What do I have here?

[dexstoy]

Yes they are cap and ball, but beyond that there is very little info.
45 CAL





Only markings on the gun.



Double Barrel shot gun, 12g.



Top decorations.



Van Walt Sons CO, the only writing on it,

[billybob_jcv]

Isn't Navy Arms a repro?

http://bluebookofgunvalues.com/Black_Powder_Values/Manufacturers/NAVY_ARMS_CO?id=NAVY_ARMS_CO

[TRAP55]

Navy Arms Hawken Rifle repro, and a Van Wart, Son & Co. SxS percussion shotgun.
Van Wart was in business from 1835 to 1882 in Birmingham, England, and imported into the US. They made shotguns and Cape guns (SxS rifle and shotgun barrels), I "think" some percussion single shot pistols, and supplied brass buttons for Civil War uniforms.

[Darto]

I have one of those Navy Arms Hawkins repros, Pretty plain, not a coveted gun but known for accuracy and reliability. Only mine looks almost as new. They originally all had the usual writing stamped into the barrel. Yours looks to be partially defarbed and deliberately made rustic, judging by the bolster screw, etc. Mine shoots great, it's a .50. EDIT: I like that Navy used a real curlyque trigger guard and sharp pointed butt, so it looks more authentic than some other modern inexpensive Hawkins.

[fuegoboy]

The Hawken is a .50 cal. When you remove the barrel you may find more markings underneath.

Clean and scrub the barrel well (soap and water, dry well and oil and wipe dry)
Remove the nipple before cleaning and check the vent hole that it is open. May need to be cleaned as well (the nipple wrench has a cleaning pin in the handle; you may need to buy a nipple wrench).

First time shoot:
1. Place a #11 cap, cock the hammer and fire into the ground to see that the vent and barrel are clear.
2. Start with 45 gr. of 3F power, .490 ball and .010 patch. Make sure you seat the ball firmly before firing

Shotgun:
Remove barrel and clean; remove the nipples and check them as well.

To shoot:
1. Try the #11 caps, but, you may need #10s to stay seated. Fire both to make sure the vents and barrels are clear.
2. I use the following for BP Trap with my .12 gauge:
70 gr. 2F powder
70 gr. #7.5 shot

loading goes as follows:
a. powder
b. over powder wad (paper)
c. cushion pad
d. shot
e. over shot wad
f. tamp everything down firmly

place the cap on left nipple first and slowly lower the hammer to keep the cap in place when you fire the right barrel.
place the cap on the right nipple, cock the hammer and you're good to go.

If you're not sure about shooting either in black powder check with a local range and have someone who shoot black powder, especially shotguns, help you.

This coming weekend in Santa Barbara we will be shooting black powder trap at the Winchester Canyon Gun Club at 10:00 am.

I'll post pictures of the above items later in case you're not familiar with all the items.

Nice finds, especially the shotgun.

[dexstoy]

Thanks

Thank You to all that gave me the info I was looking for but unable to find or unsure of what I did find.

[0321jarhead]

Use HOT water when you wash and rinse. It heats up the barrel to help it dry faster. Then some oil, i.e. WD40.

Remember when loading, Powder, Patch, Ball.

[Darto]

Note: I know you know, but just to be safe, he means 70 gr. shot as in volume, not weight.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Those are neat smokepoles, if not necessarily super valuable. I am glad nobody told the OP they were Yorktown bringbacks and to notify Sotheby's immediately. Lot of jokers around here.

[fuegoboy]

Dexstoy, yes 70 grains of 2F powder by volume. Here are the items you will need to load and shoot the shotgun. The powder measure at the bottom of the image is adjustable but I use 70 grains of powder and the same measurement for the shot.

The over powder wad or card can sometimes be hard to start. Slip it in vertically and then once it's in the barrel turn and ram down. If you notice one barrel seems tighter than the other then that barrel has been choked down.

The cushion wad can be lubricated and is the easiest item to ram down before adding the shot.

I punch a hole in the over the shot card to make it easier to ram down. If you don't you may find it popping out due to the air pressure in the barrel.

Again, I would suggest you find someone who shoots BP shotgun to help you get started.



Have fun and be safe. BTW, use black powder, not Pyrodex or a substitute.