shattuck 8 gauge with 40 inch barrels.

[Steven Groh]

This is the ugliest shotgun I own, show us a picture of your ugly shotgun. This one is a Shattuck 8 gauge with 40 inch barrels.

A shotgun designed by committee.

[Brian Dudley]

That gun still looks better than a Winchester 24.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

That is a fugly shotgun.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I'm with Brian, the Win. 24 ranks near the top.

[Dave Noreen]

My Father railed against two things in American shotgunnery -- bottom dumper pump guns and Winchester Model 24s, so I am genetically predisposed to dislike them.

Personally I've always felt the beavertail forearms on Ithaca's Lefever Model 4 Double Trap Gun is pretty darn ugly --

87232

Only thing worse might be the forearm on the Iver Johnson SuperTrap --

87238

[charlie cleveland]

those are ugly guns....but my ugly gun would be a bolt action sears 12 ga shotgun with the poly choke on it....a poly choke was a fine thing but ugly as home made sin.....charlie

[Bill Murphy]

I can't count the number of Iver Johnson "Super Traps" I have seen that gun guys have passed on because of the "non original, home made" forends, including the one I bought. Yup, it is ugly.

[Phil Yearout]

I keep throwing this ducking out there whenever ugly comes up...

https://i.imgur.com/7qCLl2Gl.jpg

[Rick Riddell]

Ugly but cool! Makes the 24 a prom queen!

[Steven Groh]

Ugly but cool! Makes the 24 a prom queen!
:eek:

[CraigThompson]

Ugly but cool! Makes the 24 a prom queen!

I remmember reading a Roger Barlow article on that gun in a Shooters Bible or Gun Digest from back in the 60’s .

[Milton C Starr]

This is the ugliest shotgun I own, show us a picture of your ugly shotgun. This one is a Shattuck 8 gauge with 40 inch barrels.

Dont see those too often especially in that condition , always wondered how they compared to the Davenport 8 gauges .


Personally Id say ugliest shotgun made pick any of them made post war :rotf:

[wayne goerres]

I think that is a rather interesting gun. good conversation peace.

[Ken Descovich]

I've been known to buy the strange and unusual and this fits the bill. The condition the 40 inch barrels and 8 gauge I had no control over handing out the money.

[Milton C Starr]

I've been known to buy the strange and unusual and this fits the bill. The condition the 40 inch barrels and 8 gauge I had no control over handing out the money.

I think it was a good buy , im still kicking myself for passing up on buying a Davenport years ago .

[Dean Romig]

This is the ugliest shotgun I own, show us a picture of your ugly shotgun. This one is a Shattuck 8 gauge with 40 inch barrels.


Ken, with the comb so far below the center-line of the bore it looks like it would really clobber the shooter.

Please let us know.:whistle:





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[Milton C Starr]

Not sure about ugly but this is sure interesting , a semi auto 8 gauge from what little information I found it was based off a Ithaca mag 10/Remington SP10 scaled up .

[Bill Murphy]

I would trade both of my Davenports for that semi auto eight gauge.

[Rick Losey]

Not sure about ugly but this is sure interesting , a semi auto 8 gauge from what little information I found it was based off a Ithaca mag 10/Remington SP10 scaled up .

now, mount that in a turret on the bow of a TBD (The Duck Boat) and watch them drop

:shock::shock::shock:

:rotf::rotf::rotf:

[Brian Dudley]

That is cool! I have never seen that semi-auto. At first glance I thought that was Daryl.

[Milton C Starr]

I found that picture on a English wildfowling forum I like reading on , they have quite a few guys on there who hunt with 8 gauges . I think they said 3 or so of those semi autos were built but they dont know where they ended up .

I suppose a semi auto 8 gauge isnt too crazy when you think of the pump action 4 gauge the Russians used to make lol .

[Ken Descovich]

Dean I have not shot this gun yet but it does weigh nearly 13 lbs, that might tone down the recoil.

[Dean Romig]

Pretty likely.





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[Craig Budgeon]

Your all wrong, a Roper shotgun is the ugliest shotgun produced!

[Mike Franzen]

This gun is so ugly I can’t even look at it

[Gerald McPherson]

What gun Mike?

[John Campbell]

Well, at least it's a side-by-side...

[Bill Murphy]

I can just barely read the dog tag stamps.

[Larry Stauch]

Franzen and a blonde. What's new about that?

And I did see the gun in that picture; after a while........

But, back to the original subject, I don't think I own an ugly gun.

[todd allen]

I can just barely read the dog tag stamps.

I looked for fleas and ticks. Didn't find any.

[Alex Huntsman]

This is the ugliest shotgun I own, show us a picture of your ugly shotgun. This one is a Shattuck 8 gauge with 40 inch barrels.

Ever consider letting go of that ugly shotgun?

