doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com question for the collective

anyone want to venture any information about this shotgun currently offered on gb?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/954366997

marked D.R. Pat Sept 11, 1878 in scrolls around lever....but no proof marks at all....as shown in Kramer auction catalog photos from november last year...

https://www.proxibid.com/Pribyl-Bros-Chicago-10-ga-Dbl-w-Crystal-Indicator/lotInformation/64978188

i'm puzzling over what this very german appearing gun is....

Pribyl brothers were czech cutlery importers based in chicago in 1880's and later.

best regards,
tom

Gun is SOLD in Proxybid, but is available on GunBroker,
Looks like Keese bought it and is now selling it, Good fortune to him

http://www.fretzwerks.com/razors/o4scbndoq5f8myy0fc8xoxfy62xnog

No proof marks, US made, ??

i suppose that's possible....but everything about this gun says german....or for central texans....bohunk.

I think my Dad applied that term to Europeans that were farther east than Germany. It was not a term of endearment in his lexicon. Similar to “pollock”, another term you don’t hear much anymore.

Best,
Ted
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Detroit is full of ‘em, however.

hesitated before using the term, but i have a couple of friends with eastern european roots who use it - without any cant that i am aware of - certainly no insult was intended.

central texas hill country has strong heritage from german, czech and austro-hungarian sources, with good beer, good sausage (and strong ties to texas bar-b-que), and numerous S.P.J.S.T lodges.

the 1880's gun in question is from a time when there were similiarities between guns/gunsmiths/traditions throughout the region.

now back to the gun....

That is one good-looking and stoutly built shotgun.

I'm confused one has crystal cocking indicators did I miss something?

Germany did not adopt a proof law until 1891. So I think this gun was most likely made for a retailer, by some German or Germanic gun makers which would explain the total lack of proof markings. Kind of like Lindner for Charles Daly consortium. Recall Lindner changed his marking after proof started because they were too similar to the proof mark that the proof house used. If it was a special order or one of just a few it might explain why we have not seen an example before. There are all kinds of odd guns out there which get very little attention because most ever pop up on our radar screens. I assume the lever on the side is a sidecocker for the hammers, which time line wise is about when LeFever went away from a similar setup. The window to check the status of the hammers is interesting but no alone for that time period. Good features were copied all the time if patent laws did not protect them.

Looks Prusian to me....I wouldn't want to pay over a grande for it and would hesitate at that.