Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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I picked up a second yesterday. A $50 Winchester 370 with a 30 inch barrel. I know why it was cheap. Someone fixed it but the barrel lockup must of been the wrong part. It locked up tight but wouldn't cock when the barrel was closed. I took a little metal off of a couple of spots and it seems to work. It's a little hard to cock and the trigger stiff, but that's okay it should loosen with use over the years.

It joins my 12 ga Monitor single shot that my grandpa carried everywhere. I think he bought it for $7 including a box of shells. I fixed that one up and had to hand carve a new stock because pre-internet I couldn't find one like it. The walnut stock split and deteriorated so I made one from a 150 year old piece of old growth pine my father in law got. It was a rough cut like a mining timber.

So now I have 2 shotguns with $60 and time invested. The Winchester will be my new field use toy.
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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New stock installed and a shot of both guns. Monitor on the top, Winchester on the bottom.

I think the Monitor brand is a store brand of a St. Louis hardware store. It's an Iver Johnson style that was pumped out by the millions and relabeled for hundreds of stores. I found this blurb on the internet
Moniter was an H D Folsom house brand, most likely made by Crescent Firearms
Last edited by inomaha on Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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I jumped on the Winchester because it takes 2-3/4 and 3 inch and it has a half cock safety mechanism built in. After firing, the hammer jumps back and automatically engages the half cock to keep the hammer from moving forward to the firing pin. That makes it much safer to carry. The Monitor doesn't have this feature and the gun can go off if you bump the hammer. So it needs to be carried open most of the time. A real pain when hunting and wanting to cross fences, go through trees, brush, etc.

Now that there is an internet, I should look if someone makes/made a hammer replacement with that option for the Monitor. A hammer would probably cost $10-20 so it's a steep investment for it. :D
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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Monitor. "Trade Brand Name" shotgun made by several makers for and sold by the Paxton & Galleger Company of Omaha,NB (sic) Makers include Crescent Fire Arms Company, Harrington & Richardson Arms Company, Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works and Stevens Arms & Tool Company (used on their Model 315 hammerless). Name was not a H & D Folsom brand name although the name was used by Crescent who was owned by Folsom. The name was used on both single and double barrels sold by Paxton & Galleger.
Makes sense that this was an Omaha company's brand name. Mine appears to be an Iver Johnson (Arms & Cycle Works) version single shot. My grandpa may have picked it up on a trip up to Omaha delivering cattle, but I think the story is he bought is used at the feed store. Back in the days when they had milsurps and various guns in barrels by the counter.

The stock design isn't very good with a U shape in it that begs to crack with use. But he didn't do it any favors. He would put it muzzle down through the hand guard of the tractor and rest it on the step. Then shoot at jackrabbits if he saw them in the field. If it wasn't on the tractor it was in the 63 chevy pickup near the gas tank that was in the cab behind the seat (great design there). The stock was soaked in gasoline occasionally.

It ended up with a thin wire wrap around the broken area and a coat of duct tape for a more comfortable grip. I'm hoping the softer pine will absorb the stock and mold rather than crack. But this pine isn't what you get now. It's much harder and finer grain stuff from back before they first cut it all down in the west. It should hold up but if it doesn't I can buy them for $75 thanks to the internet.

http://www.shop.macongunstocks.com/Iver ... -Stock.htm
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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I figured out my grandpa's shotgun is an H&R model 1915. The reason the half cock isn't working is the hammer and trigger are a little worn. So the sear on the trigger is a little short and not engaging the first notch on the hammer.

For ~$30 to 40 I can get a new hammer and trigger. A little expensive but probably worth it the first time you accidentally shoot yourself catching the hammer on something.
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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For $25 I bought a "new" 40 or 50 year old hammer and trigger and bent the small spring that holds the trigger in place. That fixed the half cock and most of the firing pin play before fully cocking it. There's some play in the hammer that I think is due to the retaining pins being worn. When I tap the hammer I get a little bit of firing ping protrusion <1mm. Not much, but I'd have to test it in the field to see if it would be enough to set it off with a hard strike. I'll find a couple of steal or SS dowels from the hardware store and replace the retaining pins to tighten everything up. I've ground off steel bolts in the past and used those in projects. Then I'll cold blue or rust blue the 2 new pieces.

I just about have the old girl back to safe hunting condition. Definitely range condition. I'll probably use the Winchester and save the other for a wall hanger over the bar as a working conversation piece.
Brian

Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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inomaha wrote:I jumped on the Winchester because it takes 2-3/4 and 3 inch and it has a half cock safety mechanism built in. After firing, the hammer jumps back and automatically engages the half cock to keep the hammer from moving forward to the firing pin.

This is called a "rebounding hammer", if you are concerned about such things.
Merle from PA


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Re: Cheap single shot 12 ga shotguns

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inomaha wrote:I figured out my grandpa's shotgun is an H&R model 1915. The reason the half cock isn't working is the hammer and trigger are a little worn. So the sear on the trigger is a little short and not engaging the first notch on the hammer.

For ~$30 to 40 I can get a new hammer and trigger. A little expensive but probably worth it the first time you accidentally shoot yourself catching the hammer on something.


Yeah, I'd just bet the doctor bill would be a lot higher than that - if you lived! :crazy:
Merle from PA


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