Rob,
That's excellent news! It does appear that the Stevens shares the locking mechanism with the Whitney. The original patent date on the Whitney top rib is October 23, 1866. I dont have the # offhand but it would be interesting to sit down and see if there are additional design feature shared between those two examples. As for the Wesson, vs the Stevens, I think they may be very different animals from a mechanical perspective.

Once you get it back from Buck please give us a range report!

Oct. 23, 1866, is Patent No. 59110, granted to Eli Whitney for "certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Muzzle-Loading Double-Barrel Guns;"

Eli Whitney's next patent for double barrel shotguns was Patent No. 71349, granted Nov. 26, 1867, for a lever-action that slid the barrels forward.

Eli Whitney, C. Gerner & F. Tiesing were granted Patent No. 93149, July 27, 1869, for the bolting mechanism as used on the Whitney three-trigger gun.

Dave,
You never cease to amaze me! I'm on the job and the only patent date I could remember with certainty was the top rib, Oct 23, 1866. I'll break the gun down tonight and have a closer look for the other.

My apologies to Rob for wandering off on a tangent in his Stevens thread....

I had a few minutes last evening to take down the Whitney and inspect. The only marking beyond the rib on the gun is a three digit SN#. I pulled the patent papers on #59110 and found that it directly applies to the 3 trigger Whitney. Specifically with regard to the mating of the forward action flats to the breech face. The patent Whitney developed during the late ML era was utilized in his breechloading guns. I didnt have time to get images, but it is clear when you compare the patent drawing and description to a physical example.

There is no marking present of the later patent #93159 although it obviously contains those bolting design improvements.

Interestingly, the Whitney and the Wesson do share a commonality. The forend metal on both guns are permanently attached via hinge. Barrels are lifted off by opening the action fully, drifting the forend key allowing removal. I'm not sure of any other maker that incorporated that design element but would like to know if there are others.

I will be happy to bring the gun to the Southern, or Ernies if anyone would like a closer look.

Buck Hamlin's work.
https://i.imgur.com/6JnSYNZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dxGOVW1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5mNm2W3.jpg

Love the barrel pattern! Very cool gun. You can likely get a spring for the firing pin at ace hardware, or just get some of the appropriate spring wire and wind your own, which is not rocket science by any means. Those barrels are gorgeous. Look forward to more reports of firing it. It does have a lot of DAH and looks like what fits me just fine.

Thanks, I am very pleased with his work. Mr. Hamlin put two fresh firing pin springs in for me at no charge.

That is quite the spectacular pattern!

very nice finish. Buck does great work at reasonable prices.

good luck,
John

Reminds me of the gun used in the movie Tombstone.
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Tombstone#Shotguns