Antique Coach gun

jetrefueller

jetrefueller

Regular
Rating - 100%
75   0   0
Location
Northern Ontario
Hi Gents I'm wondering if anyone has any idea of the value of this gun. It was made by J Braddel & Son of Belfast Ireland around 1870. The gun has flawless Damascus barrels and the right barrel has what looks like a very slow twist of rifling which is almost straight. There is no rust whatsoever and has a brown patina. The wood looks perfect with a couple of minor dings. It takes a two and three quarter 12guage shell which I know would be black powder.
An old gent I know wants to sell it to me but I would like to know what to offer him for it. Any help would be appreciated.

[
IMG]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x108/ie60jetfueller/003-6.jpg[/IMG]
004-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
jetrefueller said:
Hi Gents I'm wondering if anyone has any idea of the value of this gun. It was made by J Braddel & Son of Belfast Ireland around 1870. The gun has flawless Damascus barrels and the right barrel has what looks like a very slow twist of rifling which is almost straight. There is no rust whatsoever and has a brown patina. The wood looks perfect with a couple of minor dings. It takes a two and three quarter 12guage shell which I know would be black powder.
An old gent I know wants to sell it to me but I would like to know what to offer him for it. Any help would be appreciated.

[
IMG]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x108/ie60jetfueller/003-6.jpg[/IMG]
004-2.jpg
Click to expand...
JEEPERS! Nice piece!
Under lever, big ol' fences, are you SURE it is a 2 3/4" gun, or does a 2 3/4" shell fit it?:eek:
A gun that old with an underlever I would suspect would be 2 1/2", but I have been wrong before.
is the lock up tight, hammers solid, basically is it in good firing order?
I normally pay about $350-$450 for a gun like that......
Cat
 
We need to know more about the "rifling", as this may be more then a side X side hammer gun w/damascus barrels and Jones underlever, otherwise i would say it is at least a $400 gun. Could it be some variation of Cape or Paradox gun??
 
The fact that a 2 3/4" unfired shotgun shell will fit does not mean that it is chambered for 2 3/4". The 2 3/4" fired hull (max length) will fit in a 2 3/4" chamber. 2 1/2" chambers will accept a fired 2 1/2" hull. Be careful and measure the chamber.
 
I don't know what you mean by "coach" gun.
Hope some twinkie hasn't chopped the barrels.
That was a quality gun when it was made. One rifled barrel is interesting. The proof marks will reveal information about what it was intended to shoot. It is also a fairly early gun.
 
kjohn said:
The fact that a 2 3/4" unfired shotgun shell will fit does not mean that it is chambered for 2 3/4". The 2 3/4" fired hull (max length) will fit in a 2 3/4" chamber. 2 1/2" chambers will accept a fired 2 1/2" hull. Be careful and measure the chamber.
Click to expand...

Exactly!!
I do not know how many fellas I have talked to that tell me they have
"old guns" like the ones I shoot but they are "only 2 3/4" chambers"!:eek:
NONE of the 15 I own and shoot are that long, they were all 2 1/2", regardless of gauge , but I shoot brass cases .
That underlever is nice, and if it is tight a fella would pay decent money for it if looking for a shooter, which i do - I'm not a collector, I like to shoot my guns, so I would pay a little more for one is decent working order, but maybe with a few dings on the stock , etc.
being possible a cape gun is a distinct possibility , for sure...
Cat
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I'll have to go over and have another look but I was sure it had two and three quarters on the barrels. I will measure them and try for some better pics, these were only taken with my phone. I actually called the company in Belfast but they said there was a fire around 1900 which wiped out all records of the original gunmakers files. They did say this gun was handmade by the original old guy Mr Braddel. By the way the lockup is like a new gun. I suspect it wasn't used much and put away.
 
Last edited:
jethunter said:
It will be 2.5 inch chamber, NOT 2.75inch.
$200-$300.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Longer chamberings including 2-3/4" and 3" date back to the late 19th century. Greener references 2-3/4" and 3" pigeons loads in The Gun and Its Development which was first published in 1881.
 
Claybuster said:
Not necessarily. Longer chamberings including 2-3/4" and 3" date back to the late 19th century. Greener references 2-3/4" and 3" pigeons loads in The Gun and Its Development which was first published in 1881.
Click to expand...

It's almost certain to be 2.5". Regular gunmakers did not chamber for longer cartridges at that time. This is not a Greener or equivalent shotgun. Anything is possible, but not likely.
 
jethunter said:
It's almost certain to be 2.5". Regular gunmakers did not chamber for longer cartridges at that time. This is not a Greener or equivalent shotgun. Anything is possible, but not likely.
Click to expand...
While the cautions about it likely being a 2.5" are prudent, regular gunmakers made a wide variety of bore and chamber sizes at that time. Anything is possible which is why one cannot emphatically state that it is not a 2-3/4" chamber.

As for the value of the gun it might be worth $1,000 or it might be worth the price you'd pay for a wallhanger. Any gun of this vintage should be examined and measured by a knowledgable gunsmith for soundness. Over a span of 140 years who knows what mischief might have been visited on the gun.
 
Antique

I would get it send it to a gunsmith that was famaliar with doubles.
You have an excellent one in Ontario who in my view can give you a real value and address the chamber issue.;)

Precision Arms & Gunsmithing Ltd.
3-2974 King Road
King City, Ontario, Canada L7B 1L6
Telephone: 905.833.7151
Facsimile: 905.833.7155
e-mail: trigger@precisionarms.ca


Cheers/luck, John
 
About the rifling in the one barrell, look up info on the Huskavarna shotguns, they also have one barrel with straight rifling, it is therorized that it improved pattern of shot, but also heard that it had to do with some Swedish gun laws at the late 1800's about shooting wildfowl and big game with the same gun?More advanced Husky owners may have the full story, great gun, but should have 2-1/2" chamber, good luck Dale in T-Bay
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom