Squirrels in the Kettle

[pierre girard]

The weather has been incredibly warm. All our snow is gone again - unheard of in our neck of the woods this time of year.

The other day, I was fueling the car at the local bait shop and I happened to notice they had an old Iver Johnson single shot .410 for sale. These were built starting about 1910 until some time in the 1920s. This one is in perfect condtion and apparently saw very little use. They wanted $70, which is not a bad price nowadays.

After thinking about it for a day, I went down and bought it. As luck would have it, soon as I got home, squirrels were running all over the yard. I went inside and got some cartridges, and went out and slaughtered five of the little things - which are now cooking up in the crock pot with a batch of mushrooms.

Should be good eating.

The .410 shot very well. Unlike most things that shoot shot, there is a rear sight and it seems dead on. The ejector is very postitive, shooting the empties out about four or five feet. The action is very stiff, while the trigger pull is very light and has no creep. Even for a very cheap gun (in its day) it is nice to shoot something so well made, and of course, you'd have to get a very expensive firearm today to have such a well figured walnut stock.

 

[BorderReiver]

Nice find Pierre,enjoy using it.

 

[Woods Wanderer]

is the sight for slug then or is it just a strange gun?

 

[swyn]

Hi PG. I am surprised to hear that this has an ejector mechanism particularly as you say it was a cheap gun in it's day. Sounds very nice.
I was given a poachers type double barelled 410 some years ago. This folds completely in half and is then very small and will slip into a large pocket, it is a cocking hammer type, although with 30'' barells it is still a fair length. Luckily the stock has not been cut out so it is pretty much original. Cartridges are as dear as 12 guage though so it does not get used that much. This has no ejector mechanism apart from a lifter to enable the rim of the cartridge to be gripped by cold fingers.
Swyn.

 

[tomtom]

A mate of mine has an old bolt action .410 which we shoot from time to time I'm always pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of these guns. It sounds like you got a nice one PG and at a good price! Enjoy your squirrels!

 

[Doc]

It's an interesting thing, the .410 (36 bore) shotg*n. For the benefit of any non-shooters, it is about the smallest practical calibre of shotg*n, traditionally used for young shots as there is little recoil. The problem is that it fires about half as much lead as a twelve bore, and the shot pattern is often not great.

I've a cheap French .410 bolt action that was given to me. My 9 year old can shoot it without problem. Though when he went for a lesson he was loaned a 28 bore.

I was trying out the .410 on clays the other day, with good success on the 'bolting rabbit' at 20 yards, and rather poorer results at everything else. Cartridges cost more than the much larger 12 bore.

Winchester make a lever action .410 with sights. You can get a restricted magazine version on shotg*n certificate in the UK. I'd quite like one.

Pierre's 410 sounds a nice bit of kit. Is it bolt action?

 

[pierre girard]

It's an interesting thing, the .410 (36 bore) shotg*n. For the benefit of any non-shooters, it is about the smallest practical calibre of shotg*n, traditionally used for young shots as there is little recoil. The problem is that it fires about half as much lead as a twelve bore, and the shot pattern is often not great.

I've a cheap French .410 bolt action that was given to me. My 9 year old can shoot it without problem. Though when he went for a lesson he was loaned a 28 bore.

I was trying out the .410 on clays the other day, with good success on the 'bolting rabbit' at 20 yards, and rather poorer results at everything else. Cartridges cost more than the much larger 12 bore.

Winchester make a lever action .410 with sights. You can get a restricted magazine version on shotg*n certificate in the UK. I'd quite like one.

Pierre's 410 sounds a nice bit of kit. Is it bolt action?

It is a break open, like a double barrel. The only other .410 I have is a very well used and rusty Mossburg bolt action barn gun. It is an excellent caliber for squirrels around home and the Mossburg is usually hung in the garage.