Richards 12 ga. double--Continued
Nord--thanks for chiming in.---I see they locked the topic out--being new, don't know if they're tired of the subject or it just got too lengthy without a new jum-start. I'll assume the latter and keep going--Question for CAPT KIRK--If I could make your suggestion of a rubbing take place, and shoot some photos that would make up for my insufficient descriptive skills, where would a fellow send such things so that your gaze might fall upon them?? I was, and am, absolutely convinced that we don't have a gun that Teddy Roosevelt carried or that has any particular value--no one in the family will be selling it anyway, but the more I think about it, the more I think we'd like to pursue its history/parentage as far as we can. Probably is a knock-off and that is why it has created the confusion. Has great sentimental value to us and reason we wouldn't sell it under any circumstance is that it belonged to my great-grandfather. He was a one-armed fellow (lumberjack and even sheriff) who lived 1839-1917 and he either inserted, or had inserted, a 40-82 rifle barrel in the left barrel so that he had a rifle/shotgun combo. In one northern Michigan winter of market hunting (it was legal then) he harvested 125 deer with this beast; and, having only one arm, could not adequately prevent extreme recoil each time he fired it. His mode of operation when sighting on a deer was to cock one of the exposed hammers, line up on the front end of the animal, raise the gun to his shoulder, while sort-of supporting it with his stump/half arm, and pull the trigger when the sight picture reached the animal's shoulder. One of the hammers would usually scrape his nose and this altered his appearance enough so that everyone in his region knew when Tom Wakeley was, or had been, hunting.
NorthForkRancher
'We Don't Rent Pigs'
NorthForkRancher
'We Don't Rent Pigs'
0
-
Good story! 0 -
Back to my observation...
The gun wasn't "liberated" as best I can tell. Without seeing pictures I can only suspect somewhat superior workmanship... But that's just what I suspect. And perhaps most of all, what kind of fool would go through all the trouble to inflict a set of spurious proofs on an inexpensive gun?
And one other thought -
Was the gun retrofitted with a rifle tube or was it part of the original gun? And might not the fitter have noted such on the watertable in addition to the proofs we normally expect to see?
Unless proven to the contrary there are Birmingham proofs and contemporary to the timeframe the gun was made. This doesn't mean, though, that the tubes were made there. It is entirely possible that a set of semi-finished barrels were supplied from outside Britian and proofed after the gun was completed.
Again, "choke bored" is a tipoff of Belgian origin. That's a fact I find difficult to argue. The rest, though, just doesn't fit in the context of a Belgian gun. I'd love to see a photo selection of this piece so as to determine workmanship and style. The Brit gun will have a less clunky style, better hardware and furniture, and general higher quality of fit and finish.
I remain respectful of the opinion expressed by the good Capt. Kirk and wouldn't hesitate to agree that his points are valid enough. My biggest disagreement is in the explaination of what doesn't appear on your gun... And a finished Belgian gun didn't escape without their proof as far as I know.
Give us more as I have a feeling we're at the end of the opinions road and now need more to go on.
Nord0 -
Question Here?, If your Great Grandfathers "Shotgun" left the factory as a Cape Gun it probably would have had some form of rear sight. Does the shotgun have any sort of rear sight? Or does it appear to have had one sometime in the past? ( plugged dovetails, tapped holes, soft solder residue etc) 0 -
I shut down Topics after they reach 10 replys...
No problem with an address...will email you with particulars..
This Topic is Like the story of The 5 Blind men trying to explain an Elephant.....Best....
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
yup--has a rear sight--I remember seeing one on it--will get more details in a day or two--
NorthForkRancher
'We Don't Rent Pigs'0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
5 comments