Stephen Grant, 67a St James's Street,
London
12 bore Back Action Hammergun
No. 3879, No 2 of pair
Date of manufacture: 1875
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
This is a superb example of a Best
London sidelever hammergun from this highly respected gunmaker,
made when hammerguns were heading for their zenith in terms of
design and aesthetics.
This gun exhibits two interesting transitional features rarely
seen in later guns of this type. The first are the very obvious
large hammers that protrude into the line of site even when cocked.
Many game shots of the time preferred this design feature as they
felt that it aided them in perceiving forward allowance, while
others favoured the 'low, out of sight when cocked' feature of
later guns. The second feature is less obvious and is the very
rarely seen original form of the Hodges patent which uses two
free floating bolts to engage with the side projections on the
rear lump as well a single Purdey-like bite. However, even here
the patent specification is partially ignored, as the single Purdey
bite should be in the front lump not the rear. This can be considered
as the success of practicality over specification as a rear bite
is mechanically far superior. The gun was undoubtedly actioned
by EC Hodges himself as shown by the trademark stamps, he being
the premier actioner of early centre fire breechloaders to the
London trade.
Over the last decade, the sidelever has become the most sought
after operating mechanism by collectors of antique shotguns and
this represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of these lovely
guns. The 30" barrels have been TIG sleeved and proofed for
2 ¾" nitro cartridges and this all adds up to a strong
gun that is a joy to shoot and should give many years of service
on game or clays with normal maintenance.
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
back action sidelock design and features:
Side lever operating a Hodge patent bolt which engages the rear lump
by way of lateral projections and single bite,
Long top strap, Double triggers, Grant's extractor mechanism,
Rebounding back action locks with 'Hare's Ear' hammers,
Finely chiselled 'Percussion' fences
and Deeley forend catch.
Gun weight 7lb
Engraving style Best fine foliate scroll.
'STEPHEN GRANT'S PATENT' engraved on the sides of the action and 'PATENT'
in an oval on the top of the breech. No. '2' is engraved on forend,
trigger guard and top rib.
EC Hodges trade mark stamped on breech face.
'GRANT & HODGES PATENT 423' stamped on flats.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 1/4lbs Rear
trigger 3 3/4lbs
The TIG sleeved steel to damascus barrels are 30" in length,
chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'through'
lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type.
London proof for 70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2013.
Approximate barrel measurements
at date of publication:
|
Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel |
18.5mm
(0.728")
|
0.728"
|
0.037"
|
0.012" (IC)
|
Left Barrel |
18.5mm
(0.728")
|
0.728"
|
0.037"
|
0.025" (IM)
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Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted
from highly figured walnut. The stock is lightly cast off for a right-handed
shot and features a yellow metal oval (with faint 'Rampant Lion' engraved)
and ¾" leather covered recoil pad. The forend has an engraved
steel tip.
The 20 approx lines per inch chequering has
been freshened to the original pattern.
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
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Pull to Toe
|
14 1/2"
|
14 5/8"
|
14 5/8"
|
15"
|
Drop at Comb
|
Drop at Face
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Drop at Heel
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1 11/16"
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1 7/8"
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2 5/8"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
|
Negligible
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1/8" (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,
James Purdey's patent no. 1104 of 1863,
EC Hodges patent no. 251 of 1871,
Deeley's forend fastener patent no. 1422 of 1873.