doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Coltman & Co. Side by side?

I think it did, I wish I had my phone with me so I could have taken a picture, pretty sure there was a proof mark or two on the barrel flats too, I'll check and get back to you on that, might be a few days since I'm out of town for a few days, the shop is holding it for me.

I found the gun I imported.

https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/as...++5537+&refno=++162150&saletype=

Battle, That's the one. Looks just like it with the rope knot engraved on the side, I thought the rope feature was odd and wondered what it represented. I'm hoping to get to the shop and have another look tomorrow.

The rope device is called " The Stafford Knot". and reflects the county origin Staffordshire

Hugh Lomas, Thank you. that's an interesting thing to note, I've never seen or heard of that before. I looked it up on Wikipedia and there's quite a story behind the Knot.

Got back to the shop, import marking under the forearm bottom of barrels says "TS Custom Gun KY" and "United Kingdom 12 GA". serial number was 837 I believe. Barrels are very nice with no dings or pitting with nice wood and fine checkering and it's tight. One other odd to me thing was the buttstock looked like the wood was finished a dark almost black finish about 4-5 inches up from the end where a buttplate would be (it's a checkered butt with no buttplate) almost like it was imitating a slip on pad, I could see the wood grain and its not been cut and looks like it would be easy enough to make it go away if someone didn't like it. For anyone curious about the price they were asking $599

Brad

Brad, a leather slip-on pad that was left on the gun for an extended period could have caused that darkened area. I use this type pad extensively on my doubles to increase LOP and found that happening years go on my 687 SPII. I now only put them on long enough for use, then take them off when cleaning them after shooting.

It seems to me to be a difference in how the sunlight reacts on the wood, rather than some sort of chemical reaction between the wood and the leather itself. The reason I say that is that about 20 years ago a hunting club, to whom I leased the deer rights on a part of my land, commissioned a custom knifemaker to make several identical skinning knives. They told me about it and wanted to give me one of them. I offered a block of seasoned osage orange wood for the scales on the knives, which the maker used. He supplied the knives in handmade leather sheaths. I had mine laying for quite some time in front of a window in my shop where the sunlight shined on it several hours a day. I found that, after an extended period of time, the side of the handle exposed to the sunlight had become somewhat "bleached", while the bottom side not exposed to the sunlight had stayed much darker.

It's the only explanation I can think of.

Stanton Hillis, That's interesting to note, I may explore a little with some different methods i've used in the past on repair or refinishing, If I do something with it it'll just be the butt end, the finish looks original and I don't think it needs a refinish, looks a little thin too, I might see if any of it will wipe off with some thinner on a rag. Thank you.

Brad

Brad, with regard to the knife, when I realized what the sunlight had done I just took the knife out of the sheath and let the sun work on the other side of the scales until they matched. Not sure that would work for you, however, or even if that is what caused your "dilemma".

Good luck!