George Gibbs, 39 Corn Street, Bristol
12 bore Back Action Hammergun
no. 1284
Date of manufacture: pre-1896
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Heritage Guns' Comment George Gibbs was, and still is,
a maker of very high quality guns. In keeping with most of the
provincial gun trade of his time, he retailed various grades of
gun but within his workshops he only dealt with the better end
of the quality spectrum. This gun is a bit of a conundrum as it
displays a number that does not fit with any of the contemporary
Gibbs numbering systems and yet it is included in the top barrel
information, as would be a normal Gibbs number. However, there
are know to exist several other guns in the same style, generally
considered to be have been made as pigeon guns, which also carry
an unusual serial number and it has been suggested that Gibbs
did at one time keep a specific set of numbers for guns of this
ilk. WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US. |
The Action is of traditional
design and features:
Double bite Jones rotary underlever,
Passive 'Dolls Head' top rib extension,
Double triggers, Percussion fences,
Back action locks with rebounding low level hammers
and an Anson pushrod forend catch.
Gun weight 7lb 4oz
Engraving style Best Bouquet & Scroll
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 3/4 lbs
Rear trigger 4 lbs
The original damascus barrels are 30" in length, chambered
for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed dovetail lump construction
with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the broad, file cut type.
Birmingham reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2007
Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:
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Nominal Proof Size
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Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
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Minimum Wall Thickness
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Choke Constriction
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| Right Barrel |
18.8mm
(0.740") |
0.741"
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0.027"
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0.006" (Skeet)
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| Left Barrel |
18.9mm
(0.744") |
0.744"
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0.028"
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0.008" (IC)
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The Semi Pistol Grip Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut. The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed shot, features a horn grip cap, a vacant white metal oval, well-defined drop points and is finished with a 3/4" leather covered recoil pad. The slim and elegant forend features an engraved steel tip.
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Highly Figured walnut
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The 20 approx lines per inch chequering has
been freshened to the original pattern.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based preparation
as used on best guns by one of the top English makers. This finish
uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre, only many
hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.
Approximate stock measurements at date of publication:
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Pull to Heel
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Pull to Bump
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Pull to Centre
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Pull to Toe
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14 1/2"
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14 1/2"
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14 1/2"
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15"
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Drop at Comb
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Drop at Face
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Drop at Heel
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1 1/2"
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1 11/16"
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2 3/16"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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1/16" (approximate)
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1/8" (approximate)
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For the purposes of these measurements,
'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular
to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8"
from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).
Patents Exhibited include:
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867,
Jones rotary underlever patent no. 2040 of 1859,
Anson's forend patent 3791 of 1872.