Yesterday traded for a nice hammer double. Marked on top of barrels, "CONSTRUCTED BY MONTCRIEF AND GYE ST JAMES ST" AND "REREGULATED AND SIGHTED BY ALEXANDER HENRY EDINBURG". Bottom of each barrel stamped with serial mnumber on action and "HENRY'S PATENT A&T 4144" and other tube is marked "HENRY'S PATENT A & T 4145". Serial number is 134x on action and each tube. It has been bored out to 28 ghauge and rear sight dovetail filled. Barrels are 24" and have a bead front sight. Wood has cheek pc. and is super grade wood. It has a flat horn grip cap and back action locks with stalking safeties. All metal except barrels are engraved. I can find no information on this outfit. Was it originally a double rifle? Can I get a letter on this double? Thanks, moodyholler PS, it has an oval on the action with "PATENT NO. 324 1870" stamped on it.

Gye & Moncrieff were at 60 St. James's Street 1876-1885, so the rifle would date from that period. Can't find a listing for them after 1887. "HENRY'S PATENT A&T" means the barrels were originally Henry rifled and made by Adams & Tait, the well-known Birmingham barrelmakers. The numbers 4144 and 4145 are A&T's serial numbers for the tubes. The 134X is Guy & Moncrieff's. This was definitely originally a double rifle that was re-regulated by Alex Henry, and converted to a shotty at some later date. The proof marks on the flats will tell us the rest of the story.

If the Guy & Moncrieff records survive, I'm not aware of it.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Thanks, 400!!! Proofs under barrels on action are a "V" under a Crown under each barrel. Proofs under barrels are one for each barrel consisting of"V" under crown, "CP" under crown, and one I cannot identify. Maybe an animal with horns? Pictures will be very difficult but I will get pics of the gun itseld and post tomorrow evening. Thanks again, moodyholler

I think he meant the proofs indicating the load that the rifle was designed for, like 177-650 for a 577 light load double meant to shoot a 650gr bullet with 177gr BP.

quote:

Originally posted by moodyholler:
Thanks, 400!!! Proofs under barrels on action are a "V" under a Crown under each barrel. Proofs under barrels are one for each barrel consisting of"V" under crown, "CP" under crown, and one I cannot identify. Maybe an animal with horns? Pictures will be very difficult but I will get pics of the gun itseld and post tomorrow evening. Thanks again, moodyholler

Crown over "V" is the London "view" mark. Crown over "CP" is actually Crown over "GP" which is London's definitive proof mark. "GP" is for "Gunmaker's Proof".

Are there any numbers stamped on the barrel flats? If this gun is old enough, and I think it is, caliber probably won't appear as you would think. Let's say it was originally a .500, it would probably be marked "38" or "39" instead of "500". Any numbers like that present?
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Few pics, you have to go past the Savage. Thanks, moodyholler
ttp://s64.photobucket.com/albu...yholler/STUFF%20NEW/