Stephen Grant, 67a St James's Street,
London
12 bore Back Action Hammergun
No. 5303, No 1 of pair
Date of manufacture: 1884
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Click on these images for more detail.
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Heritage Guns' Comment This is a superb example of a Best
London sidelever hammergun from this highly respected gunmaker,
made when hammerguns were at their zenith in terms of design and
aesthetics. Over the last decade, the sidelever has become the
most sought after operating mechanism by collectors of antique
shotguns and this represents a fine opportunity to acquire one
of these lovely guns. The 30" TIG sleeved barrels have been
proofed for 2 ¾" nitro cartridges and this all adds
up to a very 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
back action sidelock design and features:
Side lever operating a 'Purdey Bolt' which engages the rear lump by
way of lateral projections,
Double triggers,
Rebounding back action locks
and Anson's push rod forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 11oz
Engraving style Best fine foliate scroll, 'STEPHEN GRANT'S PATENT'
engraved on the sides of the action and 'PATENT' in an oval on the top
of the breech. No. '1' is engraved on forend, trigger guard and top
rib.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 1/4lbs Rear
trigger 4 1/4lbs
The TIG Sleeved Steel to Damascus barrels are 30" in length,
chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'through'
lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type.
London reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2012.
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 |
18.5mm
(0.728") |
0.728"
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0.036"
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0.010" (IC)
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| Left Barrel |
18.5mm
(0.728") |
0.728"
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0.037"
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0.020" (Mod)
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The 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 and engraved heel and toe plates fastened with engraved screws. The forend has an engraved steel tip and three small inlet repair to the forward edge.
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Highly figured walnut
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The fine 22 lines per inch chequering is freshened
to normal 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:
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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 1/4"
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14 1/2"
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14 1/4"
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14 7/8"
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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 5/8"
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2 1/8"
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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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1/4" (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,
James Purdey's patent no. 1104 of 1863,
EC Hodges patent no. 251 of 1871,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.