Museum Piece or Project Gun?

[lower lover]

I recently picked up a Bluefield Clipper single shot 12ga shotgun for $125 (total). My plan was to use it as a project gun. I want to cut down the barrel to 18.5" (currently is 32"), and maybe try to get it to be able to fold in half.

After doing some research, it appears that this gun may have been manufactured in the 1800s, making it over 120 years old. A Civil War veteran could have bought it new. I also found that these guns are fairly common, and that maybe I even paid too much.

I have fired it, first by putting it on a sled a firing it remotely. It shot just fine (better than my Maverick 88), although the extractor is not great. Some shells fall in front of the extractor, requiring a careful removal. Other times the extractor doesn't work, and I have to use a cleaning rod to ram it out from the muzzle. I probably had 5 issues per box of shells.

Anyway, in the expert opinion of Calguns, should I keep this shotgun as is for it's historic value, or is it a piece of junk that would be fun to mess with?

I like to ask question, if you cut the barrel what performance do you gain? I doubt this is your first choice for home defense it's a nice piece of history.
I would buy it off you for $150 just so she can keep her dignity.

[mosinnagantm9130]

Wallhanger

[Magnocain]

Can't tell from the pics if it's Damascas or fluid steel. If it's Damascas, DO NOT shoot modern loads it--PERIOD!! Also, the chambers are probably 2 5/8 inches, not 2 3/4, hence the ejection problems. Black Powder loads are not difficult to make. I have an ITHICA "Crass" model made in the 1890's with twist barrels and I load BP loads for it. It's always a conversation piece at the trap range.
Jon

It looks like that the chamber is 2-5/8". I can get plastic shells in, but I tried with an aluminum boresight shell and could not get the chamber to close. It stuck out about 1/8". Do y'all think that the Aguila 12ga 1-3/4" minishells would work? Any extra high pressure issues with those?

For now I've decided to leave it as is and keep it as a wall hanger.

[kenl]

It doesn't look like the barrel is Damascus. See photos.

What is a good way to tell if the chamber is 2-5/8"?

If you have a .50 bmg case it can be used as a makeshift chamber gauge. The rim is almost exactly the same size as a 12ga shotgun chamber gauge.

Drop the case into the chamber rim first, mark where it exits the breach face using a sharpie, tape, or etc, them measure from the case rim to the mark. That's your chamber length.