I don't think a letter is available on this gun, someone, Ron Kirby I think, found a note in an order book where it was traded in in 1927, if I recall correctly.
I have a copy of the page with the entry, but I can't figure it out. The writing might as well be in a foreign language.

Can you post a picture of that page entry Todd?





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Ok, let's see if I can do this from my phone

Attachment 114229

I hope someone here can make heads or tails out of the above ledger. The only thing I've gotten out of it is the serial number about mid page.

I will take a stab at some of it. Here goes.

A. Mahan
Cortland, N.Y.
1 - 10 ga. w/ 30" damascus , pistol grip, weight 8/0 to 8/4, 14 3/4 lop, serial 7720 at $125.00
1 - 10 ga. w/ 30 inch, Less 1/4, can't make out this word, then serial 3130 at $125.00
3rd entry is some type of accessory for $3.50

I believe date at top of ledger is Oct, 8th 1877. I believe the entries on the left hand column are an order number. In this case order number 1922 received on Oct, 4th.

You can see the left hand column 4 digit numbers are sequential in 2's. I.E., 1920, 1922, 1924, 1926.

I may be all wrong, cool gun.

Thanks, Dean. Not sure on the 10 gauge, as this one is a 12.
Might be easier to interpret the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Mike, it has the initials RGR

My thoughts are the same as Dean's with the following changes...

8 - 8 1/4 lbs.
" (ditto mark for Dam) another " (ditto) for PG and Less 1/4 (inch? lb.?) and I can't make out that word either.

Most likely ordered by a business, hence the $125.00 wholesale price.




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A couple oddities to consider. I assume this is a page from an order book? Maybe not. The top gun on the page 10688 and the bottom gun on the page 10282 look to be vintage 1877 which corresponds to date on the top of the page. The subject gun 3130 is 1874 and the gun 7720 is 1876. Maybe both guns were returned at some point and were sold at a discount.

My intent was to decipher the words on the order page, not contradict Todd's gun. The reason I say 10 gauge is in the following picture which I stole from Josh L's listing of the Meachem guns. The 8 guns were 10 ga. 32" barrel guns. See picture.

https://i.imgur.com/VzpZXwB.jpg

Looked like RGT, but you can see it better in person that we can in the two photos.