16 gauge
 

Does anyone know how many Damascus 16 gauge top lever hammer guns where made?

There were a fair number made and if you have the time you can go through the book

I have two in my safe both 30" . One on a 1 frame and the other on an 0 frame .

16 gauge
 

New acquisition though I would share some photo’s can’t wait to shoot it. Hopefully RST will be making some 2-1/2 16 gauge soon.
A 16 gauge hammer gun 1887 serial number 50802 28 “ barrels and good dimensions
Does anyone know what the number 1 is above the serial number on the receiver?

Wow!

Bob...My 16 is nearly identical to yours. ..Including condition..28"..O frame..Cut table..SN..44894. Shipped to W.C.Hodgkins..300 Broadway.NY,NY..May 1, 1885..Price was $55.00..........(6/11 weight..F/F......)

The "1" is the grade and those Laminitated Steel barrels confirms that.





.

Bob, The Parker Story lists only 1 Grade 1 top lever 16 hammer gun with damascus barrels, 14 with stub twist steel barrels, and for laminated barrels like yours it shows 1 with 26", 13 with 28", 9 with 30", and 1 with 32" barrels. What length are your barrels? Of course this is not probably the actual total number made, but they're not common.

I had to make an edit there, I forgot to add that these were for the Grade 1 top lever hammer gun. There are more of most types in other grades.

Bob, Mine is the one with 26" Laminated Steel barrels.

I wrote about it in Parker Pages in "Shot to Destruction."

.

Thanks guys
The Parker letter has it as an L grade is that the same as 1 grade ?
The gun was ordered by Huntington Hopkins & Co from Sacramento CA on may 23 1887 and shipped on August 11 1887.
The barrels are 28 inches not sure of the constriction I think it was IM but I will have to check it and do some patterning.
2-1/2 chambers.
It also has the fishtail level and the gun does not open easily with the hammer cocked as mentioned in one of Dean other posts. I did not want to force it.
The gun I think is about 7 - 1/2 pounds but need to check it. It seems to be slightly barrel heavy so I’m looking forward to shooting it on some sporting clays.
Best part of all the dimensions are about 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 and fits me well.