It looks like it may have spent some time in India.

Interesting if rather ornate for the English market. Looking at it the man on horseback in the engraving it looks rather like a U.S. Civil War officer. The gun looks like a Daw's patent action which would indicate an early centrefire circa 1861 or 1863 which may tie in with the Civil War period. Just a thought. Lagopus.....

Just checked the serial number and that comes out at 1878. Still looks a little like a Daw's but late for that type. Unusual sort of side bolt and hammer block/safe. Any idea of calibre? That might tie it down to where it was intended for. Lagopus.....

The description is for a Shotgun in the title, but the further description is "rifled, 500 Cal. Express" and this is added on the gun "'CHARGE 4 1/4 DRAMS LENGTH OF CASE 3 INCHES'"

I am not sure if all this fits a Paradox gun. What do you think?

I am reading the serial no. as 4776. Is that correct ?

Maybe Ken is right, it could be for tigers.

I wonder if it was added later to try to hide damage. There seems to be dings in the black colored parts that don't cross over to what I think is silver inlay. Parts of it seem well done, but it wasn't inletted very cleanly, and it's a sort of clumsy mismatch to the engraving on the metal work. Interesting.

The filler in the filigree is described as black enamel. I do see it chipped away in a place or two.

It may(?) be initialed on one of the scrolls at about six o'clock to the horse and rider, or it could be just a smudge. It has a German feel to it like it may have been done in one of the small muzzleloader maker shops. Maybe the rifle is in the US or took a swing through the US.

Craig, the gun has lots of hints, but no firm answers that I can see. It is in Italy, now. Well cased and quite nice shape.

Strikes me as a quite ornate repair of a broken stock.

I'd say that craigd and Researcher are correct in their opinion that this is concealing a stock wrist repair. Much better than the commonly seen baling wire, stove bolts, gray epoxy, nails, and wood screws, but certainly not in the same league as the original H&H metalwork.

It would be interesting to pull the locks and trigger guard to see what combination of glue, pins, dowels, rebar, etc., may be hidden underneath.

Looks like fancy Selous sideplates that I've seen installed on several rifles of that era. Designed to reinforce the wrist.

Like this:

http://nitroexpress.info/ezine/CptCurlFi...ChrisGibbs6.jpg

http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/20383/19368392_3.jpg?v=8D11C07886834B0

.500 could be intended for India. .450 calibres were banned there. I suppose Hollands could provide the answer but it would be a costly way to satisfy a curiosity. Lagopus.....

That describes a .500 3" BPE and wouldn't be a paradox at all.

To my eye the work on the pistol grip didn't originate in London.

Curl

Possibly. But, the figure could also represent a British officer in "Stable Dress" which would be appropriate for being mounted on horseback. This also would match the period of the gun's manufacture. Forage caps are also similar as far as headgear, but my bet is on the former. Since IMO the metalwork on the stock has an Oriental/Indian look to it, a wild speculation could be that it belonged to a British officer in one of the mounted regiments in India, such as the 17th or 21st Lancers....the 17th Lancers was posted to India a year after it was made. The work on the stock was obviously done well after that. If one was going to be stationed in India, it would be "just the ticket". Possibly owned by some Second or Third son from a family of means. Fun to speculate, if it could only talk.

Regards
Ken