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.
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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:
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Nominal Proof Size
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Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
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Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel |
17.1mm
(0.673")
|
0.672"
|
0.028" Minimum
|
0.002" (Skeet)
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Left Barrel |
17.1mm
(0.673")
|
0.670"+
|
0.027" Minimum
|
0.002" (Skeet)
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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.
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
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Pull to Bump
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Pull to Centre
|
Pull to Toe
|
15 1/2"
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15 3/4"
|
15 1/2"
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15 7/8"
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Drop at Comb
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Drop at Face
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Drop at Heel
|
1 3/8"
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1 5/8"
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2 1/2"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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Neglible
|
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,
Purdey's Bolt patent no. 1104 of 1863,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.