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No name muzzle loading double barrel

txfellertxfeller Member Posts: 198 ✭✭✭
edited August 2013 in Ask the Experts
Wondering if anyone might know a time frame for this gun. It's a muzzle loading double barrel percussion shotgun. Has belgian damascus barrels, with the words "real twist" engraved on the rib near the breach. No makers name on the locks.

This one is really fancy, being as the trigger guard, butt plate, etc are lightly engraved silver, with checkered forend and grip. I've found examples of it on the web, but no references to a time frame.

Just to know, it has the original ramrod, and the locks work perfectly. Good solid safety and full cocks, good springs, clean bores that appear to be choked modified and full.

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    JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by txfeller
    Wondering if anyone might know a time frame for this gun. It's a muzzle loading double barrel percussion shotgun. Has belgian damascus barrels, with the words "real twist" engraved on the rib near the breach. No makers name on the locks.

    This one is really fancy, being as the trigger guard, butt plate, etc are lightly engraved silver, with checkered forend and grip. I've found examples of it on the web, but no references to a time frame.

    Just to know, it has the original ramrod, and the locks work perfectly. Good solid safety and full cocks, good springs, clean bores that appear to be choked modified and full.


    The best I can help you is I have one similar that's been passed down thru the years, was used by a family member during the Civil War, (many were used during the war, 2 shots vs. 1 shot). The maker of mine is "MORSE FIREARMS", London, England, a search turned up the same guy which invented the Morse-Fairbanks scales mechanism apparently made shotguns/rifles prior to the war (1850's) and shipped them to the South. I still shoot it every few years. Without a name to go by sadly your lost as there was many different brands made during that period. Definetly look along the sight rail between the barrels up near the hammers, that's where the name on mine is and possibly yours too. Note: nothing written/stamped on my locks. Good luck.

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

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    rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    High quality, custom made, gun with solid silver fittings would be hard to date. Standard percussion shotguns went out of use in the early 1870's. When breech loaders for paper shells took over.

    In the case of a high dollar, custom gun like yours. It could have been made years later. Money talks, if some old timer in the 1890's wanted and had the money to pay for a custom shotgun. A gunsmith would have made it for him.

    Without any proof marks, makers or retailers name. And the only marking being on the barrel. Not likely it was made in Europe. Their real big on putting those kind of markings, on their guns.
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    txfellertxfeller Member Posts: 198 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Actually, the info you guys provided is helpful. I should have mentioned that the checkering is flattened at the forend and the grip, so obviously this gun had a lot of use, but like Junkballers, has held up extremely well. Unlike his, which is a great story, I'm afraid the history on this gun has been lost.

    No doubt there will be proof marks under the wood, but I haven't taken the gun apart. To be honest, it doesn't appear that these screws have ever been removed, and though I have a lot of gun screw drivers here, I don't have any that fit that I would be comfortable giving them a twist.

    I was hoping that the "real twist" on the rib would be a clue. Other shotguns labeled "LONDON TWIST" or "LONDON FINE TWIST" appear to be from the 1850's.

    At this point, I'm speculating 1850 to 1875. After I have the gun disassembled, maybe there will be some proofs that can narrow that down.
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    JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by txfeller
    I should have mentioned that the checkering is flattened at the forend and the grip, so obviously this gun had a lot of use,

    My checkering is also extremely worn but still very visable. I'd drop some liguid wrench on the screws and nipples to be safe, although I think they may surprise you on the ease of them coming out. The push pin holding the barrel should also come out fairly easy then all you do is lift the barrel out of the stock with a little lifting motion on the front to free the rear hooks on the action. I'll look asap and see what type marking underside mine has and will repost. [;)]

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

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    txfellertxfeller Member Posts: 198 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    [/quote] The push pin holding the barrel should also come out fairly easy then all you do is lift the barrel out of the stock with a little lifting motion on the front to free the rear hooks on the action.[/quote]

    Many thanks for that info, as I had no idea! Removed the wedge(?) and the barrels lifted right out just like you said they would.

    All marks are Belgian. The main identifying one is the particular crown over a letter inspector mark that was used from 1853 to 1877. I searched in vain for other marks that could narrow that time frame.
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    JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The only marks I see on the bottom of my barrels are duplicated on each barrel the stamped number 15 and what at first I thought was a crown but really looks like overlapping m's as in mm or wm, maybe for WM Morse ?? I see nothing about any type twist anywhere on the gun. Maybe someone else can give more info but I have learned most guns of that period even from different makers I have found are almost identical and not worth very much money-wise. Good luck, its a keeper [;)] Wedge is the correct term, my mind went blank so I called it a push pin, LOL

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

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