I handled a Foss & Co. hammer gun, side by side, Saturday, that was for sale at the gun range where we were shooting a S x S sporting clays event. It is a big, damascus waterfowl gun ..... I mean big ....... and heavy. Very good condition for an old waterfowler, and IMO totally original finishes on wood and metal. It is a cased gun with a full complement of accessories. It must weigh between 9 and 10 lbs., just a guess.
When the range owner saw me looking it over he showed me something interesting. The chambers are a VERY loose fit for a 12 ga. shell. I looked at the forcing cones and realized the chambers were also very long. I attempted to "measure" them without the use of a machinist scale, which is what I normally use, and came up with at least 3" chambers. The f. cone was cut with a "step". The barrel flats were stamped 13 and 14, don't recall which was which. It looked very British to me.
I found a couple references to a Foss gunmaker in Chicago at about the time period this gun was built. There was a letter with the gun, written by the current owner, that mentions his belief that the gun was actually built by Atkin, IIRC.
Anybody have any thoughts as to why, with undersized 12 ga. bores, the chamber would be such a loose fit for a regular 12 ga. shell? Were there ever any 11 ga. guns built in England, or 11 ga. ammo available?
I can get more info on the gun for anybody that might be interested, or like to know more about it.
All my best, SRH
