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Jim McDougall · 29th December 2025, 05:42 PM

Another analogy concerning gun conversions in latter 19thc.
The ZULU shotguns were ex- French muskets from Franco-Prussian war were apparently converted in Belgium to smooth bore shotguns about 1885. Depending on which guns were used, these rifled barrels were bored out to either .12 GA or .16GA and the 'brand' name, as in those times used clever sensational terms ...used the word ZULU to capitalize on the Zulu Wars of 1877-79.

These shotguns became ubiquitous in the American west, in ranches and households and were marketed by retailers including Sears, Roebuck.
They had the 'Tabatiere' system of breech loading, so sort of a converse example, but the point is that gun conversions of sorts was apparently not uncommon, even in these contexts.

29th December 2025, 05:42 PM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,750	Another analogy concerning gun conversions in latter 19thc. The ZULU shotguns were ex- French muskets from Franco-Prussian war were apparently converted in Belgium to smooth bore shotguns about 1885. Depending on which guns were used, these rifled barrels were bored out to either .12 GA or .16GA and the 'brand' name, as in those times used clever sensational terms ...used the word ZULU to capitalize on the Zulu Wars of 1877-79. These shotguns became ubiquitous in the American west, in ranches and households and were marketed by retailers including Sears, Roebuck. They had the 'Tabatiere' system of breech loading, so sort of a converse example, but the point is that gun conversions of sorts was apparently not uncommon, even in these contexts.