Thanks, Roy. Nothing new to me there except the possible implications of that indistinct crown over S stamp. So, legitimate Birmingham marks on a faux Manton. What does that mean? The guns aren't junk, they are solid and well built. The barrels passed English proof. Many people automatically categorize them as Belgian junk, but I can't see that. They don't look like junk to me, and I don't know what the basis for assuming they must be Belgian is. Even if that were so, I know not all Belgium-made barrels were junk. W. W. Greener said many of the best British gunmakers used Belgian barrels until 1875. I've seen quite a few guns of this type over the years, so I think it's safe to say someone was building them for import to the USA. I've always been puzzled what the real situation with this type of gun is.
Bob
