Coach Guns (this is long)
Jeffrey Mayhew
provider (GNN), and it never made it out of their lousy system. So
I apologize both for the delay in responding, and the possibility of
it showing up twice.
Steve in Pa. wrote:
>A few questions for all you shotgun experts out there....
>Back in the late 1800s double barrel "coach guns" were
>common in the American west. How many different
>companies made them? Which were the most common? Did
>they all have exposed hammers or were some hammerless?
>If hammerless, when did these come into usage? Most
>common guages & barrel lengths? What companies today
>make replicas? That's a lot of questions, but I know you
>guys are up to it.
I'm no expert, but I've seen a few (at shows and in private
collections) and own an old 10 gauge sawed-off Parker which is
identical to the one used by Kevin Costner in "Wyatt Earp" (a
historically incorrect choice, as you'll see below). While others
have already discussed the muzzleloading variety and modern
reproductions, I haven't seen much else contributed, so I'll take
a stab at the breechloaders used up to about 1920.
DEFINITION AND EXCEPTIONS
The term "coach gun" has been used to refer to any short-barrelled
shotgun used by express guards, bad guys or for self-defense in
the Old West. With the exception of shorter barrels (which itself
wasn't always the rule), there is no specific feature which
distinguishes the coach gun from a general-purpose hunting shotgun
of the period. While the most common varieties are double-
barrelled guns with external hammers, one well-known deviation from
this was the single-barreled Winchester Model 1887 lever-action
shotgun, which was available only in 10 gauge. A sawed-off gun of
this type was used by Wells Fargo guard Jeff Milton when he foiled
an attempted express-car robbery by the Burt Alvord Gang in
Fairbanks, Arizona, 1900. After being wounded in the arm, Milton
fired a blast that put 11 pellets into "Three Fingered Jack," who
fell back exclaiming "Look out for the son of a bitch, he's
shooting to kill!" Milton barely survived, but his heroic actions
saved the loot. I think this shotgun (which was manufactured into
the early years of this century and later called the "1901") is
the one used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator II," although
somebody messed up the gun by cutting down the stock and putting on
a John Wayne-style over-sized "loop" lever. Early pump guns like
the 1897 Winchester also saw use as coach guns.
BRANDS / MAKERS
In his excellent book (and the source of most of the historical
information you see here) "The Peacemakers, Arms and Adventure in
the American West" author R.L. Wilson mentions that, to
professionals, "Parker and better-quality English doubles were
preferred in shotguns." The domestic "big six" makers of quality
doubles were Parker (or Parker Bros.), Fox, Ithaca, L.C. Smith,
Lefever, and Baker. In 1860 the San Francisco dealer Charles
Curry carried shotguns by the following makers (mostly English):
Wm Greener, Westley Richards, J. Manton, Moore & Harris, Robert
Chaplain, Chas. Jones, John Wiggans, Bentley & Son, Robert Adams,
Middleton, J. Parker, Mortimer, Thos. Stevens, J.M. Evans, W.W.
Keyes of Philadelphia and others. Colt came out with an external-
hammer double in 1878, and made a hammerless from 1883 to 1900
(both in 10 and 12 gauge). Wells Fargo placed large orders for
short-barrelled Ithaca 12 gauge shotguns; some 750 between 1909
and 1917. But Fargo also used Remingtons (like the Model 1882)
and even some English guns, like those made by Samuel Buckley & Co.
You'll see a lot more faked Wells Fargo stuff than genuine at
shows, so beware.
The sawed-off double allegedly borrowed from Fred Dodge of Wells
Fargo by Wyatt Earp was a 10 gauge Stevens (serial number 927).
This gun is claimed to have been used to kill Curly Bill Brocius
in 1882. Check out a copy of the movie "Tombstone" and you'll see
the correct model of coach gun being used in the scene where Earp
(played by Kurt Russell) kills Brocius. Don't take that to mean
I think the movie is historically accurate, though.
Black Bart "the PO8" used a sawed-off Loomis IXL No. 15, serial
number 36822.
HAMMERS
In "Cartridges of the World" author Frank C. Barnes says: "The
first shotguns to use the breech-loading system appeared in the
late 1840s, although some experimental types go back much earlier."
