William Coutts, 11 Gerrard Street,
Soho, London
16 bore Back action hammergun
no. 1353
Year of manufacture: 1885-1894
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Click on these images for more detail.
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Heritage Guns comment: This hammergun, with its fine bold foliate engraving and substantial colour, is a remarkably good condition example of the London made sporting hammerguns that were sold in substantial numbers during the period 1865 to 1895. Most unusually for a hammergun of this era, it is fitted with an 'Anson' type forend catch. The Stanton rebounding locks are of high quality and this coupled with the Jones Rotary Underlever and its sensitive restoration makes it a very pretty, safe and highly 'shootable' gun for either game or clays. WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.
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The action is of traditional design
and features: Considerable amounts of original colour-hardening;
Double triggers; Interchangeable chokes; Stanton back action locks;
Rebounding hammers; Jones Rotary Underlever opening;
'Anson' forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 8oz Engraving style Bold foliate scroll.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 4lbs Rear
trigger 4lbs
The Damascus barrels are 30" in length, chambered for 2
3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'dovetail' lump construction
with soft soldered ribs. Top rib is of the smooth, concave, game type.
London reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2008.
Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:
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Nominal Proof Size
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Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
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Minimum Wall Thickness
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Choke Constriction
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| Right Barrel |
17.5mm (0.689")
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0.686"
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0.021" Minimum
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Cyl
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| Left Barrel |
17.5mm (0.689")
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0.686"
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0.027" Minimum
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Cyl
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The Straight Hand Stock and Splinter
Forend are crafted from well figured walnut and are most probably
the original wood. The stock is cast off for a right-handed shot and
is finished with a horn butt plate.
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Well figured walnut stock
and forend.
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The 21 (approx) lines per inch chequering has been cut to a normal sidelock design. The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based preparation as used on best guns by one of the top English makers. This finish uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre just multiple coats of hand rubbed oil.
Approximate stock measurements (including pad) at date of publication:
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Pull to Heel
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Pull to Bump
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Pull to Centre
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Pull to Toe
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14 1/8"
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14 3/16"
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14 1/8"
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14 1/2"
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Drop at Comb
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Drop at Face
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Drop at Heel
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1 11/16"
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2"
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2 9/16"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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Negligible
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1/16" (approximate)
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For the purposes of these measurements,
'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular
to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8"
from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).
Patents Exhibited include:
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867,
Henry Jones' Rotary Underlever patent no. 2040
of 1859,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.