The big Orren R. Dickey 20, #153,467, arrived yesterday. The loss of blue near the breech is the worst part of the wonderful barrels. The screws, the stock finish, and the floorplate mortise are perfect and original. The original inletting for the dogs head buttplate is intact and the length of pull over the leather faced Silver pad is 14 1/2". This gun may have hunted ducks, but never from a boat. The bores are .615, chokes are a full .028 and .028 and the chambers seem to be near 3", although I haven't measured them carefully with a machinist's scale. I test fired the gun yesterday on a round of skeet and everything works as it should. Considering where the gun came from, it may have been one of Nash Buckingham's buddies who ordered such an oddball gun. As I stated before, my old #153,333, VH 20, 32", #2 frame, ordered by the same dealer the same month as my new gun, was chambered for 3" shells, for one ounce loads. I would like to locate this gun with the possibility of buying it back. I hope everyone enjoyed the thread.
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06-05-2014, 03:23 PM
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