I have been taking some pictures for insurance and complete records and picking out a few guns to thin out to make room. It started me thinking about what I am really drawn to in collecting. I am a pretty broadly based collector but there are certain areas that have an almost magnetic appeal to me. In rifles it was always single shots in 6mm specifically and large bores. My first real rifle was a 243 and that seems to have formed my whole outlook.
In shotguns, when picking guns there was no question of keeping, my list soon showed that it was centered hammer guns and single shots. There are a lot of quality hammerless doubles and a lot of 16 and 28 gauge too, but they don't have the gut wrenching appeal of the hammers and singles.
Here are a few of the ones that will stay:
European Hammer Guns
Top to bottom
"Light Gun" very well made Belgium Double with Stars and Stripes Damascus; 12 ga, 6 pounds. almost new condition.
Sauer sidelock 16 ga
Early J. Manton 16 ga in excellent shape and beautiful wood
Gold inlaid ML Acier Cockeriel 16 ga, made in mid 20's and my impression is unfired.
Sauer back action rotary lock combination gun with sights and set trigger. Left is 16 ga and right is chambered for a 40 mm length 20 bore paradox shell with full rifling. Lancaster cartridge. Gun has platinum bands around chambers.
P. Webley mid 70's 8 gauge, believe model 30H double bite and quality 9 or 10.
W&S Scott mid 70's 10 gauge. very light weight.
My small Parker hammer gun collection.
These cover the whole range of Parker hammer types.
Early back action model
Three piece lifter model
Transition one piece lifter
One piece with release on fore arm
Later model with longer action and modified locking lugs
Top lever hammer model.
These guns are 10 thru 16 gauge and grades 1, 2 and 3.
You have probably noticed that it pretty much matches a picture published several places showing all the variations of Parker hammer guns. I started buying these and watched the cheaper guns for sale to accumulate a complete set. I had to do quite a bit of touching up, fixing and repairing, but I ended up over 3 years with a complete set of very serviceable guns for just barely over $5000. The 3rd gun down has Parker laminate barrels and is going to Breck tomorrow for new finish.
Singles of all types:
Galand Paris 10 gauge market gun
Albert Harper Birmingham hammer 12 gauge with steel barrels
B grade W&C Scott 8 ga single Light Waterfowl gun 1872. Weight less than 10 #. You've got to love it.
Whitney Arms 20 ga. I believe much more rare than the Remington guns.
Early Manton flintlock converted to percussion,probably in the 40's to 50's. Incredible wood, wedding ring octagon to round and 14 gauge; very light/
Manufrance Simlex Model 26 16 gauge; around 1928-9.
Absolutely beautiful Bonehill 16 ga with great wood.
If there was ever a perfect walk around on the farm shotgun, the Bonehill or the Harper would be it.
Can't forget the Trap singles. I don't shoot trap any more and never did very well; just went with my brother-in-law who was serious. However, you can't ignore the mystique these guns have enjoyed in the US history of shooting. Ithaca may have made Sousa more famous than music did. If you love singles you have to have some representative trap guns.
Ithaca
Fox
Parker
L. C. Smith
(Excuse the dust on the trap guns. I had a boo-boo getting them arranged and didn't notice.)
Wanted to post these to show where my collecting is really centered from an inner perspective.
05-22-2024, 02:49 AM
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