doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Linder Daly ?'s

Hello gentlemen,

I am looking at a Linder Daly, scllopped box lock, 30" fine damascus bbls, very dainty round knob 1/2 pistol type stock.

The gun is VG+, I will measure wall thicknes tomorrow (cones appear to have been lengthened).

Most numbers match 853 (I think) but trigger gaurd is 453, all very clearly stamped/engraved.

Any thoughts on similarity of serial #? factory error?

Also I would appreciate any suggestions re. market value.

Thanks

Mark

Mark,

There should be four serial numbers on a LindNer Daly of that era - one to the rear of the trigger guard, one on the barrel flats, one on the action flats, and one on the interior of the forend iron. There will also (usually) be a smaller-font fifth "serial number" ahead of the barrel flats near the forend lug. This last number is generally 200 or so digits greater than the serial number of the gun.

It would seem a large coincidence that the gun is mismatched and the serial numbers by chance end in the same two digits. #853 would be late number for a damascus gun but other guns have been recorded in that range. There are several possibilities here, including the engraving error you mentioned.

In regards to the model - does the gun have extractors or ejectors? Does it have a dolls head extension or a cross-bolt locking mechanism?
With the answers to these two questions I can tell you what model you have?

The gun's value will depend on the above, along with condition (especially of the barrels) and stock dimensions.

If you can post a picture that would be especially helpful.

Good luck,
Ken

Thanks Ken,

The gun has extractors, and a simple doll's head.

The condition is quite good, barrels appear near perfect.

Stock is a tad low, but not excessive, I would guess DOH to approximate 2 1/4.

Mark

Mark,

You are looking at a model 120. The 120 was the same as the model 118, except the 120 had fine damascus barrels instead of Krupp fluid steel barrels. Both guns retailed for $125 in the 1899 Schoverling, Daly, and Gales catalog. That date is within a year or three of when this gun was produced. While the model 118/120 was the most basic of the Daly hammerless models, you can see by the price that even the lowest grade Prussian Dalys were several steps above most "field grade" offerings. For comparison, see what $125 would have purchased in a Parker during that vintage.

BTW, the DOH sounds very good (assuming the DOC is less than 1.5").

In regard to value, I'm going to waffle a little as it is hard to judge value without at least a picture. Assuming the gun has not been chopped, hacked, buggered or otherwise messed with, has a little CC remaining, etc. I think you are looking in the ballpark of $1600-$1700 for the gun. (I'm assuming this is a 12 gauge gun; prices go up dramatically if it is a smallbore.)

Sounds like an interesting find. Neither #453 or #853 are in the database, but I'd love to add them. Drop me a PM if interested.

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,
What can you tell me about this gun. When was it made? What model is it? It used to have ejectors but somebody converted it to extractors and restocked it(not quite as good as it should be). The engraving makes up for the stockwork though. Thanks, Ross

Ross,

Your gun is a Lindner-made Daly model 250. At the time this gun was produced, Daly only produced three hammerless SxS models - the 120, the 200, and the 250. The 200 and 250 were both diamond quality guns. The only difference was that the 250 had ejectors.

It it is important to note the phrase "at the time your gun was produced". The reason I wanted to emphasize that phrase is that SD&G Daly offerings (models) were a constantly evolving and changing mix. Certain models would show up for a year or two and then dissappear or their features would be subsumed within other models. For example, depending on the year, the model 275 would have been either SD&G's highest quality gun, or merely a mid-range diamond quality model.


My best ESTIMATE on the date your gun was produced is 1888/1889. Here's why:

- The gun lacks both proof marks and the country of origin stamp (i.e., "PRUSSIA). This pegs it as pre-1892.

- The gun has the Anson & Deeley brevete (patent) mark on the breach face aloing with the patent use number. The A&D patent expired in Germany in 1890 (15 yr).

- The gun has ejectors. This feature first shows up in 1888 (based on the catalog info.) The slight scallop in the action shows up a year or so earlier.

- The Daly/Lindner database production numbers for this serial number "jive" with this production date.

Best regards,
Ken

Ken,
Thanks for the info. What did this gun sell for at the time?
Ross

Ken, we understand that you have a Lindner Daly article in the Cote hopper. Can you elaborate on this? Thanks.

Ross,

Depending on the particular year your model 250 was manufactured, it retailed for either $250 or $275. I say either as I own catalogs on either side of the date estimate I gave you for that gun and I'm not sure of the exact year SD&G changed their retail price for this model. BTW, it is not a coincidence that many Prussian Dalys retailed for the same price as their model number. This alingment held for many years until the march of inflation disrupted this system.

Bill,

The article is still a work in progress and not yet ready for Cote. I had a Daly article in the last German Gun Collector pub on the evolution of the hammerless Prussian Daly SxS, but this article focussing on Lindner guns has been a tough one. Everytime I start feeling a little smug that maybe I have mostly figured out the Lindner Daly production sequence, a new Lindner will emerge and throw a wrench into the works.

So as of now the article sits having already been re-written a couple of times. What will likely go forward will be the 80% solution as finding the Rosetta Stone does not seem imminent. My goal is to finish the article and add some nice photos this winter. Without the nice photos, it has no hopes of seeing the light of day in the DGJ. And to be honest, between very long work hours, travel, moving into a new house, and trying to catch the occassional hour of sleep, I just haven't had the time to focus on it like it deserves. Again, I'm hoping things calm down a little in the winter.

Ken

Will your DGJ article address any Lindner guns with names other than Charles Daly, such as Thomas Golcher or ???