H&R Huntsman shotgun

Slugs, Buck and ball, and buckshot are three reasons why it might have sights. Many forums have rules about posting a live auction, not sure if THR is one or not, but it's not good form, as other members may be bidding on it, or might now that you posted it.......

Generally I would say attracting attention to an auction your interested in is not in your best interest, but you have valid questions and valid reasons for asking.
Unfortunately I'm not sure I have any good answers to them, but sights sights for slugs makes sense.

Well if you look hard, that rear sight when installed the other way would stick out over the edge of the barrel at the breech, and interfere with the closing.
H&R went under, and I would bet that the gun has sat because it arrived without a proper rear sight from the factory, or no sights. Nobody to send it back to or to have the missing/uninstalled rear sight shipped to the LGS, so..., the guy put in an aftermarket rear sight. It might have been made with a bead front sight alone, and the guy had it machined to take the rear sight, and had the front sight installed. Looks like a professional installation on the front though.
So I'd venture to guess that "never fired" is a better description. You can swap out that goofy rear sight for a simple, fixed rear sight that fits that dovetale.

LD

One thing to watch out on the Huntsman, the original ones had a press fitted breach plug instead of screw thread plug. Think they changed the design when it was brought back to market. Looking at the image in the link, I would believe it to be an older model with the press fit breach.

The wrench for that breach plug has two prongs that fit the two holes. They are not screw holes, and plug is threaded. Should ask seller if wrench is included. See page 4 of Numrich listing for 156 Huntsman.

Rear sights on rifles were simple flat, fold down blades. Front sight looks original, for rifle. Numrich shows several front sight configurations, including a "curved" base sight. In picture 9 of GB post, if not curved, then dovetail looks like it would pierce into bore. Likely an eastern shotgun-only option for deer hunting. In Washington State at the time, the 156 was sold with a "U" shaped cutout in breech wall at reciever above the nipple. Primitive Weapon Season regulations required "ignition source [cap] be exposed to the elements". Most 156 rifles did not have nipple cutout, were illegal. (Bubba jus' use hacksaw and rat tail file; made it legal.) If H&R made adjustments for unique WA State regs, why not a sighted deer hunting shotgun for shotgun-only zones?

At one time the Massachusetts ML deer season was smoothbore only.
I'm not sure if that coincides with when that shotgun was made or not, but H&R was a MA company.
And the MA regs were also said to be the reason why TC made their .56 Renegade smoothbore muzzle loader.

I have an H&A buggy rifle with what I believe is a replacement rear sight that looks very similar to the rear sight on that H&R shotgun.
It might be an older Williams rear sight but I'm not sure.
It can be seen in the GB photos that the rounded notch in the rear blade appears to be intended to work best with a bead front sight and not a partridge front sight.
I agree that the rear sight looks like it was installed backwards, at least from the way that mine was installed which it was done before I purchased it.

Ratshooter said:

Thanks for the information. And I agree that the rear sight is mounted backwards for the same reasons Loyalist Dave mentioned and is an obvious add on to the gun. Good info on the breech plug and that it is threaded. And the front sight looks like it is sweated on the barrel.

Arcticap I am guessing the rubber and hose clamp is a home made barrel band? I guess it works. When Mountain State muzzle loading was still in business I wanted one of the small bore H&A underhammer guns they listed but never did pick one up. I never thought about this gun or the TC 56 Renegade being made for MA hunting.

But its no matter now. I have been outbid and don't know if I will bid any higher or not. I have 3 days to think about it and decide how bad I want it. But I doubt I will ever see another one like it.

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Yes, the stock on this .45 buggy rifle had a crack that got worse over time.
So it's being held in place at the front of the stock with a hose clamp and by a stock screw at the rear.
It was intended to be a youth gun and is only accurate enough to be a short range shooter.

A 209 shotgun adaptor is available that will fit just about any modern single shot shotgun including a modern H&R or New England Firearms for $24 on sale.
And they are available in different gauges.
They're just not recommended for patched round balls but are intended for use with shot only. --->>> https://www.gunadapters.com/12-gauge-to-209-muzzle-loading-adapter-1/

Here's the whole line up of 209 adaptors that are available:--->>> https://www.gunadapters.com/209-muzzle-loading-adapters/

They certainly make shooting a modern shotgun with black powder and 209 primers very affordable.

Ratshooter said:

I load 20ga shells with a 2 ball load using 54 caliber round balls for the load.

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Wow you Texans get all the fun. Where I am it's no buckshot because decades ago guys kept shooting them deer too far away and too many were wandering around for weeks dying of infections
PLUS during ML season you can only shoot one projectile, and the DNR will check a person from time to time.

Ratshooter said:

But you sort of wonder why someone went through the trouble to add sights but never shot the gun?

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Naw, I don't. I've worked in more than one LGS. The gun needed a sight, or so the seller thought, but slapped on something silly when for like $10 he could've bought a rear open sight to fit the dovetail, from Track of The Wolf.

LD

Actually that’s a decent open sight it’s just not right for the gun.Its a Williams they came with different height sight blades and several different style sight notches.

Never mind.

I own two of these one in 12g the other in 45 caliber both blackpowder and both have the push in breech plug and I don't have any trouble with either!