Has anyone ever seen a Daly like this:

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displa...0SXS%20DAMASCUS


OWD

NO.

Any ideas?

OWD

G H Farris was born in Willow Vale NY in 1820. By 1850 he had moved to Utica NY where he worked as a gunsmith for riflemaker Morgan James. Over the next few years the firm was variously listed as either James or James & Ferriss. By 1855/56 Ferriss had set up his own shop. He was still listed as from Utica when this patent was issued Oct 10, 1871 #119,834. As originally issued it covered both the bolting system & also a cartridge which contained the cone for a percussion cap. It was thus a sort of hybrid, being a breech loader but firing via cone & cap.
I suspect on this one the patent applies only to the bolting.
Miller

Wish you could see the proof marks if any. Lower grade gun in very worn condition but strange enough to be interesting. Keyed for end makes me think that the patent date is just about right, 1870-1875.

Looks like a lifter action in reverse. Push down button to open action with a fairly decent spring to help hold closed by keeping action button in the up position. Need to add it or one like it to my action collection. Doubt that there were very many made as the design was quickly dropped. Wonder if Charles Daly bought the patent and had a Belgian firm make it for them? I have seen this several times on other guns that they sold.

I have a gun that is marked Sutherland instead of Charles Daly. It dosent have the styled breech balls but is otherwise very similar. My barrels are deeply stamped AF for August Francotte. Ross

It is Ferriss! He also had patent No. 149,456 for a much more conventional toplever breechloader granted April 7, 1874, that shows a gun with a barrel lug that smacks of a Parker Bros. He was a prominant gunsmith in the Utica area and his son George F. Ferriss apprenticed under him and then worked for a while for Remington in Ilion, but returned to Utica in 1885 when George H. died and took over the business.

Larry Schuknecht devotes two pages to them in his book.

Is that Samuel Sutherland of Richmond, VA?

Indeed it's barrel is marked "Fine Laminated Steel S Sutherland"
"side plates" are marked "GH Ferriss Patent" on one side and "October 10 1871" on the other.
It has a "bolt" (seen in the standing breech)that sweeps back (at the bottom)when the top button is pushed, allowing the barrels to open. Mine has been poorly restocked but is in nice condtion other than that. Ross

OWD,

Very interesting gun.

The very early Prussian Dalys, especially the hammer guns, are really all over the map in regards to the makers. It appears SD&G sourced from a number of makers early on before eventually settling on a select few. IMO this appears to be one of those. I have to admit I can see why this model may not have exactly flown off the shelves.

Thanks for sharing. This will be an interesting additin to the database.

Ken