A Double-Barrel (Smoothbore & Rifled) Side-by-Side Percussion Sporting Arm
FYI, I bought this for a song from a local/modern 'toy' shop that has ZERO idea about anything of the real powdah that be black. I had a collector friend in Germany take a look at all of the extensive photos I had sent them and this is their assessment. I was going to sell it - but it is just too cool - and possibly worth some $$$ - so I'm going to hold on it.
It is very trim/svelte and weighs 6-pounds, measuring 45" overall with 29" barrels to the back of the breech, so more like 28" barrels for either bore.
"That is obviously a very nice sporting arm! As a general rule German and Austrian barrel-makers placed the rifle barrel on the right, but Belgian and English makers mostly placed their rifle barrels on the left side. With the right barrel being rifled and with the front trigger being pushed forward to set it, then I’d say this one is German for sure!
The other barrel numbers are in mm rather than gauge, and as such then 13.4 mm is .528" and 14mm is .551".
The German proof law of 1891 was implemented in early 1893. That double-barrel arm was made well before then. Note that a significant number of Belgian barrels were used to build German guns and therefore carry Belgian proof marks, e.g., ‘ELG’ with a star. The E over LG is also shown as a Belgian mark, as the sole mark from 1810 until 1853; from then until 1893 it showed the definitive proof, and after that it was used only on muzzle loaders.
I believe the "M" or "W" and "GJ " are workmen's touch marks, to insure both payment and assessment of liability for work they did. There is no legend or chart to show whom they represent."
FYI, I bought this for a song from a local/modern 'toy' shop that has ZERO idea about anything of the real powdah that be black. I had a collector friend in Germany take a look at all of the extensive photos I had sent them and this is their assessment. I was going to sell it - but it is just too cool - and possibly worth some $$$ - so I'm going to hold on it.
It is very trim/svelte and weighs 6-pounds, measuring 45" overall with 29" barrels to the back of the breech, so more like 28" barrels for either bore.
"That is obviously a very nice sporting arm! As a general rule German and Austrian barrel-makers placed the rifle barrel on the right, but Belgian and English makers mostly placed their rifle barrels on the left side. With the right barrel being rifled and with the front trigger being pushed forward to set it, then I’d say this one is German for sure!
The other barrel numbers are in mm rather than gauge, and as such then 13.4 mm is .528" and 14mm is .551".
The German proof law of 1891 was implemented in early 1893. That double-barrel arm was made well before then. Note that a significant number of Belgian barrels were used to build German guns and therefore carry Belgian proof marks, e.g., ‘ELG’ with a star. The E over LG is also shown as a Belgian mark, as the sole mark from 1810 until 1853; from then until 1893 it showed the definitive proof, and after that it was used only on muzzle loaders.
I believe the "M" or "W" and "GJ " are workmen's touch marks, to insure both payment and assessment of liability for work they did. There is no legend or chart to show whom they represent."
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