Joseph Lang & Sons,
22 Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, London
16 bore Bar Action Hammergun no. 5887.
Date of manufacture: 1879
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Click on these images for more detail.
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Heritage Guns' Comment
This lovely hammergun by the highly respected gunmaker Joseph
Lang was built when the breech loading centrefire hammergun
was at the peak of its popularity. With its mid-height hammers
it still harks to the early guns of its type but the rounded
bar, rebounding locks and finely executed, prolific engraving
speaks to the next decade of hammergun development. The gun
was rebarrelled by Henry Atkin between 1891 and 1905 and it is
interesting to note that some 60 years later Atkin and Lang
were to be united under the title of Atkin, Grant & Lang.
The gun has at some time been professionally restocked with a very beautiful piece of honey coloured walnut. The forend wood appears to be original and one interesting detail is that one of the X-bolt escutcheons is made of damascus steel. With its beautiful replacement walnut stock, TIG sleeved barrels and sensitive restoration, this shotgun would make an excellent gun for both game and clays. Undergoing further restoration.
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The action
is of traditional design and features:
Double triggers;
Bar
action locks with rebounding ‘Hare’s Ear’ hammers;
Finely chiselled
percussion fences;
Long top lever operating a Purdey bolt via a
Scott Spindle;
Rounded bar;
Wedge or Cross-bolt forend release.
There is some passivated corrosion to the breech faces.
The gun can be opened with the RH lock cocked.
Gun weight 6lb 3oz.
Engraving style Very Best fine Foliate Scroll with Bouquet
details.
Action bar stamped with W&C Scott patent Use No.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 lbs Rear
trigger 4 lbs
The TIG sleeved damascus to steel barrels are
30" in length, chambered for 2 ¾ ” (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed
'dovetail' lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of smooth,
concave, game type. The bores are clean and
free of pitting.
Birmingham re-proof for 70mm nitro cartridges in 2018.
Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:
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Nominal Proof Size
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Bore Diameter 9"
from Breech |
Minimum Wall Thickness
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Choke Constriction
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16.8mm (0.661")
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0.664"
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0.031"
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0.013" (IC)
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Left Barrel |
16.8mm (0.661")
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0.661"
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0.031"
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0.020"
(Mod)
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Replacement Half Pistol Stock and Original Splinter Forend are crafted from well figured walnut. The stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed shot, features a vacant white metal oval and is finished with a chequered butt. There are minor settling cracks at the lock tails due to shrinkage.
The forend is fitted with a finely engraved steel tip and cross-bolt escutcheons (one damascus) and has a small internal loss to the wood at the knuckle iron.
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Well Figured Walnut
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The 20 lines per inch chequering is refreshed
to its original 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 1/2"
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14 5/8"
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14 5/8"
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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 5/8"
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1 3/4"
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2 1/4"
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Cast-off at Comb
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Cast-off at Heel
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Negligible
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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:
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863;
'Scott Spindle' patent
no. 2752 of 1865;
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867.