Gun Directory

The BT99 that would not open when it got hot, turned out to be operator error. I used a red waterproof grease on it and when hot, the grease created some kind of hydraulic action locking it up. I cleaned it all out and have only used light oil on it since, and no sticking.

Hey everybody. I know this shotgun isnt the same gun i am going to reference, but the only single shot shotgun i could find on the site. I have an iver johnson 12 ga single shot breakaway champion shotgun that was given to me by my great grandfather. The shotgun from what i have found is 100+ years old. I have never shot a shotgun, period. This gun has just sat for years in my posession just as a conversation piece, but i am just itching to shoot it now. I bought some standard winchester bird shot to do so thinking I should get the ammo with the least "power or kick" so to speak. My issue is the actual safety of the gun. It feels solid as a new gun, very smooth action, hammer, trigger pull, no rust, shells load and eject well, but i am apprehensive to shoot it just because of the age. Is there anything in particular i should look for or do in order to decide if i can shoot this gun? I have not cleaned the gun in any way and am not even sure how you would or if you should. Thank you for your time and i hope someone can help me make the decision to shoot this gun or do what needs to be done to shoot it. My great grandfather passed away and it would be awesome to have my first shotgun shot to be from this piece of history he passed down to me.

I do not have any personal knowledge of this particular gun. What I do know is that you must keep your gun clean and oiled properly so that it does not degrade or malfunction. If I were you, I would find someone locally that can help you clean it and function check it completely. I would also do some research to ensure you are using the correct ammunition. Try to find a reputable gun smith in your area. They are not all good, so I would get some references first. Good luck and be safe.