He goes on to say that "the first modern hammerless, breech-loading
double gun was probably the Anson and Deeley introduced in England
in 1875. This shotgun incorporated the self-cocking principle
that operated when the breech was opened which is typical of all
present day doubles."
Still, the vast majority of coach guns used in the Old West seem
to be of the external-hammer variety, and these were still popular
well into this century (manufactured in the U.S. as late as 1920).
In the 1902 Sears Roebuck catalog about a third of the shotguns
offered had external hammers--almost three decades after the
introduction of the hammerless. The reason, probably, is that the
"tried and true" approach dies hard, particularly when it comes to
technology you're going to bet your life on--and the locks used on
external-hammer guns were very similar to the proven locks on
percussion pieces (which in turn were based on flintlock
mechanisms). Most domestic hammerless guns, on the other hand,
were based on the new "box lock" invented by Anson and Deeley. In
"Parker, America's Finest Shotgun" author Peter H. Johnson says:
"The remarkable appeal which the old hammer-type of double-gun
mechanism has held and still holds over the preferences of
hunters and shooters is well illustrated by the remark of the
world-famous African ivory hunter, John Taylor, who declared,
that if he could have but one rifle to use for the rest of
his life, he would be quite happy to take an old fashioned
English black-powder express rifle with outside hammers."
I suppose it's also possible that many coach gun users didn't
feel comfortable with a safety--remember, a hammerless is already
cocked when the gun is closed. In a hunting situation you can
carry a hammerless in a loaded but "broken" state, with the gun
draped over your forearm. This is great for a walk through the
woods with your dogs, but wouldn't be too practical in many
situations where a coach gun is used. The safeties on double
hammerless shotguns blocked the triggers, not the "tumblers" or
hammers, and sharp blows occasionally caused these guns to fire
(see Jack O'Connor's "The Shotgun Book" for a firsthand account
of such an accident).
I've seen at least one old hammerless sawed-off at a show that I'm
convinced was a genuine coach gun--it was a 12 gauge Remington,
with a sliding safety switch on the tang (where all but the
"Greener" style safety are located), and it was totally worn out.
The guy wanted a hundred bucks for it, which I suppose isn't too
bad for a decorator. But that "piece of history" line doesn't
work on my wife anymore.
Wells Fargo stagecoach driver J.T. Morley had this to say about
company policies on loaded weapons and safety:
"We stage drivers were furnished with .45 calibre Colt revolvers
and sawed off shotguns especially made in the east for the
company. The shotgun barrels were charged with 7 1/2 grams of
powder and loaded with 16 buck shots in four layers with four
shot to the layer... One of the strict rules of the company to
all drivers was as follows. 'Whenever you leave your stage,
extract the shells from your guns and revolvers.' If a driver
left either his shotgun or revolver in the stage, as was
frequently necessary, and returned to find either pointed at
him by a bandit, the driver knew that the gun or revolver was
not loaded."
Which probably put a dent in the bandit's negotiating position.
I might add that virtually all external-hammer guns had a safety
feature called "rebounding locks," which caused the hammers to
strike the pins on firing and then lock back, out of contact with
them. That way you couldn't accidentally fire the gun by hitting
the uncocked hammer (or so the theory goes... like the first notch
on a SAA). Most all of these guns had an "extractor" which backs
the shells out of the chambers enough to grab, while automatic
"ejectors" such as the Southgate design--which literally tossed
the shells from the gun when opened--were perfected in the late
1880s and early 1890s and became a popular option on fine hunting
guns. When a single shell has been fired, the "selective ejector"
actually extracts both shells but only chucks the empty. The
ejecting feature might have had some advantages in a coach gun,
particularly if you were wearing gloves--but the makers almost
always charged extra for them, and the mechanisms tended to be a
little tricky and required timing adjustments for proper function.
GAUGE
10 and 12 gauge (with a later emphasis on the latter) seem to have
been the most popular, but this pretty much reflects the general
popularity of these gauges at that time for guns intended for
anything more than light fowling. My Parker is chambered for a 2
and 5/8 inch 10 gauge metallic shell (brass, copper or nickel-
plated variants were made). Metallic shells tend to be a little
shorter than paper ones, but the capacities are comparable.
