20 gauge hammer gun from a small gun show

[William Woods]

Originally Posted by Tom Hawkins

I picked up this little 20 hammer gun at a small Kansas show that had less than 50 tables. The stock had been altered poorly but the inletting for the frame, sideplates, and lower tang were still excellent. I spent a few days mocking up a new stock and sent it with the blank to be duplicated. The maker is Richard Wostatek in Goding or South Moravia. The forend latch is unique as I have seen it on a few other older guns. The barrels are marked Excelsior Witten and are uncut 27.5 inches with a serial number of 157. On the monoblock there is an Austrian eagle with a 3 in the center of the shield. The final proof is June 21, 1899. Because the stock had been fubared, the price was a little more than a hardware single shot. I would like to know what the zero incorporated with the 2 on the top lever and top rib could mean. I would appreciate any helpful information on the maker or gun.

Maybe it stands for 20gauge?