solid ribs?

[Dale Zywina]

Bill I think you and I have the same thought, though I haven't comacross anything worthwhile to customise into the deadliest, sexiest single yet? A friend, atleast thaTS WHAT HE CALLS HIMSELF TAUNTS ME WITH A BEAUTIFUL tOLLEY BOXLOCK SINGLE 12! Maybe oneday I will find him in a weak moment! cheers from Canada!

[Bill Murphy]

Dale, I recently found a pre WW1 Francotte single with solid rib and safety which has ended my search for a sporting single of extremely high quality. To add to the victory, the gun is in high condition. I need to put money into the gun to reconstruct the safety button and improve the butt, but it will be worth the work. I had to give up a scarce Parker in the deal, but sometimes we have to do that.

[Dale Zywina]

Bill congrats! When you have a chance some pictures would be great! I am still searching! Dale Z!

[Bill Zachow]

How about my hammered Savage model 220 in 28 gauge. Weighs about 5 pounds and is real easy to carry.

[Dean Romig]

That sounds like the perfect light upland single Bill. Can you show us pictures?

[Bill Murphy]

A 220 is a hammerless gun, but of low quality. Dale, just this week I saw a nice sidelock Webley and Scott single in very good condition on the internet. I didn't pay much attention because I am waiting for a Fox single to appear on my doorstep. I recently got the Francotte back from Dewey Vicknair. It was found to have no safety mechanism inside, so it was reassembled without a safety but with a new Griffin and Howe Silvers repro pad. Bob Beach and I have determined that it is a Model 11, the lowest grade of Francotte available in 1914, its year of manufacture. I had not weighed it before today when I found that it weighs 6 pounds, 14 ounces with its solid rib 32" barrel. It seems to be in about 95% high original condition with nearly all the color and blue. It is unengraved except for the nine visible screws and the top of the extension rib. As I probably said in an earlier post, I have not seen such a Francotte before but the V L & A records show that some Francotte singles were sold in this country, but we're not sure about the Model 11.

[Bill Zachow]

Bill, your right. It is not a 220, bot a 219. I would not consider it "low quality" as everything fits and everything works. Steel barrel and real walnut stocks. A major plus factor is they were made with interchangeable barrels in different gauges and calibers. Mine is a 28; i have seen 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges and a .410 bore. I have also seen .22 hornet, 30/30 and 25/20 rifle barrels. While they may not be the quality of a Parker, they are very serviceable and handy. Don't bad mouth them for what they are.

[Bill Murphy]

The 219 is not a "hammered gun" either. It is hammerless. When was the last time you looked at this gun, Bill? I think the original poster is looking for a quality single with a solid rib.

[Mike McKinney]

The first gun I was ever given was a Savage 220, 20 ga.. It was given to me by my grandaddy who promised it to me when I was 6 or 7 and he let me call it mine when I was about 11. He had not been a hunter or gun person in the time I had known him, only a hard working carpenter and mountain farmer. He was my hero and still is even though he died in 1967. Not nearly the best gun I have, but probably carries the most sentimentality, and I'm sure I have carried it more in my younger years than Granddaddy ever did.

[Bill Zachow]

Bill, once again you are right. I haven't looked at the gun in years and truthfully, would have difficultly in finding it. Since I could not dig it out, I went to my Shooter's Bible reference library. It's a Stevens 94c made by Savage. Barrels on the 220s, 219s, and various models of the 94 were all interchangeable as they used the same basic cast steel frame. Maybe I will dig mine out and have it gussied up like the Czars gun and it could become "The Czars Pickup Truck Gun"."