Old single shot rifle?

[1946]

My uncle who lives out of state came across and old single shot rifle? It still functions but he has not shot it.
My question is the 18 inch barrel is marked 38 special smoothbore, and it is just that, a smooth bore. No hint of rifling. We cannot find any manufacturing markings anywhere on it. So, maybe I should be calling it a shotgun, or scattergun or what I don't know.
Has anyone come across anything similiar? Especially marked 38 special smoothbore.
Thanks.
Sorry no pics.

 

[Splagt]

It was common in the early 1900s for some manufacturers to chamber rifles in small caliber shot cartridges. Winchester made a model 36 bolt action in 9mm rimfire shot. Stevens made the Favorite in .32 rimfire shot. The .38 Special cartridge, of course, is centerfire, and I am not aware of any manufacturers chambering in a .38 Special shot. I think it is a relatively new creation, first made by Speer in the 1960s, IIRC. Can you describe the type of action?

 

[reno]

Is it a rolling BLock? Remington made a rolling block that a 38 special will fire in. I can not remember what is labeled as.
If it is a rolling block it may not say Remington on it.
Several manufacturers copied the design because it was so popular. The 18 inch barrel would indicate to me that it may have been cut down not sure of the size of the receiver though.

 

[Hoosier8]

There were backwoods one man shops that would make rifles. Many of them German immigrants making their way in the new world. Since this is old and smooth bore. These rifles would have been cheaper than the major mfgs rifles but would have had their uses. I would bet that it would use a black powder 38 special cartridge. I would not fire a modern round in it. I could be wrong on that since the 38 special was changed to smokeless powder charges shortly after introduction.

If it were from any of the major manufacturers, it would have their name on it. That leads me to believe it may be a one off from one of these backwoods gun makers.

Seeing how the 38 special was created in 1899 and it would take some time for it to spread, the rifle could be up to 100 years old, of course it could be a lot younger. Just guessing here.

 

[1946]

Thanks for all of your responses.
It breaks open just like a single shot shotgun and the gun did come out of eastern Tenn.
Does make me wonder if it did come out of one of those backwoods shops. I didn't know that kind of creativity went on.