George Gibbs, 39 Corn Street, Bristol
28 bore Back-action hammergun
no. B4601
Year of manufacture: pre-1896
but not finished for sale until 1907.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
Click on these images for more detail.
|
Heritage Guns' Comment This hammergun represents a very
good example of the small bore sporting hammerguns that were marketed
primarily for young persons and ladies in the last quarter of
the 19th century. Undoubtedly made in the Birmingham trade for
Gibbs, it is a nice quality gun and the damascus barrels have
a lovely pattern. The long period between manufacture and sale
may well be related to the damascus barrels which were going out
of fashion by the beginning of the 20th century. The wood is of
good figure and very nicely finished and this coupled with the
sensitive restoration makes it a very pretty and highly 'shootable'
gun for either game or clays. 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 triggers;
Stanton patent rebounding back-action locks with low level hammers,
Percussion fences, Sprung strikers,
Rounded bar, Top lever opening, operating a 'Purdey' type bolt by way
of Greener style leverwork,
Hacket type snap-on forend fastening..
Engraving style Border & scroll.
Gun weight 4lb 11oz
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½
lbs Rear trigger 4lbs
The re-browned Damascus barrels are 27" in length, chambered
for 2 ¾ " (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'dovetail'
lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave, game type. The bores exhibit
a little marking in both tubes.
London reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2012.
Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:
|
Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
|
| Right Barrel |
14.0mm (0.551")
|
0.552"
|
0.023" Minimum
|
0.003" (Skeet)
|
| Left Barrel |
14.0mm (0.551")
|
0.553"
|
0.027" Minimum
|
0.015" (IM)
|
The Straight Hand Stock and original Splinter Forend are crafted from well figured walnut, the stock is lightly cast off for a right-handed shot and features a vacant white metal oval. There are indications of a possible repair to the top left horn, if so it has been done very neatly and there is no internal evidence of it. The forend has an engraved steel tip.
 |
Well figured walnut
|
 |
The 22 lines per inch chequering has been freshened
to its original sidelock design and the stock is finished with a chequered
butt.
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:
|
Pull to Heel
|
Pull to Bump
|
Pull to Centre
|
Pull to Toe
|
|
14 3/8"
|
14 1/2"
|
14 1/2"
|
14 7/8"
|
|
Drop at Comb
|
Drop at Face
|
Drop at Heel
|
|
1 1/2"
|
1 11/16"
|
2 1/8"
|
|
Cast at Comb
|
Cast at Heel
|
|
1/16(approximate)
|
3/16"
(approximate)
|
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:
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863,
Greener's leverwork patent no. 3090 of 1874;
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867.