Bruce owes you bigtime Josh!

That isn't mentioned in any Colt doubles article I've ever read from Wallace Labisky's in the June 1966 issue of Shooting Times onward.

A fairly early Colt flyer on their hammerless double --

Attachment 73246

Attachment 73247

and a page from the 1900 J. H. Johnston catalog about the time they were being closed out --

Attachment 73245

Beautiful gun Bruce and great coincidence.

“My dear Watson” will be sufficient.

Jerry: are you thinking of Winchester? The first two orders of guns Winchester imported were made by C.G. Bonehill, and were in five grades from Match Gun down to D-quality. In 1882 a third order was acquired from Richard Redman. Winchester also imported guns from W.C. McAntree & Co. and W.&C. Scott & Sons.

Beautiful Parker D4 "Turkish" Bruce
Colt used high quality damascus from Plunger-Riga & Heuse-Riga Fils., Nessonvaux.
http://heuse.spahistoire.info/henriheuse.html
More Colt damascus examples here
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17067005

Ah yes, now I remember, Winchester it was. Thank you for correcting me Drew.

Funny how the bores are a 20th Century European size of .721 on a gun made in the time of extruded brass shells with 11 gauge wads of .751.

OOPS! I was thinking 1883 versus 1897.

ithis colt is a nice one...i had a colt 1883 model 10 ga it was so nice i just could not enjoy it....charlie

The bores of my Model 1883, shipped to Wm. Read & Sons, Boston, MA, February 4, 1892, measure .734" right and .733" left with .029" choke in both barrels. My gun has a flat rib which is mentioned in the letter from Colt, while I see Bruce's gun has a concave (hollow) rib. My gun has 30-inch barrels and weighs in at 7 pounds 7.2 ounces.

Attachment 73267

Attachment 73268

Thats a beautiful gun Dave. Many of my 12 gauge Parkers are bored in the vicinity of .734. Do you recall when paper shotgun shells came out? It must have been in the early 1880's.