New Hammer Gun!

[Roundsworth]

The locks have been cleaned and reassembled. It pays to invest in a mainspring vise, repro or original! The scratches on the exterior of the lockplates were there when the plates were colored. I had to use my high powered magnifying glass to see them properly. Sorry about my macro photography. One of these days I'll get it! I sure wish other forums could upload photos as easily as this one.

[10ga Hammer]

Mark, Those cleaned up nice.Great colors!

[Roundsworth]

The hammer faces are barely dimpled from use. There is just a little mark in the colors. The stock has a couple of teeny weeny cracks that I will be able to stabilize quite easily. Overall, the gun appears to have been used very little. The bores have some pitting though. As nice as this gun is, I would be willing to place a decent wager on the fact that 90% of the signs of neglect happened after the original purchaser passed away. Maybe not, but I like to think so. As always, Cheers!

[Roundsworth]

Scott, John Puglisi noted that the chambers of your new gun were 3". Are they, indeed, 3 inches? They may very well be a special order item. The big ammunition manufacturers provided hulls in various lengths. Not so much to pack a heavier payload, but to add wads.

[StubTwist]

Originally Posted by Mark Landskov

The big ammunition manufacturers provided hulls in various lengths. Not so much to pack a heavier payload, but to add wads.

Curious to what the advantage of adding extra wads were back in the day?

[Roundsworth]

I dunno. It must have something to do with cushioning the shot(?). The 1914 Winchester catalog shows the NPE 10 gauge Leader hull in 6 lengths, from 2-5/8" to 3-1/4". The same catalog has the loaded Leader 20 gauge with 2-1/2 drams of Bulk Smokeless and 7/8 ounce of shot in a 2-3/4" or 3" shell. The 28 gauge 'Repeater' has 2 drams of bulk and 5/8 ounce of shot in a 2-7/8" shell. These are certainly not heavy loads and could have been loaded in 2-1/2" hulls.

[10 bore]

Originally Posted by Mark Landskov

Scott, John Puglisi noted that the chambers of your new gun were 3". Are they, indeed, 3 inches? They may very well be a special order item. The big ammunition manufacturers provided hulls in various lengths. Not so much to pack a heavier payload, but to add wads.

mark, when i checked it they were 2 7/8ths, the gun is heavy for a 2 frame 10lbs 4 oz on my baby scale, between firing pins is 1 .125. scott

[Roundsworth]

I finished cleaning the 'old girl' up and tried a few of my 1 ounce handloads. Yep, she's a 'keeper' alright! It balances right at the hinge and does not seem muzzle heavy like my other tens. A check will be in the mail for a letter tomorrow! Cheers, everyone.

[Bill Murphy]

I won't comment on the great #3 frame gun that came out of Puglisi's. However, I will give you the wall thickness figures on the #3 frame hammer ten I just got in the mail from an internet purchase. There were some few places that showed measurements of .050, but they were way up front. The bores in the first half did not show any place under .060. Now I know why many Damascus barrel British ten bores pass nitro proof with 3 1/2" shells.

[Roundsworth]

My PGCA letter states that my gun was ordered by Powell and Clement, of Cincinnati, on 5 FEB 1886 and shipped on 15 JUN 1886. The 30 inch Laminated Steel Barrels were choked F and F. The gun weighed 9 pounds 3 ounces. Price was $70.00. All specs still match, for which I am pleased! It is nice to have a gun that isn't all goobered up. Cheers!