doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Can anyone ID my gun?

Hi guys. I have a side by side that I was given by my grandfather before he died. I cannot find any obvious manufacturer on it and wondered if someone here might be able to help. I have tried to take some detailed pictures of it to assist. It isn't in great shape and isn't super ornate like some models but it is what I have. Any info would be great as trying to google what you don't know has been difficult.

Hello vitamenT,

I hope I'm wrong, but it looks to me like one of the mass produced Belium made guns, It has Leige proof marks.

Althought the barrels may be stamped Whitworth Fluid Steel there's no gaurantee that they are what is stated.

Literally tens of thousands of such guns were produced often unmarked and sold to multiple retail outlets the world over, many of these bulk purchasers had them engraved or stamped with their own name.

The No.2. inlaid in gold I think is one of those sales tricks to persuade the buyer that it may be a better quality gun than would otherwise be thought. English top quality shotguns sold in pairs are so numbered.

As old Sam Colt used to say, "For a dollars worth of extra finish, I can sell a pistol for five dollars more". There's many a gunmaker done the same since.

If you plan of firing it, get a qualified gunsmith to check it out first. Value, sadly not very much. A nice wall hanger.

I don't recognise the trade mark, but I'm sure others on here will. Date of manufacture? anywhere between 1890 and 1920 at a guess.

Harry

High grade gun BTW.
Is any signs on top of the barrels or any marks on breech face?

That is a high end gun. It has english barrels by Joseph Whitworth. It is one of a matched pair. A 12 gauge that was nitro proofed. It was proofed between 1910 and 1924. At the time of proof, the barrels weighed 1.6616 Kg or 3.55 lbs. It was made for 2 3/4" ammunition.

http://damascus-barrels.com/Belgian_All_Proofmarks.html

There is punch on the barrels that says "trade mark". I can not make out what that mark is. Also, as Geno asked, is there any markings on the top rib or any where else on the gun?

Pete

Is the trademark Whitworth's? The text is in the same direction. Also the tubes appear to be chopperlump and it has a Purdey nose.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Not a super authority on continental guns but I would agree gun is number 2 of a pair. Could this be a birmingham gun built in Belguim with English tubes?? I know some of the lesser know English firms outsourced some work at one point. Gun appears to be quality. It is a sidelock with ejectors. Most of the cheap Belguim "trade" guns were boxlocks, and had extractors. This gun is of higher quality than one might think...

Another hint of the outsourced work is the serial number is on both barrel tubes, makes sense with a chopper lump. I guess they numbered both tubes so that they remained a pair during shipment to Belguim??

As I can see finish is funeral. From French it sounds like Black Bronze Case Hardering.

How does the steel of a tube stamped Sir Joseph Whitworth "Fluid Compressed Steel" vs. "Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel" compare, either with or without the Wheatsheaf trademark? Did the composition of the steel evolve or did he sell ignots and tubes? Did the two stamps run parallel in time or is there a specific date for the change?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

On my Purdey #19xxx c.1907 "Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Pressed Steel" - sign on top of right barrel, no trade mark, but barrel tubes #'s 35857 and 35858