W.C.Scott and Sons Fine Engraving - Resource

[DuggerWebster]

Hello Forum Folks. I've inherited a W.C.Scott and Sons 10Ga. It's tagged with Grade of "Premier - Best" I couldn't find any of these listed in a blue book for reference and was wanting to see if yall knew of a resource for these? Is there a forum like this one for W.C.Scott? I'd be looking to sell at some point but don't know what I have really other than a fine looking and feeling hammerless with these neat crystal indicators.

See attached images of this engraving. I think they had the old squaw duck on one of these and also a blue heron.

Thank you for any help you could pass my way.

[Bill Murphy]

The doublegunshop.com forum is a start. Don't expect an appraisal. Get that at the Southern Side by Side in April in Sanford, North Carolina.

[Dean Romig]

Wonderful engraving!





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[DuggerWebster]

Thanks Bill, Thanks Dean. Good on ya.

[Bill Murphy]

Where do you live? Are you likely to attend the Southern Side by Side next April?

[DuggerWebster]

Hi Bill. I live in E. Tenn and have family in Sanford so may attend.. thanks again.

[Bill Murphy]

The buzzard is a great touch. It is a buzzard I think.

[Ken Hill]

This is an an interesting article on the WC Scott Premiere grade guns. The gun in the article was made later than yours, but Scott was charging a pretty £ when they made them.

https://www.vintageguns.co.uk/magazine/wandc-scott-s-premier-imperial

Ken

[Arthur Shaffer]

Could you post a picture of the rib inscription, a close up of the hang tags and confirm the serial number? I have a few early guns and a copy of the only book I know of that addresses the maker. I can give a little information from that info.

[DuggerWebster]

Hi Bill, Ken and Arthur.. thank you again for the time.. I busy in the woods working these days but will post those photos by this weekend. Have a good one.

[Keith Sirmans]

The buzzard is a great touch. It is a buzzard I think.

Either that or an eagle about to take flight and go after whatever is flying below him.

[Dean Romig]

Either that or an eagle about to take flight and go after whatever is flying below him.

I'm going with buzzard.... that or a condor.




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[Bill Murphy]

Thank you, Dean. A vulture on a Scott shotgun would be quite the rarity. Maybe a clearer picture would further identify the bird.

[DuggerWebster]

Here's those photos of rib and hang tag. Thanks again

[DuggerWebster]

SN on the watermark

[DuggerWebster]

Here's that photo of the Black Bird of Death... LOL

[Phillip Carr]

I think now with a clearer picture it is an eagle. You can see it has feathers on its neck and head.

[Bill Murphy]

Still a rare subject on a Scott. A wonderful gun.

[Dean Romig]

I think now with a clearer picture it is an eagle. You can see it has feathers on its neck and head.

I agree, and it appears to have a white tail and head… and we know bald eagles prey on waterfowl so it fits right into the rest of the engraving.





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[DuggerWebster]

Thank you gentlemen. I once saw a bald eagle on the coast as it came around a point. Hundreds of sea gulls and ducks all took flight at the same time in alarm. Quite a sight.

I will continue to care for it, research and then pursue that sale at some point in the future.

Till later

[Arthur Shaffer]

Dugger

Your gun's serial number is the 32564 number on the water table. The 1484 number is likely some kind of registration number associated with the patent. The patent referred to in the diamond is # 761 issued in 1878 for the hammerless cocking system. A serial number of 1484 would indicate an 1874 manufacture date. Scott began experimenting with hammerless guns in 1874 but did not officially put them into production until the 1878 model. This jibes with the fact the gun is marked in two places as "The Premier" ("Quality" on the rib and "Gun" on the water table). W&C Scott went into business in 1840. Serial numbers were introduced in 1865. This gun was put into production with the formal name of "The Premier Gun" and was made for 10 years from 1878 to 1888. They made one higher grade the last 5 years of that period from 1884 to 1888. It was called "The Excellentia Triplex" and included their new bolting system. As far as I know all later guns of your grade were simply marked "Premier Grade". Premier was their highest grade until the Excellentia was introduced.

The 10 Castle St address was significant in that only their highest grade guns were marked as made there. Their better quality guns had a different London address and the least expensive guns generally carried a Birmingham address. This is a good system to know in that a lot of their top quality guns were made to a rather plain finish level but built to the highest mechanical level. This was often the case with guns purchased for hard use. I have a light weight eight gauge single shot Jones style lever model made in 1872 or 1873. It was sold as a Light Waterfowl model but so few were built I have found no catalog listing. It carries the 10 Castle St. address and is built to an incredible fit and finish level but has only a couple of line engravings on the edges. It has some of the most beautiful English Laminate barrels I have ever seen. During this era, the English laminate barrels were some of the most beautiful barrels ever made and many of the highly thought of Damascus barrels were not as attractive as the laminates. Scott and P. Webley (who Scott later acquired) were known for their visually impressive laminates. Over the next few years the Damascus makers started producing many more famous patterns.

Your gun was built in the first year of production for this model (1878). It looks exactly like the illustration in the book I have. If you compare it to any of the high grade guns of the period it is an incredible piece. The dealer and American price list of the period shows a list price of 42 pound Sterling for your gun. This would have been a $200 range gun at the time, which was a pretty expensive item.

Hope this helps.

[DuggerWebster]

Hello Arthur,

Been out a bit but wanted to say Thank you Sir for taking the time to share that knowledge.

Wow! 1878. That's getting back there and it's as tight as a tick.
Fascinating piece of yours as well with that Jones Style 8ga.And even earlier back. They were good at what they were doing and yes, $200 back then! Must have been worth it for sure.

Best to you
--Dugger