doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Durs Egg percussion single barrel. Approx. Value?

I recently acquired this shotgun at a good price, but not really knowing the true value. I do know it has fantastic workmanship. It has a 30" barrel and the bore is .75, smoothbore. The lockplate reads D. Egg with pheasant etc.
The barrel has Birmingham Proof stamps, but is not marked Egg. Great engraving, even the screws. Gold inlay at the breech area. Research tells me that he was quite a esteemed Gun Maker. Some of my collector buddies thought I was crazy to buy a English fowler, but we'll see. Any comments or opinion on the true value is appreciated. It is currently list on Gunbroker.com Item No.461801479, with lots of photo's.

Welcome the site, can't give you much info. other than Durs Egg guns in their original flint-lock form can be quite expensive, percussion not so much but it depends on the gun and desirability.

Years ago I picked up a Durs Egg SxS, well actually all but the stock. It has been converted from flint to percussion greatly lowering the value of even the parts.

Some more knowledgeable might chime in.--- John

I believe that Durs Egg made guns well into the percussion period.

I don't believe that to be the case and I'd question Birmingham proofs.
Any educated guestimate, even on ID would require good pics.

Durs Egg went out of business about 1820,it's believed he went crazy from mercury poisoning,your gun is much later than that.

Some Birmingham gunmakers made lower quality guns and engraved them with fraudulent famous names,they were sold as used guns to get around the law. Mortimer was another name they used,I've handled a couple that I'm sure were never seen by one of the Mortimer's.Sorry about the bad news.

I believe that's what I was told - if its not a flint-lock it's been altered / not an Egg in the first place. That's why the huge
discount in value I suppose. By the sound of things Steve you havr a very nice gun, post some pics. if you can. --- John

I have pictures of the shotgun on Gunbroker if you care to have look.( Gunbroker.com Item No.461801479)
They are indeed Birmingham proofs on the barrel. The D. Egg engraved on the lockplate is identical to some others I have found on the Web. Gunbroker.com Item No.461801479

Here is info from another forum concerning the Gunmaker:

Boothroyd's Directory lists Durs Egg's death in London 1831 but states the business continued under that name until 1865, so a percussion gun may date later than 1830s. Here's a percussion double for comparison: http://www.littlegun.info/arme britannique/artisan efg/a egg gb.htm

I believe that both Rigby and Purdey were selling percussion guns c.1823.

1823 was right on the cusp of the invention of the percussion cap as I recall.

I once had a Joseph Lang percussion double rifle (not converted), that was, by my estimation, made sometime between 1825 and 1830.

FYI Here is the link to the auction.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=461801479