Identify Muzzleloading Shotgun

DocHunter · #1 06-01-2008, 03:51 PM

I am trying to identify an antique double barrel caplock muzzleloading shotgun I have acquired. Pictures of the gun and all the markings I can find can be seen at:
http://photobucket.com/RonMuzzleloadingShotgun
Any help anyone can provide would be appreciated.

Adam Helmer · #2 06-02-2008, 11:47 AM

DocHunter,

Welcome to this Forum. I looked at your photos and can not make a determination. We have some really smart folks on this site who know lots about everything.

What gauge is your percussion shotgun? Can you post the Provisional Proof and Definitive Proof marks? What does the writing on the barrels or receiver say?

Again, welcome to this site.

Adam

Dom · #3 06-02-2008, 12:52 PM

DocHunter, from what I could tell on the pics, the crown could pass for a Birmingham (Great Britain) proof. I could not tell from the other markings anything more, though I could read it was Damascus Steel. Interestingly, U.S. firearms are not proofed, so you can rule them out, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

DocHunter · #4 06-02-2008, 02:47 PM

Sorry the pictures don't seem to store and transfer as well as I had hoped. The only number I have found is "18.4". There are a number of letters and symbols which I think can all be seen on the photos, especially if you click on the photo and look at a larger version. The shotgun is 12 gauge, but I have not actually measured the muzzle diameter with a micrometer. Based on the pattern shot, it must be about cylinder bore. Any pattern beyond 25 yards is extremely open with any loads I used.

gd357 · #5 06-03-2008, 10:03 PM

I've looked into identifying a few older muzzleloading shotguns, and it's kind of tough, depending on where they were made. A ton of US gun makers made SXS double muzzleloading shotguns. If you have a european gun, I don't know. Good luck!

gd