Some coach guns were 12 gauge guns built on a heavier 10 gauge
frame. I've seen a few 16 or 20 gauge "coach guns" at shows, some
complete with Wells Fargo markings, and most of them were obvious
fakes. Many folks have given in to the temptation to turn great-
grandpappy's old upland bird gun into an antique coach gun, used
personally by Doc Holliday!
By the way, the shotgun "gauge" concept goes back to the earliest
muzzleloading days. It denotes how many spherical lead balls of
the exact diameter of the muzzle it takes to make a pound. In
other words, a 12 gauge or "12 bore" will just accept a lead ball
that weighs 1/12 of a pound. Sometimes the gauge was actually
given as "twelth pounder," for example. Modern exceptions exist,
like the .410 (called a gauge, actually a caliber).
BOLTING MECHANISM
Most of these guns open with a lever on the top, usually a
"Greener crossbolt" or "doll's head" between the hammers, although
some have levers that "snake around" from below (in front of the
trigger-guard), including the Loomis used by Black Bart. My Parker
has a push-button "lifter" mechanism just ahead of the trigger-
guard (found on earlier models by Parker and available later on
special order, as it was considered a sturdier mechanism by old-
timers), and the Stevens used by Wyatt Earp opened with a third
trigger--complete with its own guard--ahead of the normal double-
trigger set. Ithaca and L.C. Smith used a "rotary" bolt, and
there are other variations too numerous to mention. There weren't
too many things a maker could fiddle with to make his guns
obviously unique (particularly in a showroom where they couldn't
be fired); I guess the bolt mechanism was one of them.
STOCKS
A straight or "English grip" stock, without a hand-grip projection,
was most common on the very early guns. Half and full pistol grip
shoulder stocks (don't take these terms to mean what they do with
assault rifles!) became the standard eventually in the U.S.. It
is not uncommon to find that the buttstock on a well-used coach gun
has split around the neck area, and has been repaired with a
wrapping of wire or twine. If done well, this can actually add
some character to the piece.
The fore-ends on many early breechloading shotguns were attached
in the same way those on most percussion or flintlock long-guns
were: with a key or pin that passes through the stock,
perpendicular to the gun, engaging a hole in a lug attached to the
barrel (or, in this case, barrel assembly). This key is often
"captive" to the fore-end, and sometimes has a leaf spring attached
to keep it from backing out accidentally. Later innovations for
attaching the fore-end usually involve a lever with lies in a
recess, parallel to the barrels. Double gun fore-ends are usually
of the flattened, low-profile "beavertail" configuration.
BARRELS
Much has been said already about damascus or "twist" barrels,
which were made by wrapping braids of twisted steel and iron wire
around a mandrel and welding them into a solid mass in a furnace.
Most domestic makers imported their damascus barrels as blanks,
usually from Belgium. At the time of their popularity they were
a mark of superior quality--but that was in the era of black
powder, when shot-shell pressures reached no more than 5,000 to
7,000 psi. Modern smokeless shot-shells create pressures in the
10,000 to 13,000 psi range--essentially twice as high. To fire a
modern shell in an old damascus barrel is essentially to "proof"
it with a double or triple load every time you shoot it--and most
aren't in the condition they were in when they left the factory.
It may not always be easy to see the pattern on a damascus barrel,
particularly if it's a "plain twist" (the simplest pattern) and
the barrel has been buffed. And just because you're sure a barrel
is not damascus steel doesn't mean it's strong, even if it's in
good shape. Early non-damascus barrels were actually made by
wrapping a single sheet of steel or even iron around a mandrel and
welding it closed--which was, of course, much weaker than a modern
barrel made from a solid steel blank. Damascus barrels were so
highly regarded that some barrels were marked "Damascus Finish"
and had the pattern etched or even painted on. Modern "Nitro
steel," "Smokeless proof" or solid barrels--often called "fluid
steel" barrels after a trade name used by Sir Joseph Whitworth--
are typically of a straighter taper and slightly beefier than the
older damascus barrels, which tend to start out very fat at the
breech and rapidly curve down toward the muzzle ("swamped in" was
the term for this shape). Since World War I the use of solid
steel barrels has become universal. Damascus barrels are more
prone to weakening with age due to corrosion and rust (because of
the many iron/steel welds their strength depends on), and this
makes the integrity of such relics even more suspect. Still, it
is not out of the question that a high-quality gun with damascus
barrels in good condition can be fired safely with light or
moderate black powder loads (see warnings below).
