First one. A 12ga single shot shotgun w/ a side handle lock (non-functional). I can't find a manufacturer name on it but there is a serial # on the inside where the grip covers the barrel. Barrel is 28 3/4". It is currently non-functional and a complete beater. Unless it's got some sort of historical value or parts, I'm thinking a GSL donation for their next 'buy back'.
Second: A dbl-barrel caplock. One hammer is missing and there's lots of wear/rounding. The single hammer does work and the barrel is 31 1/2":
Any help would be appreciated.
8 comments:
Not a clue on the first, but the second is interesting. Manton rifles are very valuable antiques and shooters and this may not be one of them. I have some pieces of and old double labeled Thos Parker. Evidently, a lot of these Belgian shotguns were imported without names, and often were labeled by small sellers with names similar to guns costing much much more. Mine has laminated steel barrels and is unsafe to fire. Keep checking, but it may be a similar piece.
I didn't see either one in my gun book so I called the Brady Bunch for some help with the ID.
They said the first one is an AK-47 and the second one is an AR-15.
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=78557
Probably worth about $100, the & Co. indicates it's a low end shotty.
What NFO said.
In the Napoleonic era novels about Jack Aubrey by Patrick O'Brian, Manton guns, both pistols and rifles, are featured several times. They are considered the finest of their kind in the novels.
Would that I could contribute more, but that is the limit of my insight on this subject.
The first looks a lot like an old quackenbush. H.M. Quakenbush made mostly airguns but they did manufacture a few shotguns and .22 rifles. The shotguns are extremely rare, less than 200 if I remember correctly. If you could take and upload more detailed pics I might be able to find out more. But just by looking at the 2 pics it looks similar to the 1 28 ga Quakenbush I handled back in the early 90's.
Incidentally, the reason Ive been holding on to my (useless) double is I think it would make a REALLY fun .22 double rifle. Like a safari gun in miniature. Sure its not the most useful thing still, but I think that would be awesome. Someday I'll get to that. That sidelock, if it could be reworked, could be pretty cool and unique. If its a rare quakenbush shotgun of course, it would not be recommended.
The "Manton" marked gun is a chaepo " Le Shootsguns Belgique" , or "Belgian Shotgun" circa 1895.
Similar sold for $3.50 in the 1904 Sears catalog when a new LC Smith with really nice damascus barrels was 22 bucks, and a field grade Ithaca with fluid steel barrels was $18.50.
Was low grade cheap tool when new.
Useful as tomato stake or trotline weight now.
Regards
GKT
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