J.H. Merrill shotgun

[ewmail15]

I bought and restored two Merrill carbines, and saw a shell of a shotgun for sale on eBay weeks back.  Wound up buying it, and having a blast finding out all I can about it.  Hoping as well to restore it to its former glory, keeping as much of it as I can, and in its currently aged condition.  Write-up and plenty more photos are here - https://jameshmerrilltribute.smugmug.com/Firearm-Related/Merrill-Shotgun/.  Just click on the Read More link for details, including measurements.  Anyone who might have parts I could use to restore it, please contact me.  Sure would love to see it hanging on my wall looking it did back in Merrill's retail shop.

I found great examples here - https://www.ima-usa.com/products/original-british-12-bore-double-barrel-percussion-shotgun-by-manton-of-london-circa-1840?variant=31191396188229,

and here (need login credentials) - https://classic.gunauction.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=8422515

Few photos are:

[A.Merrill]

   Thank's for posting this. It's always nice to see guns my ancestors made.    Al

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Spent much of last night and today working on the cancerous rust.  Think I've removed/neutralized all of it, could have been done with electrolysis, but I just didn't want this beautiful relic to be my first attempt.  I saw a few threads showing the six different Damascus styles utilized by the manufacturers of the era.  Could someone who's an authority share your assessment on the barrels I have?  I spent some time as well polishing up the metal/engraved parts (less the lockplates) and am really happy with the results - as well, the fine craftsmanship on these parts are wonderful.  I'll post those later tonight.  Thanks, Eric. 

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Engraved parts.

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Grouse on the left lockplate, pheasant on the right?  Loving everything about this restoration...

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Summarizing my questions here:

- Any thoughts on which Birmingham manufacturer(s) might have sold/shipped this beauty to Merrill?
- Anyone know if retailers like Merrill actually took base/non-engraved firearms and had their in-house engravers (what's official artisan's title?) make their own engravings, including the J.H. Merrill stamps?
- Are the barrels Damascus, and if so which style?
- Does anyone have a right side lockplate that I could scavenge the mainspring and tumbler, or individual pieces?  Measurements are in the write-up on my website shotgun page.
- Anyone have, or know of examples like mine that could be used to replicate the stock?
- Anyone know of a gunsmith with the skills to reproduce the stock, or my preference repair my existing stock?

[Pukka Bundook]

Eric,
The barrels appear to be the normal for that time, stub-iron twist.

Sometimes we see"Twisted stubs" stamped on the underside of the breech.

Best,
Richard.

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Thanks for the reply Richard.

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A few more photos of my shotgun re-assembled.  More are on my site.  I'll keep searching for parts, maybe find a donor with the exactly same stock as mine (found one, need one more photo of the barrel tang). 

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Anyone have an idea what caused the former owner to cut a groove in the left barrel block that fits into the barrel tang?  Also, does anyone have knowledge to share on the "IC" between each barrel's two Birmingham proof marks?  Heard from a restorer that he thought it was the barrel manufacturer's initials, maybe an Isaac.  Thanks for anyone who can shed some more light on this one.

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I was really hoping this find would spark some conversations.  Could anyone with any books on Birmingham gun manufacturers (gun quarter) do some researching for any shotguns like mine, including any names with initials "IC"?  I've found a few Bentley & Playfair shotguns that are very similar. 

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I saw a shotgun tonight that had similar initials between the underside barrel stampings - HG.  That one also had the same initials between the two breech blocks.  Someone please provide the correct name.  Took mine apart, scrubbed that area a bit, but found nothing.  What I DID find was a T.J (no 2nd period?) before the first ramrod ring.  Attaching some extra photos to my two for reference.  With all the documentation online and several books over the generations written on English shotguns, I'd think the IC and TJ initials might be listed somewhere.  Hoping someone can chime in with some possibilities. 

First three photos are of my shotgun. Fourth is a Banks London barrel showing a T.x, Fifth is a Hollis & Sons (H&S), and last three are of a John Blanch shotgun showing an HG stamp.

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I said to myself, try once more to find markings on the spine.  My little 40x still showed nothing, and my 100x had its clear plastic end too far from the spine to pick up the details.  I still had some CLR in a jar, so I went at it again.  @!*% if I didn't see a beautiful "S", then others still too faint to identify came into view.  The first two photos show the "S" with my pen mark, just to make it easier to start taking the photos. 

I can't tell if I have the photos right-side up or upside down, but think they're right.  The "S" is closer to the muzzle, and the third photo is closer to the breech. 

Come tomorrow morning, I'll go outside and see if my Kodak Pixpro can do better resolution-wise than my wife's iPhone.  If anyone has any ideas at all on what the letters are, please reply.  Looks to my 40x eye that several letters have horizontal top and bottom markings as accents(?) to the individual letters. 

Is there any type of pen or substance I can apply to the area to better expose the parts of the letters that still have some definition/impression?  I tried using a black felt pen but was of no benefit after wiping with my finger. 

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Could anyone recommend an English shotgun knowledge expert I could contact? 

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I had my 100x magnifier pen, but the clear plastic base was too long to allow me to see the fine details/lettering on the rib.  Looks like London Twist, but still not 100%.  With that 100x I'm very worried about the rust I'm still seeing.  I'm leaning now towards going the electrolysis route.  Will it adversely affect the lettering on the rib, or will it affect the platinum plugs or lines (rib end)?  I'll check the forum again for posts showing best tools/supplies/steps to follow. 

Missed out on a UK-sold shotgun that I could have used for most of what I'm needing, but might have another one in the states that would save me half the UK price.  Thanks, Eric.

[T*O*F]

I'm very worried about the rust I'm still seeing.  I'm leaning now towards going the electrolysis route.

Go to your local auto parts store and buy a gallon of Evapo-rust.  It will remove "only the rust" and not harm anything else.  For gun barrels, I put a cap on the end of a correct sized piece of PVC pipe.  Drop the barrel in and let it set overnite.  The rust will be gone in the morning.  The solution is re-useable until it's depleted and is non-toxic.

[ewmail15]

Evaporust cleaned up everything very nicely.  Few nights back, I found a Deane & Son shotgun with very similar lockplate patterns - around the edges, grouse on one, pheasant on the other.  Were better engraved lockplates than mine, and birds were inverted from mine, but hay it's the closest I've found to date.  I messaged the person who had posted his photos on another forum, hoping he would provide add'l photos.  Will see if all the inletted areas match mine. 

[ewmail15]

Should have asked long time ago - how do I measure the barrel length?  Do I measure from the muzzle to the end of the assembly (where it mates to the barrel tang piece)?  Just to where the barrels are welded to the rear pieces (what's it called?)?