I reexamined the photograph earlier posted that depicts the 10-bore E. C. Schmidt's barrel flats and the area a tad forward of the same, looking more carefully for Lindner marks. I now perceive there is but the "HAL" stamp, sans a suggestion of any interceding crossbar above the usual crossed pistols, on the underside of both barrels just forward of the barrel flats and immediately below the respective proof stamps just above. Indeed, I am very glad that these marks were noticed by Raimey, and I stand corrected on this point, where I had wrongly stated there was no attribution to Lindner evidenced by the Schmidt 10-bore gun.

I have read elsewhere that the "HAL" trademark stamp appears by itself occasionally. Regardless of how this determinative stamp is depicted here, the stamp establishes the gun at least passed through Lindner's skilled hands, though where applied and to what degree I cannot say. For that estimate of masterly attention, I would rely on the probable appearance and overall finish of this gun when new. When I envision this 10-bore as a new gun, I see a very plain-finished, undecorated domestic gun designed for and purpose-built to withstand hard use and some abuse, yet continue to perform admirably.

It seems more obvious than I earlier thought that this 10-bore gun was imported into the U.S. and finished, to the degree we can view for ourselves, in accordance with the prevailing U.S. standards of the time. This also helps one better understand the configuration anomalies previously mentioned, if we are persuaded that this gun was finished in the U.S. and not in Europe to their standards and tastes.

The unanswered questions concern when the gun was imported and when it was finished or completed. Should we expect to see country of origin stamps on an unfinished imported gun, which when it entered the U.S. was not as a completed single unit but instead reduced to its several unfinished constituent parts, having been so reduced in the country of origin for business reasons prior to its importation? What was lawful to do during these decades of our national history? And if this was once the way to conduct business, when did the practice begin, and when (and where) and why did it stop?

There is a right-side intercepting safety screw (See the full length photograph above that shows such a screw.) on the upper part of the gun's action body, which presence is duplicated on the action body's upper left-side. I cannot tell from the several photographs provided to me, however, whether or not the gun has a hidden crossbolt. If I had to venture an educated guess, I would say that it is not hidden, but is as typical: push the top-lever to the side and the finely fitted square crossbolt emerges slightly from the left-side ball fence.

My grateful thanks to all who have so graciously provided the perceptive and informed opinions, as well as the wealth of information addressing E. C. Schmidt guns generally, in their posts. I am greatly impressed, humbled by and appreciative of all your efforts, and for your time and kind consideration.

With my


Best regards to all,

Edwardian