[Dave Noreen]

J. Stevens & Co. doubled that C.S. Shattuck gun.

99428

[Stan Hillis]

I have owned the two ugliest shotguns ever made. They make a 24 look like Bridgette Bardot. I'm in the cornfield this afternoon so you'll have to wait until tonight to see them but, trust me, you'll agree with me when you do. Man, I've been waiting for so long for someone to start this thread.

Disclaimer: I didn't buy either of them. More details to come.

[Stan Hillis]

Rain knocked us off and I'm in early so, here goes..........

No. 1 ugliest shotgun ever made, the Browning Recoilless Trap. Bought one $20 ticket in a fundraising raffle and won it.

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/65007_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/65007_800x600/)

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/65008_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/65008_800x600/)

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/65009_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/65009_800x600/)

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/65011_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/65011_800x600/)

Aaaaand No. 2 ..............the El Faisan (The Pheasant), a .410 double gifted to me by my cousin (he really doesn't hate me ........ really). Made in some Near East country, they're still available on gun auction sites. (The only reason it didn't tie the Browning Recoilless Trap for 1st place is that, ugly as it is, it's a double!!, with hammers!!. Trigger pulls so heavy they will hold the gun off the floor without "breaking" ........... with a 10 lb. bucket of lard tied to the muzzles.

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/65013_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/65013_800x600/)

Okay boyzzz, y'all got to go some to top those two.

[Chad Hefflinger]

"No. 1 ugliest shotgun ever made, the Browning Recoilless Trap. Bought one $20 ticket in a fundraising raffle and won it."

I could not agree more, I picked one up at an estate auction dirt cheap once. I used it for a partial trade on a VH 12, man was that thing ugly!

[Dave Noreen]

Then the mind of Al Ljutic gave us this --

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/ljutic-space-gun/

[Mills Morrison]

I saw a modern competitive auto a few years ago colored orange, pink, red and a few other race car colors. That one took the cake for me

[Dave Noreen]

SEND All Those M-24 Win. To Me !

Harry

The Model 24 to have may be this one in the RIA Auction --


https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/83/374/serial-number-2-winchester-model-24-double-barrel-shotgun

[Bill Murphy]

A shooting buddy was given a Browning recoiless trap to test and it just plain didn't work. End of that test.

[Mills Morrison]

Life is too short to shoot an ugly gun

[Stan Hillis]

Your all wrong, a Roper shotgun is the ugliest shotgun produced!

I'd have to see a picture of one to believe it's uglier than that Browning I pictured.

[Dave Noreen]

Been thumbing through old Sporting Classics before they get recycled and found this in March/April 1988 from our late friend --

99461

[Dean Romig]

I actually think that Winchester 87 is kinda sexy for some reason.





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[Dave Noreen]

I can't seem to help myself, but I was looking at an old Julia's catalog on a search for a very beautiful shotgun, and stumbled across this fine Union --

99501

99502

[Stan Hillis]

I can't seem to help myself, but I was looking at an old Julia's catalog on a search for a very beautiful shotgun, and stumbled across this fine Union --

99501

99502

Not ...........

[charlie cleveland]

I have one of those in 20 ga...charlie

[John Eurom]

I can't seem to help myself, but I was looking at an old Julia's catalog on a search for a very beautiful shotgun, and stumbled across this fine Union --



Union made a Hammer model of that pump gun. U--G--L-Y.

John

[Joseph Sheerin]

A couple modern shotguns come to mind when you say Ugly Shotgun.

First what Savage did to the model 24 by selling the model 42.....

Second, Benelli Nova's. I actually bought these for my sons, as their first shotguns because they are basically indestructable, but have to admit they are pretty ugly too.

Pictured is the Savage 42, not purely a shotgun I guess.....

[Daryl Hallquist]

https://i.imgur.com/66qu8YO.jpgThis N R Davis is pretty ugly.
https://i.imgur.com/Fus3DEn.jpg

[John Eurom]

And there was the Davenport Hammer model.

[Daryl Hallquist]

Craig Budgeon, I like the Roper revolving shotgun. Any idea where one could find some Roper 12 gauge shells ?

[Bob Brown]

My Martini Henry type trap gun is pretty awful looking. Handles like a long 2x4 board too.

[Brian Dudley]

https://i.imgur.com/66qu8YO.jpgThis N R Davis is pretty ugly.
https://i.imgur.com/Fus3DEn.jpg



I have never seen one of those. That is interesting for sure!

Do you have any more photos of that to share? I see some familiarities in it that warrant a closer look.

[Pete Lester]

You have not seen an ugly gun until you have been to a trap shoot with a person shooting a Ljutic Space Gun. (If this is a contest I'll take a Winny Model 24 as my prize):rotf:

[Dave Noreen]

L.L Hepburn built a Remington prototype somewhat similar to that W.H. Davenport. Been on GI for several cycles --

99828

99829

[Ken Descovich]

I am sorry but I still think I am the winner.
Maybe a close up will help.

