Hi Steve;
I am not a pinfire collector as such as I only have one. This one is a W&C Scott 12 gauge bar in wood. A Mr Crawford who was once representative for Scott in the US did some research on it. It was not serial numbered which he said was the first Scott he had knowledge of which was not numbered. It was marked on the top rib who it was made for, which was a Benjamin D Kennedy from Louisville KY, USA.
It is a top lever opener built on a Matthews patent. Mr Crawford estimated its build date as between 1863-65 as Matthews patent he said was issued in 1863, but also believes it to pre-date the Scott Spindle. It bolts with a single underbolt. I do not know if this gun was a conversion or not. He stated it would have been an A grade.
I acquired it from a gentleman who lived in Louisville. He had tried to research Mr Kennedy. all he was ever able to find was that he was issued a business license for a Jewelry Store for several years which included the time frame this gun was built. He apparently was neither born nor died in Louisville as no birth or death records were found.
