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Sport45

Pilgrim
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
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Hello,

I stumbled onto your forum and it looks like you guys may have the knowledge base to help me out.

This muzzle-loading shotgun was a wall hanger at my wife's grandparents house for as long as she can remember. I don't know if it was ever used by anyone in her family for anything other than decoration and sadly, there's nobody left who knows any history of this gun.

From postings on THR and TFL I believe this to be a Hapgood Fowler.

Anyway, I didn't measure the bore (can't believe I missed that) but it looks like a 12-gauge. The barrel is 39-5/8" long measured from the inside.
102_1028.jpg


The only makings I can make out on the side plate is an OOD. It's hard to tell if the preceding marks are characters or just scratches.
102_1031.jpg


The barrel has a couple of proof marks and a bead set in a shallow dovetail.
102_1035.jpg

102_1036.jpg


I believe the stock has been repaired as evidenced by the two screws set behind the tang.
102_1037.jpg


The bore has some rust, but no bulges and there are a couple of brass pins missing that secure the wooden ramrod guide to the underside of the barrel.
102_1046.jpg


From the pictures can you verify this is a Hapgood and about when it might have been made?

I'd like to know if you think this gun could or should be restored to shooting condition (probably to fire a dozen times and put back on the wall for the next generation). The hammer feels real sluggish and doesn't lock back. It may just need to be pulled back further, but I'm reluctant to force things. I'd like to strip the thing down a bit to give it a good cleaning and see if I can do anything with the lock work. Would a brake cylinder hone be a good idea for getting the rust out of the barrel or should I stick with steel wool?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can lend.
 
Probably made in the 1840's or 50's in Massachusetts. Hapggod made the lock, probably not the gun. The barrel appears to be a much older reused French barrel by the stamps at the breech. This is not a flintlock conversion as the other site suggests, looks to have always been a caplock. Don't clean it or restore it as you will destroy it's value.
 
Thanks. I didn't figure it had much monetary value. I'm only guessing, but I figure the wife's grandad probably screwed the stock together and applied paint and varnish to make it look presentable. Probably in the 1950's.
 
Many thanks for the help thus far. I just measured the bore at the muzzle at 0.717 inches. Were choked muzzles in use when this was made? It's pretty close to an improved cylinder.
 
Your photo illustration of what you have is great. Hopefully all the expert here, will help you with what you have.
 
Don't sell this old gun short. From what little I can see in the pictures, this gun was not cobbled together in the 1950's. The old barrel from a fowler might have been added to more modern parts in the 1840's like Mike says.

The gun is easily worth $1,500.00. The right collector might give you a lot more.

Many Klatch
 


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