Hard Gun to Grade
A good checkerer could have certainly married the diamonds but this just the beginning. Mark had a hard time trying to grade this gun from the order book material as shown in the letter. I think it becomes more difficult to grade after seeing it.
The plain twist barrel set is numbered with 2 on both barrel and fore end iron. The other set is damascus and not numbered. This set carries the 4 diamond checking, and has an insert in the hinge.
The frame has some engraving and some sculpturing around the fences; not much like a plain twist lowest grade gun. A later (1878) price list shows three grades of twist; was there briefly a grade 2 twist gun? The grain in the butt is much like grade 2 of the time.
Determining the grade of this particular gun might change its value from $0.10 a pound to 0.09 or 0.11. However grading early guns is a frequent question here. I think it is time for a Parker Pages series on grading.
Best, Austin
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