doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com T.R. Hasdell highly engraved double value

I think if you put some white crayon on the action flat to get into the stampings you will find there is a Crown over V and the Perron present. There are some letters to the left of the crown but I can't make them clear enough to read. My guess is a Belgium made gun. There are some other marks mostly obscured by the corrosion which may be decipherable with a little white crayon. Need to lay the barrels on their back and photo the barrel flats and area just forward of the flats. It appears there are some marks but at the present angle they are not readable.

Thanks Jerry I will give that a try. My arms are not long enough to see as well as I used to.

Well, Cambo,thanks, they should be small stamps like: crossed swords, a "V" or two. "65" or "70", (chamber length)
I have no doubt someone more knowledgeable that me will be along to assist, and there are lots of those here. Those look like Damascus barrels, so the gun might be made 1880ish
The gold barrel bands are more appropriated on muzzle loader barrels.
Raimey, wherefore art though?
Mike

Here are a couple more close shots. You can see some markings. Is this any help?

The tower mark is the Peron of Belgium.

Thanks Daryl, Any idea of a ballpark value?

Although this is a beautifully engraved gun the value is still in the barrels. We really need to know their condition, length, chokes, bore size and wall thicknesses. If the barrels are good the value is higher. If not then the value suffers because the buyer would have to either sleeve, rebarrel or use tube liners of some sort. Thanks for showing us this beautiful gun though.

I have a SLNE marked James and Reynold London on the rib, Damascus barrels, English black powder proofmarks.
But the watertable is curved at the edges like this gun,and very rough, like this one.
I am sure my James and Reynolds is Belgian in origin.
Has anyone heard of this maker?
Mike

cambo; If possible I for one would be interested in seeing a few pics. of the Bonehill. Thanks --- John Can.

The barrels are a crolle damascus. The Perron and the Crown over what appears to be an M are Belgian proof marks. That Crown M would be a very early inspector's mark. That style was used from 1853-1877.

According to Johnson's "Gunmakers of Illinois" Vol II:
Hasdell worked at 150 St John Road, London until he immigrated to Chicago. From 1871-1887 he was located at 20 E Madison.
In 1881 he was challenged in the American Field by LC Smith of Baker guns. LC Smith wrote a public letter in which he wagered $50 that his guns had a better choke than Hasdell.
Hasell made long taper chokes.

There is at least one example of a WC Scott with Hasdell's name on the barrels. An old ad shows him offering guns for $100-$300 (very expensive). He apparently had a real following in Chicago.

I am sure Phail can add much more.

So apparently Mr Hasdell could source both English and Belgian parts / guns. The Philadelphia Exposition of 1876 opened the door to many suppliers.

Pete