Author Topic: Antique Shotgun, any ideas?  (Read 2219 times)

Offline AmmoToad

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Antique Shotgun, any ideas?
« on: July 24, 2010, 11:32:28 PM »
A friend recently gave me this old shotgun.  It is a 16 gauge.  It’s got some nice engraving and the stocks, although well worm, at one time had some nice checkering.  The guy who gave it to me got it in the early 70’s from someone who said they brought it back from WWII and that it came from France where “A gentleman used it to hunt fowl.”  This gun had a sling attachment under the barrels that looks to have worn off.  Now here’s the funny thing, from the time I was a kid I had always admired a Drilling my Grandfather had liberated during WWII.  It was a double barrel 16 gauge, with a 7MM barrel underneath.  It didn’t have a sling, but it was intricately engraved, both on the wood and metal and had silver inlays.  He also had a very nice Carbine and Luger.  Sadly, a meth addicted cousin piece of (well you know) hocked all three pieces in or near Perrysville Ohio, near Canton, Carrolton and such.   Then on the day this one was given to me, the newest American Rifleman arrived and on page 100 is a gun very much like my Grandfather’s, except his had exposed hammers and I recall one of the hammers was missing.  Anyway, back to this one I have.  There are no markings on it whatsoever, no numbers, letters, not even something telling the gauge.  Anybody out there have any ideas about what this could be?  I’d sure like some info as this one, while not the same as my Grandfathers, will be right at home in my safe and always remind me of the one my Grandfather brought home from the war.  





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Offline AmmoToad

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Re: Antique Shotgun, any ideas?
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2010, 11:34:16 PM »
By the way, it had an older White Line Pachmayr recoil pad that someone must have added along the line, other than that it appears to be all orginal, even the finish.
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Offline Richard S

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Re: Antique Shotgun, any ideas?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2010, 06:27:19 PM »
AT:

From the lack of markings, I wonder if it might be be a French "guild" gun made by a number of artisans. These are reputed to be very well made but hard to repair if spare parts are ever needed.

It's a graceful looking piece and could be an excellent migratory dove gun. If you can't find any proof marks, I would hold it to minimum loads as I got to know it better.

Good luck with it!

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Offline Reinz

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Re: Antique Shotgun, any ideas?
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2010, 01:17:40 AM »
Toad - The last 10 years I've really grown to appreciate Modern doubles - Browning, Winchester, SKB.  I've culled the herd down to just 4 SKBs and a couple cheapies.

 An old gun like yours as described, especially European, who knows?

Your best bet is to take it to the largest  gun show in the area.   At the big ones there is usually "that" shotgun guy or  if  you're really lucky an old "doubles" guy who has really been around the block  and has seen a lot of various Euro doubles.

Other than that, it's finding the right antique "doubles" guy on the internet and sending High Def pics.

Like you, I have always been fascinated with drillings.  
Never could afford them.

Good luck



« Last Edit: July 26, 2010, 01:18:47 AM by Reinz »
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Offline kjtrains

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Re: Antique Shotgun, any ideas?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2010, 10:39:06 AM »
Toad.  What Richard and Reinz said.  I've looked through everything I have on shotguns and can't find anything even remotely related.  

Continue to enjoy the memories; it certainly is a nice antique to have.
Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.  Abraham Lincoln