Indians For Guns

One of my friends is having an Italian made 19th century antique shotgun, inherited from his great grand father. The problem is that the model name and manufacturer can not be identified because of the logo being corroded. The photographs of the gun are posted here. Please help to identify the make and model of the gun. It is 12 bore SBBL. It is a single barrel gun (not double barrel). The barrel is 31.6 inch long and the complete gun is 47.7 inch long. The gun is in fine working condition.

What Calibre is it?

Disassemble the fore end and photograph the markings on breech end of the barrel. Best to it with a good camera in plenty of light

What Calibre is it?

Disassemble the fore end and photograph the markings on breech end of the barrel. Best to it with a good camera in plenty of light[/quote]

Looks like a shotgun to me. Does your friend have cartridges for it? Look at the head stamp on the cartridges.

-- Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:57 am --

Looks like a shotgun to me. Does your friend have cartridges for it? Look at the head stamp on the cartridges.

T T wrote:One of my friends is having an Italian made 19th century antique single bore rifle, inherited from his great grand father. The problem is that the model name and manufacturer can not be identified because of the logo being corroded. The photographs of the gun are posted here. Please help to identify the make and model of the gun. How much price will it fetch if sold? The gun is in fine working condition. It is a real beauty.

I think this is of flint lock type and 12 gauge std lead shot mugger loading gun and I have seen this kind of gun In lies with the Royal family of TALCHER (orissa).

And do not think of selling it because I am still repenting when my father sold out my grand BA's WEBLEY 12 bore made in Birmingham 1920,since I was merely of 15yrs during his death.

This is not a mere shot gun what your ancestors had left behind but they have given you a good chance to lead a good life with the legacy of guns

ITS NOT ONLY A SHOT GUN BUT THE LEGACY(LEFT BY YOURS GREAT GRAND BA) .
you are lucky enough
probably its of nearly 1890-1905 AD
If the barrel is 36 inches long and the entire gun was 52 inches in length.
then I hope I can name this gun of Italian make.

Looks to me like a muzzle loading shotgun.Very difficult to put a price on it unless more details and its provenance come into light. Just because its old, it does not become a (financially) valuable antique. One needs to check if it is safe to shoot if that is what you want.All these are my opinions.Thanks for posting the pictures.

Best-
Vikram

Vikram wrote:Looks to me like a muzzle loading shotgun.Very difficult to put a price on it unless more details and its provenance come into light. Just because its old, it does not become a (financially) valuable antique. One needs to check if it is safe to shoot if that is what you want.All these are my opinions.Thanks for posting the pictures.

Best-
Vikram

You missed the top lever Definitely a SBBL in Indian parlance.

winnie_the_pooh wrote:You missed the top lever Definitely a SBBL in Indian parlance.

You are right,Winnie.Missed it.


Best-
Vikram

Yes ABHRANKASH! the bolt handle of the gun shown by you is very similar to my bolt handle. The barrel is 31.6 inch long and the entire gun is 47.7 inch long. The calibre is 12 bore SBBL.

T T wrote:Yes ABHRANKASH! the bolt handle of the gun shown by you is very similar to my bolt handle. The barrel is 31.6 inch long and the entire gun is 47.7 inch long. The calibre is 12 bore SBBL.

then I am correct!!!!100%

then I am correct!!!!100%

Not really because it is not a flintlock as you said. Flintlock is a different action and a mechanism.
Neither it is a 'mugger loader' (i presume you meant muzzle loader; but even that, its not). Its a breech loader.

TT,

Why your friend would want to sell his family legacy is beyond me.

Anyway, coming to the price, you might get 5-10 K for it if it fires and the barrell doesnt explode.

regards

TT
Unless you meet up with a nut who will restore your shotty painstakingly to some semblance of 'look good/feel good ' factor, its a bit of a lost cause...You can restore, check, proof or develop special loads for it.Had these been possible in India today, you may have had a chance of making it a shooter-for ol times sake!
Unless you are willing to search and find a 'karigar' who practices the lost arts , not much we can offer you ,except keep it? well protected .Keep looking, you may find some one who can work SLOWLY and restore the piece
Good Luck

One of my friend has a same gun but in a far better condition.
It is W. J. Jeffery SBBL 12 bore sidelock ( external hammer) shot gun.
This gun might be of same make. My Guess!

Regards,

S......

The through away price of this gun will be 50k. Who will buy? The guards.
Now to get a job of security guard in private banks or other private companies it is necessary to possess arms. Guards buy their own fire arms to get the job; they do not buy just arms, they buy jobs. I got reference of a person who bought a double barrel shotgun for around 1.2 lakh, to work as a guard.

Actually my friend is not aware of such things. His father was going to surrender the gun to government because of hassles (maintaining license, cost of ownership, submitting before elections etc) of keeping it. That time I suggested him instead of surrendering why not sell it. I now realize that keeping it as an antique will be far better. In 19th century people were dieing of hunger. In that time somebody possessing a gun would be a rich man of high social status. It is better to preserve the gun as a symbol of ancestral glory.