The universal problem with casing hammer guns, particularly the large-framed 12 gauges and nearly every 10- and 8-gauge, is finding a good quality case with enough depth to accomodate the width (which becomes the height) of the frame bolsters as they lay flat in the case; likewise, a case that is deep enough front-to-back to allow fitting partitions around the hammer spurs.
The best bet for a vintage case that can be refitted is to look for a British or very early American trunk case that has a removable-type tray that lies over the gun. These are almost always deep enough to accomodate the heaviest (widest) frame hammer guns, again provided they are deep enough front-to-back.
Unfortunately, most of the lovely oak and leather vintage cases are fine front-to-back, but are almost never deep enough to handle the larger frames. Take careful measurements of the bolsters of your gun at the breech (width side-to-side across the firing pins), as well as the height of the hammers from the bottom of the receiver as they sit in the let down position. WRITE THE NUMBERS DOWN - that way when you see a nice case, you'll be certain if it can be refit to your gun.
|
Hybrid Mode