Help with Identification of Shotgun

[JohnL]

I recently purchased this from a man who had owned it since he was in his 20s and now he’s in his late 70s. He’s estimated it to be over 150 years old. I’ve been told that it could be a Liege manufactured from 1811 to 1893 based on proofmarks, which appear to be ELG. Any help with identification would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[bpd303]

Can't really help on the maker but the back action lock came into use after 1830.

 

[JohnL]

Can't really help on the maker but the back action lock came into use after 1830.

Thank you!

 

[TFoley]

ELG = Épreuve Liége - Liége Proof House in the Liége metropolitan district in Belgium and home of Belgian gun-making for a couple or three hundred years. The back-action lock, as noted became common around 1840 or so.

The ELG over crown came into use in accordance with French law between ca1810 and 1853.

There were literally dozens of small gunmakers in Liége in the middle 1800s. Yours is stamped 17.8 - in mm, about 12gauge. The sundry chiselled hash marks are assembler's recognition marks for putting all the same-marked parts of a gun together.

Typical low-cost, made by the tens of thousands solid workaday gun, sold by the likes of Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward and untold numbers of hardware stores all over the civilised world for around 6 - 15 dollars.

 

[JohnL]

ELG = Épreuve Liége - Liége Proof House in the Liége metropolitan district in Belgium and home of Belgian gun-making for a couple or three hundred years. The back-action lock, as noted became common around 1840 or so.

The ELG over crown came into use in accordance with French law between ca1810 and 1853.

There were literally dozens of small gunmakers in Liége in the middle 1800s. Yours is stamped 17.8 - in mm, about 12gauge. The sundry chiselled hash marks are assembler's recognition marks for putting all the same-marked parts of a gun together.

Typical low-cost, made by the tens of thousands solid workaday gun, sold by the likes of Sears, Roebuck and Montgomery Ward and untold numbers of hardware stores all over the civilised world for around 6 - 15 dollars.

Thank you! Any idea about that small shallow drilled hole near the 17.8 marking on the one barrel?

 

[plmeek]

Your shotgun does have Belgian proof mark from the Proof House at Liege for Muzzle Loading Black Powder.

Even though gun makers in Belgian could produce high quality firearms, their export market specialized in low quality, inexpensive guns. These shotguns were imported into America in large quantities. They were purchased in hardware stores and sporting good stores by by customers that wanted an inexpensive tool.

That proof mark was used from 1811 to 1893, but the percussion cap system didn't really catch on until the late 1820's in Europe and Eastern US. The back action lock was a little later than that.

I would date your shotgun sometime after 1850 when the popularity of the back action lock really took off and through the 1870's after which cartridge guns became more common. So yes, it could be over 150 years old.

Edit: I see TFoley was posting pretty much the same info as I was typing.

 

[JohnL]

Your shotgun does have Belgian proof mark from the Proof House at Liege for Muzzle Loading Black Powder.

Even though gun makers in Belgian could produce high quality firearms, their export market specialized in low quality, inexpensive guns. These shotguns were imported into America in large quantities. They were purchased in hardware stores and sporting good stores by by customers that wanted an inexpensive tool.

That proof mark was used from 1811 to 1893, but the percussion cap system didn't really catch on until the late 1820's in Europe and Eastern US. The back action lock was a little later than that.

I would date your shotgun sometime after 1850 when the popularity of the back action lock really took off and through the 1870's after which cartridge guns became more common. So yes, it could be over 150 years old.

Thanks!