There are no standards on the barrel length of coach guns, and it
should be noted that more than one hunting gun did double-duty (no
pun intended) as a coach gun without ever being sawed off. Clearly
you need to give the load enough time to build up steam, so you
can't cut the barrels too short--Barnes says a smokeless powder
shot shell develops full power in about 20 to 22 inches of barrel.
Typical coach gun barrel lengths probably range from 18 to 24
inches. On the other hand, back in the twenties or thirties Ithaca
sold a 20 gauge double-barreled "Auto and Burglar" gun with 12 and
1/4 inch barrels and a "riot-style" pistol grip. One way to tell
the difference between a gun ordered from the factory with short
barrels (or one shortened by a pro) and one modified "with a hack
saw under the old oak tree" is to examine the hour-glass shaped
space between the barrels at the muzzles. This cavity is neatly
capped with a little steel plug at the factory. When you saw off
an existing double, you expose the gap. Factory-ordered coach
guns, or guns professionally modified, will have this gap
re-capped, while the down-and-dirty jobs were left as is. Sawed-
off guns usually have a brass bead or other sighting stud
re-installed on the top rib near the muzzles. At the risk of
stating the obvious, a sawed-off coach gun is invariably cylinder-
bore, as any "choke" was left on the floor under the vise. I
don't know if factory-ordered coach guns had barrels made directly
in short lengths, or were simply sawed-off versions of the shortest
standard barrel length.
LOADS
The transition from muzzleloaders to breechloaders using
self-primed loads was a little fuzzy. The first breechloading
shotguns used a metallic shell with a hole in the back, rather
than a primer. The guns had nipples, and the flame that fired the
shell came from a conventional percussion cap. So you had the
convenience of a self-contained charge of powder and shot, but
still had to mess with caps (like nitrated paper cartridges used
in early breechloading rifles like the Sharps). The next
transitional development was the pin-fire shell, in which the
hammer struck a pin which projected from the side of the shell's
head. In the very early 1870s the modern "center-fire" shot-shell
with its own primer finally appeared. Paper shot-shells with
metallic heads have been around pretty much as long as totally
metallic ones.
Everybody has heard about how Lincoln County Deputy Bob Olinger
supposedly used loads of silver dimes rather than shot in his
sawed-off, and how he finally reclaimed his pocket change the hard
way courtesy of Billy the Kid. I guess this sort of thing is back
in vogue, as you can buy modern shot-shells loaded with frangible
disks or steel carpet tacks. Other creative loads I've heard of
include using split shot for pellets, and stringing them together
on wire or fishing line. Kids, don't try this at home.
The dangers of damascus barrels and modern loads has already been
discussed. As with any old gun, it is EXTREMELY STUPID to shoot
modern ammo in an old shotgun--regardless of what kind of barrels
it has, or you think it has--without first checking with experts.
NEVER shoot modern smokeless shells in an old damascus-barrel gun.
Resign yourself to the fact that most old coach guns are, at best,
good only for making noise, and then only after the gun has been
judged sound by an expert. And then stick to conservative black
powder loads. If you want to do more, buy a replica. It is
possible to custom-order newly made brass shot-shells, but they're
spendy--on the order of 10 bucks a pop, with a minimum order of a
dozen or more. These are typically turned from solid brass bar
stock, have walls as thick as paper shells, and the top wad is
normally held in place by friction (i.e. you don't crimp them).
Someone has stated on this newsgroup that Navy Arms now sells
black powder shot-shells--I haven't confirmed this.
By the way, Frank Barnes (in "Cartridges of the World") says that
the shotgun was the first firearm to use smokeless powder.
Smokeless shells made with nitrated wood pulp were first offered
under the patent of Prussian Captain E. Schultz in 1864.
Smokeless rifle ammo didn't appear until some 20 years later.
Hope this helps (better late than never).
Jeff Mayhew
Jma...@ix.netcom.com
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"I never woulda fired if I'd knowed it was you!"
- Stumpy (Walter Brennan) explaining a
double-barrelled indiscretion in "Rio Bravo"