I have just picked up a John A Heckenbach Patent 10 gage double.
It is a belgian gun but marked on the barrels manufactured in Kenosha Wisc.
It looks just like his patent # 178,636 of June 13, 1876. This is a very large action I thought it was an 8 gage. Very tight choke muzzles are tight 12 gage. I will need to take it apart to check on the screw for keeping it on face as it is very loose. Who ever owned it did not know that the patent was for keeping the barrels on face.
It has non-rebounding hammers.
I have a soft spot for the odd double and this seems to be one.
Does anyone have or seen another?
Cheers,
Laurie

left side


Patent Info on action


Barrel marking some idiot used sand paper


Bottom of barrels


face of barrels


face of breach


water table

John Adam Heckenbach

Improvement in Breech-loading firearms
Mayville , Wi
Patent number: 91624
Issue date: Jun 22, 1869
http://www.google.com/patents?id=sf9FAAA...;q=&f=false

Improvement in Metronomes
Mayville , Wi
Patent number: 136435
Issue date: Mar 4, 1873
http://www.google.com/patents?id=HOJJAAA...;q=&f=false

Improvement in Last-Block Fastenings
Mayville , Wi
Patent number: 140038
Issue date: Jun 17, 1873
http://www.google.com/patents?id=4-JOAAA...;q=&f=false

Improvement in Breech-loading firearms
Kenosha , Wi
Patent number: 178636
Issue date: Jun 13, 1876
http://www.google.com/patents?id=s4FXAAA...;q=&f=false

One source that says he died 1879 in Milwaukee.

I believe the LJH on the barrel may be an importer's mark, as it does not correspondent to any Belgian maker's registered mark that I can find.

Where is the left firing pin?

Pete

That's a cool gun and the only one I have ever heard of. Neat lettering on the barrels. Much of the work must have been done in Wisc.

Note the really nice metal to wood fit. I'd like to hear what the condition is on the inside of the barrels.
Jim

Jim,
The barrels looked very rough but when I ran a patch no pits and lots of red rust.
Barrels are 29 1/8 " long and do not appear to have been cut as they muzzles are touching. I will get some more pictures in a few days. I have sent a note to a Heckenback family website to see if they have any information. He later became a doctor and practiced in Chicago.

Here is the patent specification


Patent drawing


Cheers,
Laurie

More information is available on Heckenbach in Larry Schuknecht's book -- Two Shots Multi-Barrel Long Gun Patents and their Inventors.
Larry can be reached at shoptalk@dutchmanwoodworks.com

Another of his patents

Improved Violin
Chicago, Il
Patent number: 761480
Issue date: May 31, 1904
http://www.google.com/patents?id=N6lqAAA...;q=&f=false

It is mentioned here:
http://www.arcade-museum.com/mtr/MTR-1904-38-23/MTR-1904-38-23-17.pdf

Pete

Pete,
The firing pins are not spring loaded and just slide in and out.
Cheers,
Laurie

Laurie:
It sounds like you have a good restoration candidate of a really neat gun there. Let us know what you decide to do with this gun. I'd be interested in hearing about how well his invention works as well.
Jim

Jim,
I am not sure any restoration is needed. The gun is quite clean and the only issue is that it is off face. When I get it apart if the tightening devise works it may be all that is needed. I am not too sure it is a good fix but it is what he patented.
Cheers,
Laurie

Laurie:
I am strictly talking about cosmetics here as I see surface spotting for example to the metal which I would personally clean. I certainly am NOT recommending you refinish the gun. My choice of "restoration" in the above post was perhaps too strong a term.
Jim

Laurie, Neat gun. Please follow up with more pics in detail. I love this site
Ross

Im not sure I understand the tightening method or why the plate would be removed and polished up. Is the plate pushed out against the barrels to tighten it up? If so isnt that going to leave a gap between the plate and standing breech? Could you post some pics of the rest of the gun? Id like to see the stock, hingepin and forend. Thanks again. Ross

The plate moves forward and is able to be polished to clean it up. I took the locks off and had hoped to be able to get at the adjustment. It will need to be taken apart more to get at the adjustment. I would worry about the gap between the plate and standing breach as from the patent all that would then support the plate is a 1/4" screw. Not very good in my opinion.
Will give a few more details later. If any are interested.
Cheers,
Laurie


full length view


butt left side with rulers


forend bottom


right hinge pin detail

stock inletting

locks

Thanks for the update, keep them up. Neat gun.

The gun weighs 10# 14 oz of which 5# 6 oz is the barrels.

Should have put the biography in with this thread? Thought it would get a bit long with it.
Cheers,
Laurie

I've just inherited an interesting dbl barrel. Markings indicate: "John A.D. Heckenbach's Breech Loader, Patented June 22, 1869, Mayville, Dodge Co, Wis." The breech mechanism is rather complicated in that it extends about an inch before the barrels pivot downwards. I can't really imagine what the cartridge looked like, but I suspect it came from a different planet, devoid of DNA-based life forms.

I will post a few photos as soon as I can figure out how to make that happen . . .

Here are a few photos . . .

[img:left]https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...amp;oe=5570E72E[/img]

[img:left]https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...amp;oe=557CC9FD[/img]

[img:left]https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...amp;oe=55717D84[/img]

[img:left]https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...amp;oe=55BBAB53[/img]

A very interesting gun would like to see it in person. Looks like it could be a needle fire.
Cheers,
Laurie

It does indeed have some resemblance to the Dreyse/Berger/Teschner/Collath breech but with external hammers.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Laurie, I'm visiting Montana, but will return to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in a week & would be happy to visit with you. It's a very heavy gun and would make a competitive weight-lifter out of any pheasant hunter who decided to carry it.

I'd be interested to see what a cartridge looks like. ---Gene