Circa 1900-05 Live Bird gun

[Double Lab]

Re: Article posted by Rick. I'd love to know what the configuration was of the 20ga. shot by DuBray where he managed to split the top purse in a pigeon shoot.

To answer your query about live bird gun configurations Frank unfortunately it is a widely misused term today. I think Bill has hit on the high points of what makes a pigeon gun but to me having a fairly straight stock with a raised flat rib or vent rib so as to pattern 70/30 would be the ticket. Couple that with a loose mod/very full choke set-up. I guess the only way to find out if it was a pigeon gun would be to trace the ownership back to a known pigeon shooter of the era in question. As you well know the lack of a safety is the characteristic which brings out the claim "live bird gun" at first description.