Question on 12GA Chambers
 

Most 12 gauge Reproductions I've seen and owned have 2 3/4" chambers. I just purchased a very nice 2 barrel set that is unusual in a couple of ways. First of all the 26" barrels are choked Q1 & Q2 which I love and secondly the 28" barrels are choked Improved cylinder and Modified which I also love and have only seen one other time. These barrels have 3" chambers and are stamped this way on the barrels. I have seen this before and always on the steel shot specials, but does anyone know why some do and some don't have the 3" chambers and how many were built with the 3" chambers. I'm thinking this set is very unusual.

Hi Gerry....You have a scarce set, but not all that uncommon. These were standard offerings that could be ordered. It makes for a nice set, the 28" ic/mod set with 3" chambers can be used with steel shot, then switch to upland game with the open chokes of Q1/Q2. If your gun sports double triggers that would make it very scarce and way harder to find. Parker Story lists that 1800 DHE 12ga. guns made. Most of the hard to find sets are in collections of the original buyers who had special ordered them. We are now seeing some scarce models coming available as the original owners are aging. I just acquired a double trigger 20ga. A1-special from a Ohio estate/widow. These guns came up on gun broker about two weeks ago at very fair prices. The A1 was one of three very hard to find guns that were special orders from the factory shipped to Jaques in Ohio. I am still looking for a BHE-20 or 28ga. with double triggers for my collection of PR guns. They are really a great gun for the money! Thanks all....... SXS ohio

I have one, 28" IC/Mod 3" chambers, SG/Splinter/DT, 14 3/4" LOP. No idea how many were made that way. I love it, although lately I've been using my 20 ga. Beretta 687 EELL Diamond Pigeon (DT 15" LOP by Rich Cole) for duck hunting. Although aesthetically I prefer SxS doubles, I shoot the Beretta O/U better than any other shotgun I own.

Gerry, We now know there are at least three.

Hope I am not breaking proper etiquette by contributing to this as my first post but thought I would chime in.

I have one virtually identical to the specs cited by Joe Bernfeld

12ga - SG - DT - 28"(IC/Mod) - SPL - bbl marked 2-3/4 & 3"

Bore = .735

Actual choke dim / L = .0115 R = .008

14-3/4 lop / 7# 3.5oz (Butt = 3# 10oz. - Fore = 7.6oz - bbl = 3# 2oz)

New as the day it was made.

~Scot

Your only breach of etiquette was not posting pics. No pics, it didn't happen :p!

Scot's gun is a duplicate of mine. Now we know of 5. Pics of mine have been posted before.

But the neat thing about the one I just got is the original owner wanted to make the gun "right" so he sent it to Bachelder's and had the case coloring done correctly, had the borders on the checkering mullered, and had it refinished. The gun looks super now! I only wish it had double triggers.

It are true Joe..lol

Here you go..
Attachment 37692

Attachment 37693

Attachment 37694

The grain straightens quite nicely through the grip and it is a satin factory finish in lieu of bowling alley shine. I have put a small amount of lead down the tubes but alas - the gun does not fit me quite right for the type of instinctual shooting that I do :draw:

I'm on the fence about a slight bend to add some cast which would align the rib properly as I prefer to just learn to shoot the darn gun as delivered more often than not.

Gerry - those 26" bbls choked proper are nice and it sounds like a very nice set you have. Out of the 5 detailed your tally for the set seems to still remain all of 1..nice!

MD....now that's some great wood!...Im drawling....drip,drip