mid 18cnty double barrel shotgun

Had the fortune to see a double barrel B/P Shotgun that came fro around the 1849 or later this week. In remarkable condition and I didn't eve bother to ask the price because I knew it was way out of my reach. All marking and examining it was concluded to be English made and was a dream. I showed how to use the ram rod do check and see if a barrel was loaded or not. The Right barrel in fact did have something in the bore. Assembled a snake and removed the wadding that was at the bottom. There was a wadding of news paper that was about 6 inch square, and the date on paper was April 1929. Shoot I was just trying to get the new paper patch but could not even score that. I did witness several buyers run the bid up to $1200.00 before the owner finally said it's not for sale. But it was a thing of beauty, and will be tracking down the owner with my camera to take as many pictures as I can. Like I said I would be happy with the newspaper wadding that was down the bore just to put in between two sheets of glass. Now all I can do is sit around drooling and dreaming about it.

Well, very good quality, good no rust no pits, Double Barrel Percussion Shotguns are still
out there to be had 'reasonable' if a boy or girl is patient and resourceful in looking, or just plain observent and lucky.

Very very few people have any interest in them, and fewer yet are interested to shoot and maintain them.

So all in all, if one wants one, it is still a good time to be looking.


They are sort of like those old Wooden Aeroplane Propellers, which while many people like them, few will actually peel off the cash and bring it home to hang on the wall.


I am not up on being able to date them closely, and, styles or details one would associate with this or that decade, may well have been being offered decades later even, even if general trends would be just that, far as dating by design and style features.

I got one last year, and it is a thing of beauty also, but I have not shot it yet.

These usually 'sleep' at Gun Shows, hiding amid rows of other things...being either over-priced, or not.


Cowboy action people have zero use for them, and all in all, demand is very low unless it is from a famous Maker or is of an unusually high or 'Presentation' Grade or American Made where it would be sought by a Collector rather than by a Shooting afficianato.


Most will be Belgian, English or maybe German, or will be Belgian Barrels, Proofed in a different Country where the Gun as such was to be made and completed, and then used by whatever Gunmaker for their mid grade Models. This is not to say these are not or were not excellent Guns...just that not every seemingly English or other Gun will per-se have in fact English or whatever Barrels.

Some good lookin ones are dangerous to shoot and some that look like they may be dangerous can clean up and make good shooters. I prefer Belgian guns rather than London Fine twist. A break cyclinder hone and oil on a extention can do wonders in getting a bore back in shape for shooting. Even just 800 grait emery cloth wrapped around a 3/8 inch dowel. Trick is to not spend more than a second in one place and always keep it moving. I use a variable speed drill annd go at a slow turn. The tough part is getting out the old nipples and fixing worn tumblers is about the hardest task.