While checking out a local gun shop for the first time I found this interesting setup. I'm a sucker for the old/odd stuff and it was cheap so....
I had to do some digging on the interwebs, but I still was not able to find a lot of info about these old guns. It seems that the Strong Firearms Co. of New Haven Conn. made these single break open guns from 1878-1890 the continued on just making signal cannons. You could buy just the shotgun 12 or 10 ga., or just the rifle in .44-40 or 38-55. But for a few dollars more you could get both barrels.
This one has the .44-40 barrel and a 12 ga. barrel. Both barrels and the receiver have matching serial #'s.
I wanted to get a better idea of the rifle chamber so I made a cast with cerrosafe and slugged the barrel. The barrel is .429, but the throat is a bit eroded at .430 or so. The chamber seems to be within spec for the .44-40 case. Now I'm on the hunt for some brass. I have some Goex FFF and 777 on hand along with some cast .429 SWC to play with.
I also have a few Fiocchi brass 12 ga hulls for later. Those are new territory for me so I'll hold off until I read up more on those.