I recently wrapped up this "Pair" of GH grade 0 frame 16g guns. I call them a "pair" in quotes because they are both for the same owner to be used as hunters for different intended uses. Not a true matched pair of guns.
Both guns are finished the same and dimensioned the same and balanced the same. And weight is within a few ounces of each other.
The 26" gun was manufactured in 1891 and the 28" gun in 1893.
Both guns started out in less than ideal condition for a full restoration, but I was able to make them work. The 26" gun was complete and shootable, but the buttstock was hacked up pretty bad. The 28" gun was basically a parts gun. No buttstock at all and half of the internal parts were missing completely. But the owner had a vision to put together two guns in like new condition that he could hunt with for the rest of his life. And he felt that the investment on the guns were well worth it.
Both guns received new circassian walnut stock picked by the owner from my inventory of blanks and made to his specified dimensions. 15" LOP. 1-7/16" and 2-1/2" drops with 1/4" cast off. Both blanks are attractive, yet different from each other in terms of figure. buttplates and grip caps and all screws are new. The checkering was cut in the original style. Flat topped in 20 lines per inch. Great care was taken to make sure that the patterns matched on both guns perfectly. but the shaping of the stocks was consistent so it was not too much trouble to match them.
The Barrels were refinished by Breck Gorman after I removed many dents and recut the breech engraving.
The frames were polished and prepped by myself before being sent to Geoffroy Gournet for all of the engraving to be recut. A special touch requested by the owner was to turn the birds on the 26" gun into Ruffed Grouse, and to engrave dancing sharptail grouse on the 28" gun. Geoffroy did a great job with the changes as to keep with the old world style and make them look like they belonged on the guns.
The frames were then color case hardened by Turnbull.
I did all of the Nitre Bluing on the small parts in house.
The result is impressive given what I had to start with. I am happy with them and so is the owner.
He reported that only an hour after receiving the guns, he took out the 26" gun and bagged a grouse on the first shot with it! I was beyond happy to hear that.
Enjoy some photos of this pair below.
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11-10-2019, 10:41 PM
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