Thanksgiving gift from my wife's Mama ji

[timmy]

This reminds me of an incidence that took place about 28 yrs ago, a couple of years after I got married. I gave a surprise gift to my wife on her 25th birthday. It really made her jump with joy, a Beretta Over/Under 12 bore Model S56E. Not being any less generous,In turn on my coming birthday, she surprised me by presenting me with a beautifully woven Kanjivaram Saree.

This one's not for laughs guys. . The saree is long gone but the Beretta still adorns my cabinet.

Marksman

You made out very well there, Marksman: a beautiful wife in a beautiful saree and a great shotgun. Perhaps you can buy her another saree and tell her you liked the way she looked in the first one so much -- just before you buy another shotgun.

[xl_target]

Baljit,
Very nice of your wife's mama to give you this shotgun.
I hope you enjoy it.

Can you post a better closeup of the proofmarks?

[herb]

Vikram is spot on, can you provide the all the markings/details on the gun and any name etc. The action looks a little different from the typical A&D boxlocks , I am wondering about the 2 screws holding the bottom plate.

[ckkalyan]

Post our telecom, I gave some serious thought to assisting Baljit find available information on the provenance of his Italian made SxS Shotgun gifted to him by his favorite Mama-Ji and his Guru. The thought excited me and made me feel like ‘Sheerluck Holmes’ on the trail of an ancient Italian beauty.

Baljit, of course is working on getting all the information that the shotgun can give up; dismantling the gun, identifying as many markings as possible, then documenting them with clear, close-up images and posting them on the thread. In the meanwhile, some possibilities came up:

• The Italian proof markings were from Gardone & Brescia, Italy and that they meant proofed for smokeless powder and firearm finished ready for sale.

• The figures XIII meant manufactured / proofed in 1957.

• The gun was made by an Italian manufacturer for another company (Emery & Sutter) that imported the weapon for sale in their own country. Meaning a few more proof marks form another country besides Italy.

• The name Emery & Sutter naturally lead me to believe that the importing company / made for company was perhaps, English….the crown proofing marks on the barrel indicated Birmingham, UK but, the proof marks did not exactly match the UK marks any of the documented / known marks from Birmingham - dilemma!

• I did some research on the name Emery & Sutter and guess what showed up in an old GUNS Magazine of April 1957? EMERY & SUTTER 76 Pearl Street, Toronto 1, ON. Wow! http://www.gunsmagazine.com/1957issues/G0457.pdf

• Brainstorm – possible that the proof marks may not be of UK origin at all? From the current images and upon closer examination, noted that the letters above the crown are different on each barrel!

• Although, I said it more in fun than anything else the word ROYAL below the Crown reminded me of Crown Royal – I am now inclined to believe that the weapon was imported into Canada and somehow the proof marks maybe Canadian?! I must say here that I have no knowledge about Canadian Proof marks.

I look forward to more information from our 'shotgun gurus' on IFG once Baljit has posted the images.

[herb]

A photo like this would help. This is my V. Bernardelli 12 ga made in Gardone, Italy. You can see the bird mark with VBG underneath. Check if your gun has a mark like this as most Italian manufactures had one.



Herb

[Baljit]

Thank's guy's for all the info.i just got back from work and now i dont have any day light left for the pictures but i'll will post more pictures very soon.


Baljit

[rraju2805]

beautiful..
congrats sir.....

[xl_target]

From what I have found on the Internet; Boehler is an international steel-making corporation headquartered in Austria. They make many grades of steel.
Some Beretta guns used Boehler Steel.
I think you should be fine with standard 2 3/4 inch loads. Just don't use magnum loads in the gun. If you're really nervous, take it to a gunsmith and have him check it out. However, if CK's 1957 diagnosis is correct, you should be fine.

Baljit, are there any proof marks on the underside of the barrels?

[gladiatorgarg]

SIR i really envy u to have such a mamajii...njoy sirrr

[Baljit]

Thank's guy's but many thank's to CK,XL and Herb for all the info.they came up with.

XL..... i take this gun to gunsmith as well but he can not came up with the name of manufactures but also he said nothing wrong with gun it's fine and we did some test fire as well,it's shoots only standard 2 3/4 inch loads.

Here is some more pictures for you guy's maybe these pictures will help.




Here is bottam of the barrels.







Baljit

[xl_target]

Here are what the proof marks mean:

http://www.inherited-values.com/wp-cont ... -marks.jpg


The older guns, starting in 1954 were marked with roman numerals starting with X in 1954 and going thru XXVI in 1970. I believe that CK is correct that it was made in 1957. It looks like it has the stamp of the Brescia proof house.
I suspect that the makers mark is the shield with ARMI in it. As to which one of the Italian gun makers it is, I can't tell.]


Here you can see the difference between the Brescia and Gardone proofmarks.
http://www.phoenixinvestmentarms.com/ar ... fmarks.pdf

[Baljit]

Wow!!! Thank's XL , very nice.
Now i am going to print all of these info. for my own record.
With all of this info. this gun made back in 1957 and manufacture by Brescia and Gardone in Italy.

Thank again guy's
Baljit

[Sakobav]

Congrats on the family heirloom

[Baljit]

Thank's Grewal sahib, where you been?

Baljit

[Hammerhead]

Nice work CK and XL

It's good have family support like that. I hope Mammaji does not sober up and ask it back