50 cal percusion shot gun

jet

May 21, 2003 18:56

A club member showed me his old break down thin barreled gun .
lots of silver inlay, patch pocket ,belgin made? crossed arms crest.
damascus barrel,checked grip.
beautifull little gun.
I mentioned gb.com
but I guess he didn't post .
any ideas?

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  nord

  May 22, 2003 04:03

  Not a Belgian proof as far as I know... At least not in the shotgun era. And when you say "crossed arms", are you saying "arms" or "swords"?
  
  Now then... A patchbox type and a breakdown type of gun are mutually exclusive. Patchboxes were put there to accomodate muzzle loaders and have no function for breach loaders. If the gun is a hydrid, then it would follow that the gun has been converted at some point in its career.
  
  I tend to suspect that what you really have is a fowling piece that was made in what we might call the transition era. This would be roughly from the mid 1840's until just after the Civil War. During that time fowling pieces were beginning to take the form of our modern day shotguns and the technology was there to support it. Flint until 1820 (later in the US), primer until just after the war, then modern ignition about 1870, and the advent of smokeless sometime around 1900.
  
  The configuration of the stock will tell the story, I think. A photo would be nice.
  
  Nord

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  brayhaven

  May 22, 2003 04:43

  Is the "breakdown" a hooked breech system? need more description on the proofs and condition. Single or double barrel?

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  jet

  May 27, 2003 08:58

  I dont have the gun to check the crest.
  the gun is a mussel loader,the barell comes off in one piece
  for storage.

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  jet

  May 27, 2003 09:00

  single barrel,I think they were crossed long guns.

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