PYONEER 410 Ga. Hammer

[49packard]

Hello Fox Nation,

Has anyone ever heard of The PYONEER, Yes PYONEER Gun Co. I recently purchased a beautiful little 410 Ga. side by side hammer shotgun. I have been on the computer looking as as many fun sale and auction sites as possible. I also have searched GOOGLE, (NOTHING)! The gun has a serial number and what I believe to be Belgium Proof Marks. I'm posting some photo's. Thanks in advance. Brian

[49packard]

A few more pics.

[Jim Cloninger]

Can you use 3" shells in your new .410? May turn out to be a nice turkey gun with the new super tungston shells.
Jim

[Jeff S]

Wow! That's a cutie. If you go to doublegunshop.com and post in the German & Austrian section you might get a little help. A couple of those guys are amazing. I hope you get the chance to break some clays with that one. Jeff

[49packard]

Thanks for the information Guy's,

It's a damascus barrel shot gun with 2.5 in. Chambers.
I can't wait to shoot it.

[Researcher]

Safe to say that when that gun was made, .410-bore shells here in North America were 2" with 3/10 ounce of shot or 2 1/2 inch with 3/8 ounce of shot. If it was from before 1914 or so, it could well have started life for the .44XL and rechambered some time later.

Those are Belgian proof marks. If it was in any larger gauge it would be known as JABC.

"Pyoneer" would be a "trade brand" used by some hardware store or mail order house. Dr. Drew may actually know which firms used that name. Boatloads of these very cheapest doubles from Belgium flooded our shores from 1890 to WW-I.

[49packard]

Thanks so much Frank!

[49packard]

I took the little 410 Ga. Pioneer to Addieville today. My wife and I had a ball on the sub gauge course. It was like a wand and I did pretty well enjoying shooting it very much.

[Jeff S]

It’s all about the “fun”. Glad you enjoyed it.