Stephen Grant, 67a St James's Street, London
12 bore Bar Action Pigeon Hammergun
No. 5070
Date of manufacture: 1882

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Heritage Guns' Comment

This is a superb and rare example of a late, fully developed hammergun from this highly respected gunmaker, made when hammerguns were at their zenith in terms of design and aesthetics. Almost certainly built as a Live Pigeon gun, although the famously brief Grant records do not mention it, it carries all the normal attributes of such a gun: 2 ¾" chambers, broad flat rib and longer than the norm barrels. It certainly weighs enough!
The stock had been irretrievably smashed through the hand and the forend wood was in a parlous state so it has been restocked with a beautifully figured, English walnut stock and forend.
The 31" barrels have had their ribs re-laid and been re-proofed for 2 ¾" nitro cartridges and this all adds up to a superbly strong gun that is a joy to shoot and should give many years of service on game or clays with normal maintenance.

WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.

The action is of traditional bar action sidelock design and features:
Percussion fences,
Low hammers,
Best Foliate Scroll engraving,
Sidelever operating a Purdey Bolt,
Double triggers,
Rebounding bar action locks
and Anson pushrod forend catch.
Gun weight 7lb 6 ½ oz
Engraving style Best foliate scroll.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 lbs Rear trigger 4 lbs
The Damascus barrels are 31" in length, chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'through' lump construction with soft soldered ribs. There is some marking to both tubes, left in to maintain the excellent wall thicknesses. Top rib is of the smooth, broad, flat pigeon style.
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
18.6mm (0.732")
0.732"
0.028"
0.009" (IC)
Left Barrel
18.5mm (0.728")
0.729"
0.027"
0.020" (Mod)


Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut. The stock is cast off for a right-handed shot and features a vacant white metal oval, well defined drop points and is finished with a chequered butt. The forend has a finely engraved steel tip.
Highly figured walnut

The approximately 20 lines per inch chequering is cut to a normal bar action sidelock 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:

Pull to Heel
Pull to Bump
Pull to Centre
Pull to Toe
15"
15 1/8"
15 1/8"
15 1/2"
Drop at Comb
Drop at Face
Drop at Heel
1 1/2"
1 5/8"
2 1/8"
Cast at Comb
Cast at Heel
1/8" (approximate)
3/8" (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;
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867;
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.