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Author Topic: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?  (Read 1097 times)

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Offline Wildbuc

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Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« on: February 27, 2009, 05:18:41 PM »
Can anyone tell me why some combo guns have the rifle barrel on the bottom while others have it on top?  For some reason, i like it on top because it is closer to the sights, and just because the gun looks better. 
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Offline mbyoh

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Re: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2009, 02:38:46 PM »
Rifle on top reminds me of the Savage combos.  And I have one of these and like it.  But, I have a Tikka .222/12ga with the exposed hammer.  The 12 ga is on top with the .222 underneath.  I like the way it balances, the wider sight ramp, and personally the looks of it better.  I have a German Simson Suhl S X S 16ga X 25-35 cape gun.  Now, that I love.

Mike
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Offline Wildbuc

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Re: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2009, 04:57:01 PM »
Hey Mike, you are lucky to be able to own such fine guns.  Maybe if I owned such guns as those, I would favor shotgun on top also. ;D

My thinking is, however, that when I look down a barrel and see rifle sights, I expect a rifle to be close by, not hidden under a shotgun barrel.  Perhaps rifle under shotgun combo guns are predominantly shotguns, while rifle on top ones are mainly rifles, or a truer combination gun.  Just brain-storming....
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Offline Drilling Man

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Re: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2009, 01:15:18 PM »
  Rifle cartridges are loaded to much higher pressures than shotgun ammo...  And an O/U action can handle higher pressures "lower" rather than higher in the action, so many times the rifle bbl. is on the bottom...

  Keep in mind, most combo guns are built on "shotgun" actions, not dedicated "rifle" actions...

  DM
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Offline mbyoh

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Re: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2009, 03:09:45 PM »
Good answer, Drilling Man. Never thought about that factor before, but makes perfect sense.

Mike
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Offline woodchukhntr

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Re: Rifle barrel on top or bottom?
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2009, 03:57:38 PM »
Quote from: Drilling Man on March 01, 2009, 01:15:18 PM
  Rifle cartridges are loaded to much higher pressures than shotgun ammo...  And an O/U action can handle higher pressures "lower" rather than higher in the action, so many times the rifle bbl. is on the bottom...

  Keep in mind, most combo guns are built on "shotgun" actions, not dedicated "rifle" actions...

  DM

Now that makes a lot of sense.  I like the rifle barrel on top since the sights or scope are closer to the bore centerline.
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