nice old shotgun

[Richard Flanders]

While visiting an old friend(he's 88)here in my home town he said he had an old gun to show me. We went into his back room and he pulled from the rack a well used damascus bbl'd 12ga London-made William Moore underlever pinfire hammer gun. One hammer has the nose broken off and there's a sizable ragged hole near the muzzle in one barrel that didn't seem to stop the owner from shooting it. Other than that it seems tight and shootable with moderately pitted bores. It's a very light and very nicely made gun with a straight grip and nice wood and high quality bbls. I can't imagine how many birds that gun has put on the table. He has one unfired shell for it and the gun came from his great grandfather, I think he said. What a great family heirloom.

[OH Osthaus]

Wm Moore made some nice guns, he apprenticed to Joesph Manton, the father of the modern game gun.

the marque had a couple variations -My Wm Moore & Grey was my first hammer gun and my first damascus. 30 inch tubes straight stock with very modern dimensions (i added a leather covered pad ), it weighs about 6 1/2 pounds and is a joy to carry

Shooting Sportsman's e magazine Sporting Shots did a good history on him in one of their early issues, but unfortunately those could not be saved.

PS - here is a link to some of the maker's history
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/...=353843&page=2