2 bore
Encyclopedia
The Two Bore or 2 Bore is a mostly obsolete firearm caliber
.
is 1.32 inches (33.5 mm), and the projectiles generally weigh 8 ounce
s (225 gram
s; 3500 grains). The velocity is relatively low, at around 1500 feet per second (457.2 m/s) at the muzzle, but hits with approximately 17500 ft.lbf of energy.
and India
. Meant to be used with black powder due to its size, it was unpopular due to the problem of thick smoke and a powerful recoil. The rifle was meant to be fired from the shoulder by one person; larger guns existed, such as the punt gun
, but these were only fired supported and generally from a prone position. Sir Samuel White Baker, a notable British
explorer and hunter of the Victorian era
, was impressed by its power, but he heavily disapproved of the recoil. He narrates dashing adventures with his two-bore rifle, which he affectionately referred to as "Baby":
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
.
Specifications
The historical two bore fired spherical balls or slugs of hardened lead or, in the modern metallic cartridge, additionally a solid bronze projectile. The gaugeGauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
is 1.32 inches (33.5 mm), and the projectiles generally weigh 8 ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s (225 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s; 3500 grains). The velocity is relatively low, at around 1500 feet per second (457.2 m/s) at the muzzle, but hits with approximately 17500 ft.lbf of energy.
History and Background
The largest size ever created for a shoulder rifle, and used mainly in the 19th century for hunting large and potentially dangerous game animals, this caliber was used by the European hunters, notably the British, in tropical climates of AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Meant to be used with black powder due to its size, it was unpopular due to the problem of thick smoke and a powerful recoil. The rifle was meant to be fired from the shoulder by one person; larger guns existed, such as the punt gun
Punt gun
A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations and private sport. Punt guns were usually custom-designed and so varied widely, but could have bore diameters exceeding and fire...
, but these were only fired supported and generally from a prone position. Sir Samuel White Baker, a notable British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
explorer and hunter of the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, was impressed by its power, but he heavily disapproved of the recoil. He narrates dashing adventures with his two-bore rifle, which he affectionately referred to as "Baby":