Looking at George Coster & Son 16 ga SxS from Glasgow. Gun has 70mm chambers with Birmingham proofs 1 oz at 900 bar. Anyone know any information on these shotguns. It is BLE with nice coverage and engraving and any guess as to age?

The original Coster came to Britain from Germany in 1870. He initially worked for Alexander Henry. He left in 1886 and went into partnership with Hunter. That was dissolved in1890. Julius Coster left Edinburgh in 1898 and moved to Glasgow. The information I have doesn't list dates for the existence of George Coster & Son, 145 West Nile Street, Glasgow as a gunmaker.

We can likely give you a pretty decent estimate on age if you can provide a photo of the barrel flats with all the proofmarks. Someone here can help you post the photo (not me!) if you forward it to them. If the 1 oz 900 bar proofmark is original, that would indicate a relatively modern gun, no older than the 1980s. But there may also be older proofmarks, with the 900bar proof a later reproof. But in any case, being a relatively modern proof, that indicates a gun that won't require quite the same level of caution when it comes to choosing shells to use in the gun.

They traded with that name from 1920-30.Coster guns that I`ve seen have always been well got up. Hth.

Thanks for information and help with pics. Forwarded photo to your email address