40 inch barrels

[Stan Hoover]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

Some years ago I restored a 40” 8g for Daryl Middlebrook. It was a few years before he passed. It was an NH made in 1899. The barrels actually were 40.5” long. And the rib was unmatted, and the assumption was that the matting machine would not handle the 40” length. So I am curious if any of these 3 guns are matted or not.?

That gun was a beast. The barrels alone were 12.5 lbs and the gun total was 16 lbs.

Brian,

Was Daryl Middlebrook’s gun a hammer or hammer less gun?

Also, the 40” 8 gauge with Damascus barrels, that would probably not have the matting on the rib or were some Damascus ribs matted?

Thanks,
Stan