Stephen Grant, 67a St James's Street, London
16 bore Side Lever, Back Action Hammergun
No. 5535


Date of manufacture: 1885

Click on these images for more detail.

Heritage Guns' Comment

Grant sidelever hammerguns in bore sizes other than 12 are very rare and so we grabbed the chance to acquire this 16b even though it had a smashed stock. Since then we have been busy restocking it with a lovely piece of old European walnut, possibly French, getting it nitro reproofed to 2 ¾", relaying the ribs etc.
Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding with one of our outworkers, some of this work overran and we are exhibiting this gun at the 2012 Southern S/S Classic as 'work-in-progress'.
Quite a lot of work remains to do and we hope to have it finished by early summer.

WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.

The action is of back action hammergun design and features:
Stanton rebounding back action locks;
Side lever opening, operating a Purdey Bolt;
Double triggers
Anson pushrod forend catch.
Gun weight 6lb 7oz
Engraving style Best Foliate Scroll
The bar of the action inscribed 'STEPHEN GRANT PATENT'.
Trigger pulls are not currently regulated for any particular poundage.
The original damascus barrels are 29 3/4" in length, chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed dovetail lump construction with soft soldered ribs. There a very few small vestigial pits just infront of the LH chamber, RH barrel is clean.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type.
London reproof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2011


Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:

 
Nominal Proof Size
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
Minimum Wall Thickness
Choke Constriction
Right Barrel
17.1mm
(0.673")
0.672"
0.028" Minimum
0.002" (Skeet)
Left Barrel
17.1mm
(0.673")
0.670"+
0.027" Minimum
0.002" (Skeet)

Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted from highly figured walnut. The replacement stock is very slightly cast-off for a right-handed shot. The forend features a finely engraved steel forend tip. There is one central inlet repair to the forend within the area to be re-chequered. There is an inlet repair to the front of the stock comb where a 'shake' was discovered in the latter stages of restocking.

Highly figured walnut

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, only many hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.

Approximate stock measurements at date of publication:

Pull to Heel
Pull to Bump
Pull to Centre
Pull to Toe
15 1/2"
15 3/4"
15 1/2"
15 7/8"
Drop at Comb
Drop at Face
Drop at Heel
1 3/8"
1 5/8"
2 1/2"
Cast at Comb
Cast at Heel
Neglible
1/16" (approximate)

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,
Purdey's Bolt patent no. 1104 of 1863,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.