What ya think of this Cape gun?

06 June 2010, 02:46

So I have had this Cape gun for a few years now and never have done anything with it. 16ga and I'm not sure what- but it is a large rifle caliber. Seems like a nice gun, but there are a lot of problems. Not sure how good the rifle bbl is, needs a good cleaning first. The shotgun bbl is good.

The Good:
-Wonderfully engraved with scroll and game scenes. 2 Birds, a hunting dog, a running stag and a running doe.
-Some case color
-Incredible wood to metal fit.
-Barrels ring true- no dents.

The Bad:
-Wood shows many handling marks and holes where sling swivel used to be.
-Bluing on rifle bbl is fading.
-Sounds like there is sand in the rib.
-No scope
-Checkering on fore end is damaged in places
-Chips out of fore end
-fore end pin missing

I am considering selling it, I just have no clue what to ask for it. Is it worth sinking money into this gun?

Some pics:

This picture doesn't do it justice but what is left of the case coloring is fantastic.

Underside of the bbls- doesn't look original:

Twist bbl and fluid steel bbl.

Proofs:

Would love to hear what you guys have to say.

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"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. -Henry David Thoreau, Walden

06 June 2010, 08:57

conifer

07 June 2010, 06:39

mt Al

It deserves some bit of love: its a back action hammer gun: the finest action ever. I'm not a fan of that type of underlever though.

My opinion:
Don't put much money into it, but make it a shooter for fun. I had a drilling like that and it was a blast to shoot. Had time on my hands then, though.
Some hack can make a forend pin for it.
Have someone with a wall thickness gauge check the shotgun barrel. If sound, buy very low pressure shot rounds.
Clean out the rifle barrel, cast the chamber and slug the bore. If it's relatively common or easy to form with standard cases, get Cartridges of the World and load some rounds.

Great engraving, one damasucs, one steel barrel, great butt stock. Looks nice but I wouldn't sink too much money into it.

07 June 2010, 19:54

shakari

Looks like an interesting piece historically and I'd say it's not impossible that the engraving might have been done by 2 separate people at maybe 2 separate times.

Might be worth asking Dig Diggory of Vintage arms who posts here as smallbore for his opinion.