Thomas Turner, 19 Brook Street, Bond Street, London
'The Levissimus'
12 bore Lightweight Back Action Hammergun
no. 5105
Year of manufacture: 1884-87
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
This Turner hammergun is a great example of the
ultra-lightweight guns that he was best known for. They were made
in both hammer and boxlock formats and were very successful at
a time when the fashion for light guns was at its peak. Turner
lightweight guns are well known for their fundamental simplicity
and good quality, weight being reduced by paring away unneeded
wood and metal whilst keeping it where strength was required.
The miniature Stanton rebounding locks are of good quality and
the Damascus barrels have a lovely figure. The cutaway stock is
a particular Turner feature and this gun's beautifully figured
timber coupled with the sensitive restoration makes it a very
pretty, safe and highly 'shootable' gun for either game or clays
but especially suitable for upland game.
WE
REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR
GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.
|
The action is of proprietary
ultra-lightweight design and features:
Double triggers;
Miniature Stanton patent rebounding back action locks with low-level
hammers;
Slim top lever opening, operating a 'Purdey' type bolt by way of a 'Scott'
spindle;
Inert top rib extension; Miniature forend with 'Sugar-tongs' snap fastening.
Triggers slightly swept for left handed use.
Engraving style Bold Foliate Scroll. Action flats stamped with
the Scott Tower trade mark.
Gun weight 5lb 3oz
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ¾
lbs Rear trigger 4 ¼ lbs
The re-browned Damascus barrels are 27 1/8" in length, chambered
for 2 ½ " (65mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'dovetail'
lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of sunken style with raise breech and front bead.
Birmingham reproof for 65mm nitro powder cartridges in 2017.
Approximate barrel measurements at date
of publication:
|
Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel |
18.5mm (0.728")
|
0.731"
|
0.021"
|
0.010"
Part Recessed
(Skeet-IC)
|
Left Barrel |
18.5mm (0.728")
|
0.731"
|
0.025"
|
0.028" (IM)
|
The original cutaway Straight Hand Stock and miniature
Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut and the
stock is lightly cast-off for a right-handed shot, features a vacant
white metal oval on the heel and a Silvers rubber recoil pad.
The forend has a small repair to its internal surface and a finely
engraved steel tip.
The 19 approx lines per inch chequering has
been freshened to its original 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
|
14 7/8"
|
15"
|
15"
|
15 1/2"
|
Drop at Comb
|
Drop at Face
|
Drop at Heel
|
1 1/2"
|
1 5/8"
|
2 "
|
Cast-off at Comb
|
Cast-off at Heel
|
Negligible
|
Negligible
|
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,
'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865.