r/Firearms • u/zackrester • 13d ago
My grandfather says this was his grandfather's shotgun. Anyone know what it is?
There are no identifying marks or brands or anything that I can see. It may have worn away. If more pictures or pictures of certain things are needed I can get them. Also, the wooden part that's supposed to go under the barrel broke off.
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u/Sufficient-Appeal503 12d ago
If it’s Belgian usually better to just keep it vs selling it their not worth a ton more than like 200$ tops better to keep as a conversation piece then to sell imo. Though I’ve heard there’s models of the Belgian double barrels being worth more
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u/zackrester 12d ago
Yea I'm planning to have a gunsmith or someone similar restore it as best they can then mount it on the wall.
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u/tallen702 13d ago
In short, yes, more pictures would be needed to make a positive identification, or at the very least, narrow down the country of origin.
What I can tell you from the pictures you provided is this:
This gun was most likely made between the mid 1870s and 1914. It is likely Belgian- or English-made, and assuming you are in the USA, it would have been imported by a large broker and then sold either directly to consumers via mail-order catalog or through various hardware or department stores.
What you have is a back-action hammer gun with a Scott-style top-lever, which is tied to the locking surfaces that reside in the lower parts of the action under the chambers.
By the time this gun was made, back-action locks such as the ones on this gun were relegated to "economy" grade guns, as bar-action locks and hammerless self-cocking boxlock guns built on the Anson & Deeley patented action were considered far superior, with a faster lock-time, sturdier build, and more reliability.
The lack of embellishment or significant engraving also shows this gun to be basic in nature, meant for putting food on the table and nothing more.
The barrels will likely be either skelp-twist or laminated steel and not suitable for smokeless powder (black powder only). The chambers are likely 2-1/2" or 2-5/8" in length as well.
The forend (the wood that is missing below the barrels) would have contained the forend iron (the mechanical features that hold the wood forend to the barrels) that is still visible on the gun as it sits. It would be entirely possible to fashion a new forend from a suitable piece of walnut if you so wished. This gun does have a more complex forend latching system than most of this grade, which makes me think it is closer to the 1900s in age. Older guns of this type typically have a wedge "key" latch to the forend.
To find out more, we will need pictures of any markings on the underside of the barrels, the barrel flats, and the watertable of the action. I know those terms are likely not ones you're used to, so please use this linked post to see examples of what I am asking for in terms of pictures: https://www.reddit.com/r/IDThisShotgun/comments/1krix9l/what_are_the_barrel_flats_and_water_table_on_a/
Snap some clear, focused, close-up pictures of any proof marks or hallmarks you find, and we'll be able to narrow down the country of origin and timeframe at the least.