doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need help with gun history and identification

Any ball park pricing on a restoration for this gun? What would the restoration entail? would they reuse the stock or build a new one and what about the barrels?

New tubes would have to be sleeved into the remains of your barrels, which IS going to be expensive. Perhaps someone has had that done and can guess a price.

I can't tell about the butt, but it looks like it an be saved - unless it is already a replacement in which case you might want to do it a second time with better wood. It is too dirty to judge from your photos. The horrible checkering may force a replacement of the fore end wood, but let a gunsmith determine that.

Wild guesses from us based on photos will not do you much good. You need to get together with one of the restoration guys and see if they are willing, and get a ball park quotation.

Pictures of the barrel mods

If that was my gun I would start by contacting John Foster in the UK. With out a doubt John offers the finest sleeving currently available. I think your fore end can be saved. The Stock Doctor, Dennis Earl Smith can make that horrible checkering right. First step is to get the barrels straightened out. Nice gun, rare makers involved.

You might consider casing it up and flying out to Las Vegas next month to the Antique Arms Show. Many qualified gunsmiths and a bunch of this membership will be there to give assessments of your gun. You'll learn a lot about doubles and see thousands of them all in one place.

I'd like to add a word of caution: don't attempt any restoration at all before you learn about this gun and how proper restoration is done. Wire brushes and sandpaper have ruined many potentially restoreable guns. Dont do it.

Just some wags of the work that you might encounter...
Barrel sleeving $1500-2000
Casehardening the frame and misc parts $200-300
Barrel blueing $200-300
Trigger guard blueing $60-150
Stock refinishing $250-400
Checkering $250-500
Complete restocking $1200-3000 (labor)
Stock blanks $200-2000

Innocent question
Is this end of the barrel a cantidate for welding?
Mike

Mike
Didn't he mention somewhere they were shortened? Otherwise, yes the holes cold be welded.

Ricktr00.
In my opinion unless your gun has sentimental value that far exceeds its commercial value it is not worth restoration. For example You can purchase a comparable gun in good shape for 50% of the cost of restoring yours.
For the record, The engraving is similar in style to that illustrated in the Webley & Scott Wholesale catalogue for the 400 & 500 series shotguns. This series of shot guns was sold in three grades with the top grades very elaborately engraved.

Rickyr00,

First things first, how are the bores? What is the wall thickness? Find these things out, very important!!

It appears that the damage is 5" or so from the ends. If the barrels are good, (see above) and are 30" you could simply have them cut to 25" and the muzzles cleaned up. Still a usefull length even though unpopular at the present. Wait a few years and that will change, again! Your chokes will be Cyl/Cyl. That is OK in a upland gun. This will be reasonable cost-wise.

If that is not suitable then I would approach a good micro weld shop. I think that far down the tubes pressure isn't too high. The welding and the proper clean up of the bores and muzzles followed by a proper prep and rust blue should be around 1K.

The wood appears to need dried out, cleaned, refinished and re checkered. No idea what that would cost as I have done this myself in the past for about ten bucks. Acetone, floor dry, your finish of choice.

Your gun now, good luck!

Chief