W&C Scott 8 Gauge
 

Looking for any info I can find on a single shot 8 Gauge W&C Scott & Son I purchased. It is scheduled to be delivered Monday. I found it on GI and really liked the overall look, condition and concept. I have always been a sucker for the odd ones. It was pretty pricey for a single, I thought, but I really liked it and have always been a fan and owner of quality single shot rifles. I mentioned this gunin the Reloading Forum a few days ago.

The problem is that I can find no info about it. I have a copy of the Scott book by Crawford and Whatley, but there is only one mention of a single shotgun in the entire book. It is a picture of the Model 100 marketed by Webley and Scott for many years but that is a rather plain and in my opinion lower grade gun than the earlier W&C guns.

According to the serial number, this was a 1872 gun. That was the first year they opened the Great Castle St. office in London. According to the book, only the top two graded guns were marked with that address from 1872 to 1897. This gun is either an A or B grade gun. It is an 8 gauge single barrel gun, 32" that weighs 9-3/4 pounds. Condition is very good. It came from a home in Boston where the family had owned it for 100 years or so. 8 and 4 gauge production was low compared to 10 gauge and below, and ended soon. There were four 8-bores built after WWI and no 4's.

I obtained a copy of Scott's 1872 Breechloader Catalog. It goes to great lengths explaining their patents, their styles of locks, actions indicators etc. It includes their double express rifles and their Martini based single rifles. It also contains numerous endorsements. In the entire catalog there is no mention at all of single barrel shotguns. It is interesting that all the U.S. based endorsements were addressed t0 Wm.Read and Sons in Boston who was believed to be the sole US importer at that time.Two of these endorsements came from here in Lexington KY. It is also interesting that this gun came from an old family in Boston.

I have not been able to find any references to a gun like this. None listed for sale that I can find, none mentioned in the contemporary literature, and non discussed on Discussion Boards. I would appreciate any info someone could add. I am posting some pictures from the dealers website for information.

Forgot to mention, this would have been perfect if it were a bore rifle.

If I were you, I'd post this info/request on the DGJ Facebook page. There is a host of insightful British collectors and experts there that will surely help.

Tried that. Got a few comments concerning British singles, mostly the low end variety and much newer. Several comments in ganeral but no real information. This whole area seems to be a real blank area. The Europeans seem to have been dedicated to singles in a big way, especially the germans, but Britian seems to have been pretty much only single shot rifles.

The thing that drew me to this gun is that it is obviously based on a double action, but the sculpting and conversion to a center barrel must have taken an incredible amount of work. In profile it reminds me of some of the earlier muzzleloading large bore rifles.

nice gun and it definitely bot a field grade gun...the turkeys will line up to be took with this gun...I like the weight and length of barrels on this gun...whats the chamber length...charlie

I'll let you know for sure tomorrow. It is supposed to be 3-1/4.
Like a lot of places the 8 gauge isn't legal here. In Kentucky the pressure is probaboy because of all the waterfowl hunting in the West end of the state around Ballard and the Mississippi area. That along with dove shooting being another hunting effort probably would make it difficult to be reversed in this state. However, we live on 30 acres full of doves and turkeys, with hundreds of acres of woods and pastures around us, so with a gun that looks like a 10 ga, one might sneak one in with no problem.

I’ll not discuss legalities here . But if I owned that bad boy and wanted to smite a deer or Turkey I’ve got a decent parcel of real estate with my home . So I’d .......... ! Carry a couple 10 gauge shells in your pocket should the bunny warden visit while you’re hunting .

Possibly post your questions and photos here.
There are or were waterfowlers using 8 bores (SXS & singles) there
a photo of the barrel flats might also help
Jim

pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums
-Guns & Equipment
-Wildfowling

I didn’t see any threads there that were active after 2020 , although I didn’t check them all .

I have Black hulls in both persuasions. I don't think anyone could tell them apart. If I happen to lose the shell in the chamber, who would know. I'm an old guy and clumsy.