This 1876 12ga underlifter was advertised in the Parkers for Sale section, didn't get any takers and was then listed on one of the online auction sites, again with no takers. The seller was local so we met and now it's mine.
Stub twist swamped rib 30" barrels and a straight grip stock with perfect dimensions for me.
The gun needed much TLC. The receiver and barrels were caked in dried up oil and grease, the barrels were off face and only slightly pitted, the trigger pulls in excess of 8lbs, the head of the stock was almost black, and worst of all someone decided to try their hand at checkering.
After much cleaning, the receiver and barrels are clean, the stock was soaked in acetone for many days and most of the darkness is gone. A .004 shim put the barrels back on face and Dewey Vicknair adjusted the trigger pulls to 4lbs each. The hardest part was trying to sand out the deep lines from the checkering. Had I sanded down all the way, the shape would have been altered on both the forend and buttstock. There are a few lines still visable but are filled flat with finish. I think I'll wait a few months for the finish to fully cure, then take some of the shine off.
It's fun putting these old guns back in decent shape.
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