Trade Gun with serpent on the side

[tiriaq]

Here is the petite HBC 24ga shotgun. The ramrod is an unfinished replacement; still needs to be stained. The hammer is old, and a decent fit, well proportioned. Colour needs to be adjusted to match the lock. The hammer screw is a temporary, for the photo. New nipple. Gun was made by E Bond, which company was viewer and contractor for the HBC for many years. Barrel has been slightly shortened. I would suggest the gun was made 1880-1900. Lock has the tombstone fox mark of the HBC, initials EB. Same mark as on Loyer's Barnett.

 

[jpc]

Nice and very interesting...

 

[B_noser]

Interesting.
I have a perhaps identical E Bond fowler in 26 gauge with a 29 3/4" barrel. No HBC mark. Since it retains the notch for the ramrod at the end of the under rib, I assumed the barrel to be original length. What is the length of the barrel on yours and what leads you to believe it has been shortened?

 

[tiriaq]

Underrib notch is still there, as is the front sight. Barrel is 30". Muzzle is filed at a bit of an angle. This was sometimes done to regulate the shooting of round balls.
I would not be at all surprised if your Bond is a HBC gun. The small bore is a characteristic. The tombstone mark was dropped as time passed. At lot of these single and double guns were marketed as "Imperials". Imperial No. 1, 2, Imperial Special. I have a ml double marked "Imperial Extra Special". That mark was unknown to the Museum of the Fur Trade.

 

[B_noser]

Thanks for the info.
I was aware that muzzles were sometimes adjusted to regulate the shooting of round balls.
Would you happen to have links to any HBC reference material?

 

[tiriaq]

Not online. There is Jim Gooding's book on HBC guns, and the encyclopedic volume from the Museum of the Fur Trade.

 

[TikkaT3-7mm]

That’s great to see these original guns, they are a great piece of history. I would love to own one, one day.

 

[Loyer]

Any idea what these cuts in the stock are used for ? Maybe a way to mount a sling ?

 

[mooncoon]

Any idea what these cuts in the stock are used for ? Maybe a way to mount a sling ?

I wonder if the gun was held by wire to a wall somewhere as a display ?

cheers mooncoon