doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - 1865 Dickinson Central Fire - looks like a Pinfire

At the Vintagers tent today I chatted with two men at the Dickinson's collectors association. One owned four Dickinsons. I was particularly attracted to this gun that I vaguely recall we have discussed before but cannot find the link. I was assured this was an original "Central Fire" Dickinson dating to 1865.

It looks so much like an original pinfire that I had to hold it (gingerly). I cannot refute what the Dickinson guy said from a cursory examination. . .he has the Dickinson records and it is recorded apparently as a "central fire". So the gun is instructive - not all guns which look like pinfires are that. This gun had to be one of the first central fire shotguns made in London. (Wondering if the owner were eeb - we never formally introduced ourselves.)

Perhaps "Dickinson" made pinfires, but I doubt it. The gun pictured is a John Dickson.

And I guess I could have been wrong. The Dickson guru said the shotgun was registered in the Dickson records as "Central Fire" in 1865. The first known Reilly ad for a "Central Fire" (presumably shotgun though this is not specified) was 1865.

I'm still not convinced this wasn't a converted pinfire and did not have the chance to really look it over in detail. Glancing at the barrel breeches in slanting sunlight show no immediate indications of filled pinfire apertures though these can be artfully concealed; and there was some suppressed hostility at the bare mention of this possibility. If the records for the gun exist. . .it stands without challenge of course.