A C Grade without Barrels

[Bill Murphy]

OK, the back end of CH #86988 arrived Monday afternoon, securely packed. I couldn't be more happy to have this journey at an end, except that it is not actually at an end. As the seller warned me, the stock has been repaired, and not a very good job. It is broken off at the wrist, poorly pinned and glued and kind of sanded down and recheckered poorly. There is not enough wood to rerepair and rechecker unless a coating of epoxy is used to bring the grip area up to size. However, I have heard of that being done, but by whom? The easy way out is a restock, but of course I would rather save the original stock if a good repair can be done. The stock is well used, deeply dented, but with original straight grip and skeleton butt. I am inclined to send the whole package to Dave Wolf in Waco for his assessment. The trigger guard tang looks to have been sanded down with the wood, but all other engraving on the gun is untouched with only one ruined receiver screw and one ruined trigger guard screw. The top lever spring is broken or some other problem inside is keeping it from returning under spring tension. This will be one of those guns that I will finish by calling in more than a couple of my repair, stockmaking, and engraving guys. I am still not on my feet, so pictures are a few days away. I put the bird barrels on the gun yesterday while Mr. McCormack was visiting. It may be the first time the gun has been together for many decades. It is some gun with the 28" barrels but did not put it on the scale to check its weight. The original owner, Starling Lebby Hinson, had the pleasure of using the bird barrels on his family's 3500 acre plantation on James Island, South Carolina. There were probably a few quail on the property when he brought the gun home from Charleston in 1897. No specifications were asked of the 32" barrels except "Bore for buckshot and send paper targets." I guess there were a few deer on the property also. More to come.