doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help deciphering proofs on 10 bore William Ford

Makes sense. Thank you sir.

CJF, The process that the gun in question went through was something that was not that uncommon with heavy wildfowling guns that were originally built for longer chambered thin brass black powder cartridges which appeared around the 1890's in Britain.As time progressed and nitro powders and longer paper cases became the norm,the process of chamber lengthening,rechambering,reboring,and re-proofing,assuming that the actions and barrels could handle the new loads,was done.It is always interesting to try and dissect the process that the gun went through from the array of proof marks.I have a W P Jones 10 bore HG with heavy 34" steel barrels and full and full choke,that went through a similar process and from the proof marks it looks to have evolved from an over bored black powder 12 bore of indeterminate chamber length,to a 3" nitro 12 and finally a 3 1/2" magnum 10.The gun weighs an even 10 lbs. and because of the heavy steel barrels it balances almost 3" ahead of the hinge pin.As mentioned earlier,if only these guns could talk...
A couple pics of the proofmarks

Educational and very interesting.

Documentation that alterations to make a gun more suitable to modern times is not only a normal 'process' but acceptable and indeed traditional.

Interesting to note that both guns have Birmingham date marks. CJF's gun appears to have been reproofed in Birmingham in 1961 (M & B in the crossed swords) and Terry's in 1962 (N & B). Neither gun has the Birmingham reproof mark.

I stopped back by the shop today and picked up the Ford and a 2 1/2" chambered 12 bore Webley Scott. I will take additional pictures when back from a quick trip. Regards. CJF

So here are some additional pictures of the 1892 William Ford, along with a new Ford from the 1920s and G3 Greener. All are currently 10ga. Both Fords started as chamberless guns and the older was reproved, going from a 12 to 10ga.

The 1892 Ford this thread is about, showing the side safety


Both Fords


Barrel address on 1892 Ford


Bushed firing pins and hidden 3rd fasterner on 1892 Ford (new Ford has dolls head extension)


1892 Ford flanked by new Ford (bottom) and G3 Greener (top)




Muzzles (Greener at left, 1892 in middle, 1920s Ford at right)


Proofs from both Fords, with 1892 at top


Fences (1892 at right)


Ford tangs (very similar styling although roughly 30 years apart)

And this one shows the top tang of the 1892 Ford. Look how much it curves to the right. For me, being right handed and left eye dominant, I find this fit helps my right eye overcome and drive the sighting. Westley Richards recently featured a pair of sidelocks made for central vision that have swept tangs: https://www.theexplora.com/pair-of-westley-richards-12g-central-vision-sidelock-ejectors/

I had wondered if this bend in the tang is why a side safety was used and not the traditional top tang. But the WR sidelocks referenced above have top tang safeties. Ford and Greener had worked together, so perhaps the side safety is simply Greener's influence.

The gun has a feature I don't recall seeing before. The action tapers as it reaches the buttstock. Not much, just a tenth of an inch. from 2.07" inches at the widest, down to 1.97" where it joins the butt. The barrels on this Ford, which started as a chamberless 12ga, are 2.54" across at the breach-face. The Greener, which is also a 10ga, is smaller at 2.51". The later Ford (chamberless 10ga) is 2.61".



The one thing I don't like about the gun is the hinged front trigger that must have been added later, as its workmanship doesn't match the balance of the gun.