Dustin,
Here are some pix of the Blanch. I should point out that this is my 'Falling in ditches gun'! ie. not a gun of great condition nor beauty but it serves the purpose for rough shooting, long walks and beater's days very well.
The gun dates from around 1890 but it is very difficult to pin down with Blanch guns as their records were lost in the 1940's.
It has been restocked at some distant time with a rather plain piece of wood but that is no bad thing for a day to day gun. Barrels are original length but are TIG sleeved steel to damascus, 2 3/4" chambers and 0.010" & 0.020" chokes with long forcing cones. Weighs about 6 1/2lb. Serial no. 5702.
The view shows a fairly common quirk of the Blanch back actions from around this time. Both Perkes and Deeley's patents for ejectors are shown on the action flats which may reflect the fact that they were locked in a legal duel over the ejector patent used in this gun at the time of its manufacture!
This is the classic forend catch used by Blanch extensively from the mid 1880's and to around 1915. Often assumed to be a Blanch patent, the 'J Blanch & Son's Improved Snap Bolt' is actually only a re-shaped Scott forend patent no. 615 of 1876, reflecting the origin of most of these guns.
Here is another Scott patent, the Gas Check. It comes in a 1, 2 or even a very rare 3 groove form and usually caries the patent 'Use No'.
