1858 Enfield, J.J. Weston and C.G. Bonehill.

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Sasquatch807

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Yesterday was my lucky day!!!

A friend calls me up and says, "My dad cleaned out his fishing & hunting club`s main camp and wants to get rid of some old unregistered guns. You want them? " Never one to say no to that sort of proposition, I drove over to his house right away in case he changed his mind. When I saw the guns I was quite surprised.

Although they are not in the best of shape (see pix), I find them interesting and have started doing a bit of research on them. Any of you BP fans want to give me some hints as to the approximate year for the two shotguns? The 1858 Enfield is a breech-loading conversion with a 28 1/2" barrel. The stock seems to have been cut in front of the rear most band and rear sight is missing. Behind the hammer on the side plate, there`s a large crown stamped with the letters V.R. under it and also a small crown forward of the 1858 Enfield stamp. Did the V.R. stand for Volunteer`s Rifle?

I suspect I don`t have to register the Enfield but what about the two shotguns?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

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I wish I would get scores like that!!

The shot guns are very beautiful and the sneider is busted up just enough that rebuilding it wont be smiting its antique value.

All I have to say is wow wow wow!!
 
The Snider is a cut down long rifle. It is about a $250.00 dollar rifle depending on the condition of bore and breech. It is an antique and you don't have to register it nor have a PAL to have it. The shotguns, I think, are both registerable firearms as ammunition is probably still made for them. You would also require a PAL to acquire them...my opinion. Nice old guns!!! Bonehill is a well known British gunsmith of the era. They made over a lot of Martinis and also put together many small caliber cadet martinis.
 
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Not to be disagreeable, but both shotguns look to have damacus barrels. That is to say, barrels formed by heating bands of steel, and forming them around a central mandrel. If that is the case (look for the letters BNP and a number on the barrels under the stock), they are made for the low pressure black powder loads ONLY. Loading modern ammunition may lead to the welds letting go, and the barrels exploding into a big curl of steel. The BNP mark means "British Nitro Proof", and indicate that they have been checked out on smokeless powder loads. The number would indicate how many tons of pressure they were tested for. VERY nice find, by the way, and lucky you!
 
Yes, they are Damascus and I have no intention of shooting them as they are, especially with modern ammo. The Bonehill is missing it's firing pins and the Weston is very thick barrelled and solid looking but it's action is a bit loose to say the least. A lot of those shotguns were loosened by the use of early smokeless powder shotshells. The owners didn't want to use black powder shells anymore and couldn't afford to buy the new guns to replace them. As for the Snider Enfield, ammo is kind of rare. I'm still looking for the meaning of V.R. And the approximate era (decade) of the shotguns.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.


LawrenceN said:
Not to be disagreeable, but both shotguns look to have damacus barrels. That is to say, barrels formed by heating bands of steel, and forming them around a central mandrel. If that is the case (look for the letters BNP and a number on the barrels under the stock), they are made for the low pressure black powder loads ONLY. Loading modern ammunition may lead to the welds letting go, and the barrels exploding into a big curl of steel. The BNP mark means "British Nitro Proof", and indicate that they have been checked out on smokeless powder loads. The number would indicate how many tons of pressure they were tested for. VERY nice find, by the way, and lucky you!
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green said:
If the shotguns are 10,12,16, 20,28 or 410 calibre they have to be registered.
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If you bushed the chambers of the 12 guage shotguns to shoot the 14 guage Greener Police shell, it would be considered an antique and would not have to be registered. The Greener Police shell was a 12 guage base necked down to 14 guage about 3/4" ahead of the base and was used in Indian prisons so that the guns could not be shot with 12 guage shells.

The guns will not pattern worth a damn if chambered that way, I should mention.

cheers mooncoon
 
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