[John Eurom]

For those that apposed to the side lever of the Davis gun, there was a Top Lever version.

[Mills Morrison]

I can't believe a thread on ugly guns has gone on this long.

[Brian Dudley]

I really want to know more about that Davis gun.
A lot about The basic mechanics of the gun appear to be Parker. The breech, lockup, hammers and opening is operated by the side lever vs. a lifter button. And the ad even shows the Parker hinge pin.

[Dave Noreen]

There is an article by Cdr Gunther on N.R. Davis in the April 1990 issue of The Gun Report, Volume 35, Number 11. There is a little article by Charles E. Carder on the N.R. Davis sliding breech pin-fire in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Three, Issue 2, page 88.

[John Eurom]

I really want to know more about that Davis gun.
A lot about The basic mechanics of the gun appear to be Parker. The breech, lockup, hammers and opening is operated by the side lever vs. a lifter button. And the ad even shows the Parker hinge pin.

Brian,
The following link in an old auction that has a lot of pictures. 14 ga. The unique feature I notice is the two piece frame..

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/8679120


John

[Daryl Hallquist]

John, do you know the dates of your Davis catalog cuts ? They must not have made many as the two I have in my files are 20 and 35 serial numbers.

[Daryl Hallquist]

Double Barrel, yes, your gun is very ugly. It looks to be in fine condition.

[John Eurom]

John, do you know the dates of your Davis catalog cuts ? They must not have made many as the two I have in my files are 20 and 35 serial numbers.

Daryl,
I do not have the dates from the catalog cuts. A lot of my pictures are lifted off the internet and have little data with them. J. S. Conant & Co was an engraving company in Boston but I was not able to find any dates of business so far. The cut of the side lever model shows N.R. DAVIS & CO, MAKERS which would date the gun as pre-1883. The Top Lever Model cut is N.R. DAVIS & SONS and thus 1883 or after.

As to low serial numbers: Early DAVIS guns used Batch numbers and I have yet to find a pre 1910 model with other than a two digit number.

John

[Mills Morrison]

How did a thread on ugly guns make it to 7 pages?

[Dave Noreen]

This one I save pictures of is listed as serial number 19, but perhaps that is a batch number --

99853

Here are a couple of pages from Cdr. Gunther's article --

99854

99855

[John Eurom]

How did a thread on ugly guns make it to 7 pages?

Mills, It would appear that the ugly girls do indeed get loving too. If not for the early attempts at the breech loading designs the later lasses would have never been. There is something quite charming about that 8 bore Davenport. It is built around pure function. Sculpted to put metal where it is needed for strength and removed to maintain a manageable weight. Yes, quite charming indeed.

[Mills Morrison]

It must be getting near closing time somewhere

[Will Gurton]

Double Beast!

[Bill Murphy]

I have never seen a double barrel Davenport, as pictured. A neighbor at the Baltimore show had several high condition big bore Davenport singles on his tables, but they were priced out of my range. However, in the recent past, I have acquired a 36" eight and a 40" ten, both in very high condition, at attractive prices. They are well built guns. I have seen N.R. Davis guns of exceptional quality, but missed out on the purchase of one at Allentown. I thought I would see another some day, but I was wrong. All Davis guns I have seen since are junk. The pictured Stevens .410, represented as an ugly gun, would sell for over $1000 today if in high condition. The Model 24 Winchester, not so much.

[Dave Noreen]

A Bing search found pictures of a couple of the W.H. Davenport double.

99901

99902

The only W.H. Davenport Fire Arms Co. catalog I have contains only single barrels, like my Maternal Grandfather's ratty old single in my safe, but included folders for both a hammer and a hammerless double of more conventional design.

99903

I've yet to see one of their hammerless doubles.

[John Eurom]

I have a few pictures of both the early Davenport Hammer model and the scarce Hammerless gun.

[Larry Stauch]

How did a thread on ugly guns make it to 7 pages?

Because of guns like this Mills. We HAVE a new contender!
*
*
*

[charlie cleveland]

that looks like a h-r slug gun...charlie

[John Eurom]

Ugly guns come in all ranges of quality and price. These two deserve a special mention as the short frame and long frame twins of Ugly Town:

[John Dallas]

Calling an engraved M21 as ugly doesn't compute with me

[Allen Peterson]

I have a 410 Stevens Fox model b that belongs in line with the m24 Winchester and a Shatuck

[Stan Hillis]

Calling an engraved M21 as ugly doesn't compute with me

Engraving cannot make up for an ugly design, regardless how nice it is, how strong it is, or how expensive it is, IMO. Something about lipstick on a pig comes to mind.

[John Dallas]

Fair enuff. Send your 21's to me. As homely as I am, they will look good