Took the gun to visit my old digs at MW Reynolds today. Mark went over it with his usual fine-toothed comb and pronounced it fit for service (the tubes are 26 thou at their thinnest point). He also suggested 7/8 ounce loads for targets, with perhaps 1-ounce for game. Moreover, he even had a tatty old hammergun case (just laying-around) that fit it perfectly (I guess it's a sign). I'd spoken earlier with the fellow that did most (if not all) of the fine gun service work for Mark when I was working there (Terry Nicholson) and he's agreed to bend it back 1/4-inch to neutral and add-in a skosh more drop at the heel. That should get me in the ballpark for a better fit (at least for me), so... It's coming together nicely now.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Oak & Leather always does good things for these old girls, eh(?) and this one fit like it had been made for it (it wasn't, of course, it's a hard-used old H&H hammergun case). I also have it on good-authority that those barrels look to be pretty close their original finish and that they are not Damascus but "best English laminated-steel", which makes sense (as I was struggling to discern a pattern on them). Also from discussions with my "resident authority", we were both surprised that these dolphin-style hammers are not "hooded" (a vestige left-over from primers & nipple days, which in 1866 would still be fairly common) making me wonder if they are original to the gun(?). Not that it would matter, as they match the gun very well and have nearly-perfect symmetry . There's always something more to do on these old artifacts, and it's very temping to "tart them up" a bit (adding leather pad was also discussed), but...I'll simply use a slip-on pad (for the added length), and then just clean up the case a little (sterilizing it first, as a moth flew out of it when we disturbed it at the shop... causing a mild stir), get a replacement strap made for the left side, and perhaps get the handle repaired (making it safe to use for carry), but... that's about it (I should have paid closer-attention to Mark Gruber's class on case refurbishment & repair at Whittington in late-April, darn-it).

Last edited by Lloyd3; 05/15/23 10:15 AM.