A friend asked me to help him find out about his customers recently acquired heirloom - the action is marked "Richard Diemar Taunton, Massachusetts V73639" - this is a double barrel (side by side) with hammers, has an underlever barrel break action, the barrels are either engraved or may be Damascus barrels - it appears to be a 12 gauge shotgun - my friends customer inherited it from his grandfather who formerly lived in the New England area - does anyone know anything about this firearm or where information exists ? Thanks - KMule

First pull the barrels and see if there are proof marks. If there are then most likey the action was marked for one of the many importers. Thousands and thousands of guns were made over seas then marked for who ever was selling them.

I can't find any ref to that one right now I'll do some more checking.

Thanks, I'm still looking into this one with no luck yet - KMule

Diemar, Richard

Taunton, MA - Directory Listed 1856 - 1878

Boston, MA - Directory Listed 1878 - 1879

1/2 Stock Percussion

(American Gunsmiths, Frank M. Sellers)





As already stated - check for Proof marks on the Barrels. Quite common for American Makers to use English (sometimes Belgian) barrels for shotguns, but in the case of a cartridge gun as this one, I would guess it was made in Europe with Diemar's name (contract gun). Kinda like all the American makers that made guns for Sears, Wards, various Hardware stores, etc., etc., etc.

Thanks for this info - will continue to investigate so the owner can get a ballpark idea of the firearms history and value - KMule