Author Topic: 20 ga. find  (Read 8384 times)

Dave K

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20 ga. find
« on: April 09, 2009, 08:46:47 PM »
My latest 20ga. find. I suspect it is French, but I am not totally sure. It has been reconverted using the original lock plates. The bores look like mirrors, better than any other original shotgun I have purchased. Of course curious as to approx. period of build, though I have an opinon. There are names on the locks and I am struggling to read them. Maybe if I rub chalk into them I can make out the names. The left lock has a name that looks like it starts with a S than the last name which is something like this Et?...?. The right lock is even tougher to make out There are 2 lines. The top one is a guess again, but appears to be maybe a fancy P followed by a name that may start with a C. Under this is another line that may start with an L followed by another name that may start with a G. It almost appears to be the name Guild. Of course any help would be appreciated. I find no markings anywhere on the barrel, top or bottom. Any ideas, to help fill in the blanks?

« Last Edit: April 10, 2009, 03:35:44 AM by Dave K »

Online D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2009, 08:56:46 PM »
It's a very nice gun in great shape.  Please take some hi resolution pictures in subdued light, and post again. 
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Dave K

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2009, 12:41:50 AM »
Will do! Please advice me on this high resolution. My camera is a 4.0 mp. I took these pictures at 1.1 mp because of size. Should I up the mp and then crop them down so that they are not so big?

Online D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2009, 01:26:30 AM »
I take mine as big as the camera will allow - mine is 4.8 MP.  Then photobucket will reduce them to fit this screen, but you still get larger, better defined picsa.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Online D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2009, 01:33:42 AM »
This is just an example of the clarity and size I get with that system.

D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2009, 01:39:10 AM »
French or Belgian, another nice one! ;D
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Offline Dave B

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2009, 04:03:38 AM »
There is no dowbt in my mind its a French piece. The locks, trigger guard and butt plate are clearly french in style. It is a nice looking SXS congrats on the find.
Dave Blaisdell

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2009, 03:39:18 PM »
There is no dowbt in my mind its a French piece. The locks, trigger guard and butt plate are clearly french in style. It is a nice looking SXS congrats on the find.
I agree, but the architecture leans me towards being a Belgian stocked gun, the hardware is definitely French or heavily french influenced. The quality of the locks  makes me think Belgium too. But, keep in mind I have been wrong once or twice. ;)
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Jim Filipski

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2009, 04:09:04 PM »
Well, I must be doing something wrong. I took these pictures at 4mp. Yet, they are smaller than I intended to post. ??? I have no idea what I could be doing wrong.



Dave,
From what I see on your photobucket site you are only uploading 330 pixel wide images You need at least 750 pixel wide images to show here wit some detail.
Check you camera setting to make sure you are on "high quality" or "Best"
looks like this is set for small images foe e-mailing
Camera MP size means nothing if you don't have the camera set to its full size image
Jim
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Offline Jim Filipski

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2009, 04:17:47 PM »
Actually I really feel that if folks post on the photobucket site they should put up their images at at least 1000 pixel wide ( this site will drop them to 700 px but if you then download them to your computer you will get the large sizes which is great for your archives
Jim
" Associate with men of good quality,  if you esteem your own reputation:
for it is better to be alone than in bad company. "      -   George Washington

"A brush of the hand
of Providence is behind what is done with good heart."

Dave K

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2009, 04:38:06 PM »
Jim, Not being the sharpest camera/computer guy in the world, this is what I have been doing. I have been sending the pictures to my Kodak Easy Share program where I crop and edit them. I then send them to a place on the computer called "my documents". From there, I can send them to Photo Bucket. It seems like a lot of tap dancing to get them posted and I am sure there is an easier way. I would think, I could just take them from the camera to Photo Bucket, but like I said, I am not the sharpest guy in the world to do this. I will attempt to retake the pictures the reload them. I hope.

Levy

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2009, 05:23:06 PM »
The Et..... on one lock could be the beginning of Etienne.

James Levy

Offline Longknife

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2009, 05:24:57 PM »
Could the locks be inscribed "Saint Etienne". A lot of french guns were, this was the center of gunmaking in France from Louis XIV to WW 1.....Ed
Ed Hamberg

Dave K

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2009, 05:34:28 PM »
YES! That does look like it must be it! It is inscribed as S Etienne. Now that I see what it could be looking like, there is no question that is what it is. Any guess to around what dates? I am am still trying to decipher the other wording on the locks.
Thanks!

Dave K

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2009, 09:43:34 PM »
Posted better pictures in the thread "French Flint........again" and deleted the pictures in this thread.

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2009, 12:57:03 AM »
YES! That does look like it must be it! It is inscribed as S Etienne. Now that I see what it could be looking like, there is no question that is what it is. Any guess to around what dates? I am am still trying to decipher the other wording on the locks.
Thanks!
Well, if it says St. Etienne forget about my Belgian theory! ;D
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Dave K

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Re: 20 ga. find
« Reply #16 on: April 13, 2009, 01:27:54 AM »
Thanlks for the reply. I find it unusual that the butt plate is one piece and wraps over or around the heal and the toe and inletted as well. Do you have any idea on approx. time period, for this gun. The barrels do not have Nock type of breechs. Just standard kind of hooked breech plugs with a vent in the barrel just ahead of them. Only a guess on my behalf as well. It seems as if the Belgian guns have the front sight back from the muzzle about 4" where on this gun the front sight is back from the muzzle about 3/4". The trigger guard is very similar in the bow area, but the French gun has a grip rail where the Belgian gun has a long inleted tang. My Dad now owns the Belgian 20ga. I used to own.  I am glad he owns it, but it was a mistake I sold it. (another mistake I have made AGAIN!)I certainly can see some simularties, between the two guns.