As a follow up to yesterday, this shotgun's barrels are marked NOT FOR BALL. According to A Baron Englelhardt, in Proof in Gt Britain, Gun Digest 8th Ed. 1954, the 1887 rules “abolished that given in the Regulations of 1875 calling for the words NOT FOR BALL on choke-bored barrels and thus gives a guide for dating English shotguns”. Next to NOT FOR BALL is a crown over a view mark and the proof marks "8B 10M" meaning 8-bore (or gauge) and 10-bore at the muzzle. This also seems to date after the October 11, 1875 "new rules and regulations".
There is also on the flats a mark, a crown over R. This points to it being reproved after 1925. It seems to have also been nitro proved under the 1904 proof rules with NP, BV, BP and R each under a crown. (Nitro Proof mark, 1904-1955) (Birmingham View mark, 1904-1955) (Birmingham Definitive Proof mark, 1904-) (R = Reproof 1925-). The words "NITRO PROOF 2,1/2" (oz) are also 1904-proof marks.
John Adam Scotcher was joined by his son in 1885 and later shotguns were marked up JA Scotcher and Son. So this shotgun would seem to pre-date that and was probably made somewhere between 1875 and 1885.
Gun Digest published a Gun Digest Treasury in 1961 covering 1945-1960. This reprints each of A Baron Engelhardt's proof articles for Europe, Gt Britain, France and Belgium, modern Germany, Spain, Italy, Austro-Hungary, Modern France and post-war Germany.
