English lightweight guns

[Ken Hill]

Five pounds 14oz is light for a Brit 12 especially with 30" tubes. However, the Brit guns are built to handle a lighter load than a standard American made gun. Most were proofed for 2 1/2" 1 1/8 oz load and this allowed them to build a lot of 12 gauge guns in the 6 1/2 pound range. Getting lighter weight 12 gauge guns requires lighter barrels, reducing the action size and stock weight. The Brits also built a 2" 12 gauge in the 5 1/2 pound weight class. These guns were generally built to handle 7/8 oz of shot. American guns didn't specialize in super lightweights and were built to handle heavier loads.

Ken