I don’t have a lot invested in this gun, the combination of the dimple and the stock that had been shortened for a LOP of 12-5/8” decimated its collector value. Consequently, to obtain a proper fit I had to add 1-3/8”. A Silver pad and two spacers were fitted for an acceptable 14” LOP. Previously, it had a thin piece of red rubber inner tube over construction paper, glued and attached with over a dozen carpet tacks. After judiciously removing the tacks and scraping away the paper, the face of the butt had two opposing angles and after a touch on a belt sander a flat mating surface was obtained. It won’t win any beauty contests, though it is a quality shotgun that I can use and enjoy. A classic vintage shotgun doesn’t necessarily have to be a show stopper to have value and be appreciated.
By leaving the barrel “as is” avoids additional stress caused by aesthetic correction. This double has endured 142 years and I’m extending its useful life. I may contour the sharp edges of the Silver pad for a more traditional “continental” look.
Thank you so much!
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Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell and the profit and loss.
A current under sea picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell he passed the stages of his age and youth entering the whirlpool.
T.S. Eliot
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