Frank Hipgrave,
St Neots,
Huntingdonshire.
20 bore Bar Action Hammergun no. 1021
Year of production:
1875-80
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Heritage
Guns' Comment
Undoubtedly this gun is the work of the Birmingham gun trade where
a well organised workforce cooperated to manufacture guns for
nearly every gunmaker in Britain to retail. As well as well-known
gunmakers, their client lists included many smaller enterprises
who bought in guns, often fully finished, to be put on a rack and
sold as their own product. Frank Hipgrave was just such a
retailer. Born 1852 in Pirton, Hertfordshire, he had premises in
St Neots where his only son, Frank (2), was born in 1878. What his
main trade was then is unrecorded but he may have been a
tobacconist as by 1881 he had moved to London and was registered
at 127 Strand, Westminster as a
Cigar Dealer.
There is an interesting parallel with the illustrious Harris
Holland who also owned a tobacconist before he became a gun dealer
and the founding member of the famous gunmaker Holland & Holland.
This gun is a nice example of the elegant, small bore, sporting
hammerguns that were commonly purchased for young people and
ladies in the last quarter of the 19th Century. These guns have
often had a very hard life and it is rare that the original
Damascus barrels have survived over 140 years of use and abuse.
The fact that these have done so, still retained their original
nitro re-proof from 1962 and very acceptable minimum wall
thicknesses is a miracle and this, coupled with our sensitive
restoration, makes it a rare and pretty gun for either game or
clays.
Presented in a Brady leather bound, canvas case with some
accessories.
WE REGRET THAT THIS
GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE
CONTACT US.
|
On Consignment in USA with MacNab Fine Firearms
The action
is of traditional design and features:
Double triggers;
Stanton patent rebounding, bar action locks with low-level hammers;
Sprung strikers; Pinfire style percussion fences;
Top lever
opening, operating a 'Purdey Bolt' by way of Hall’s patent leverwork;
Long top strap;
Deeley & Edge forend catch.
Engraving
style Foliate Scroll
Gun weight 5lb 11oz
Trigger pulls measure
approx.: Front trigger 3 ¾ lbs Rear trigger 4 ½ lb
The bold
damascus barrels are 28 3/8” in length, chambered for 2 ½ " (65mm)
cartridges
and are of brazed 'dovetail' lump construction with
soft soldered ribs.
There is a little vestigial pitting in both
barrels.
Top rib is of
smooth, concave game type.
Birmingham reproof for 2 ½”
(65mm) nitro powder cartridges in 1962.
Approximate barrel measurements
at date of publication:
|
Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel |
0.615"
|
0.623"
|
0.026"
|
0.003" (Sk)
|
Left Barrel |
0.615"
|
0.619"
|
0.027"
|
Cyl
|
The Straight-hand Grip Stock and Splinter Forend
are crafted from well figured walnut, features a ¾” leather covered
recoil pad and a vacant white metal oval. The stock is lightly
cast-off for a right handed shooter. The forend features a horn tip
and has an inlet repair within the chequering opposite the rear forend
iron screw.
|
Highly Figured Walnut |
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The 20 lines per inch chequering has been cleaned out and
refreshed.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil
based preparation. 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"
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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
|
1 1/2"
|
1 3/4"
|
2 1/8"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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Negligible
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1/8" approx.
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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;
'Purdey Bolt'
patent no. 1104 of 1863;
Hall’s leverwork patent no. 2396 of 1871;
Deeley & Edge forend patent no 1422 of 1873.