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Gentlemen;

My two-year quest for a 10ga hammer double came to an end Saturday thanks to the Lacey, WA Cabella's store. From what the gent in the Gun Library told me, they received an older gentleman's shotgun collection which ran heavy into older doubles, many of them 10 gauges. In and amongst the pile was a "Rival" field grade 10ga with 30" Damascus barrels. The chambers are 2 7/8" long, but I have no idea how it is choked. This beast is in probably 80-85% condition, complete with color case hardening, a very tight action, and clear Damascus patterns on the barrels. The bores shine like a new dime! I took it apart, hung the barrels and they ring very clearly, with no strange vibrations or rattling. The only glitch I can see (apart from a few dings in the wood) is a small dent in the right barrel, about 3/4 of the way up the bore. I realize this is not a high end gun, but I would like to shoot it. I already load BP shotshells for 12ga, and I am gathering components right now to reload for 10ga. I have a local 'smith who specializes in older rifles and shotguns and plan on having him give it a once-over. If I post a picture of the proof marks, can someone give me an idea as to what it is proofed for? Also, is it possible to repair a dent in Damascus without compromising the weld? Any information on this particular shotgun or 10ga BP loads in general would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

V/R

Mossyrock








Last edited by Mossyrock; 03/09/09 10:43 PM.
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Mossyrock, welcome to the BBS. I think you'll find over time it is a vast reservoir of information for these old doubles. Looks to me as though you've bought a great 10 bore double that is screaming to be shot. The dent will need to be knocked out by a competent smith. Evidently you're in the Northwest so I'd suggest you contact Keith Kearcher in Bend, Oregon for the barrel work. He is competent and has a fairly fast turnaround. I'm sure you'll find other 10 gauge fanatics in the area but Terry Lubinski, a frequent poster on this site, lives in Vancouver and probably knows more about these guns than anyone I am familiar with. Betcha he chimes in before long. Good luck! Oh, you'll find that reloading for the gun is simple and there are a number of low pressure receipes around. When you come to that stage, send me an e-mail and I'll give you some of my favorite load data.


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Man, that's nice! I just picked up a twin to your's in 12 gauge! Have you found any indication on age?


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Originally Posted By: Mossyrock
... In and amongst the pile was a "Rival" field grade 10ga with 30" Damascus barrels. .... The only glitch I can see (apart from a few dings in the wood) is a small dent in the right barrel, about 3/4 of the way up the bore. .... Also, is it possible to repair a dent in Damascus without compromising the weld? Any information on this particular shotgun or 10ga BP loads in general would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.


Rival is a known trade name of Crescent. The Rival was made for the Van Camp Hardware and Iron Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. They were cheap, utility guns when they were made, mostly selling for under $20.00. The barrels were produced in Belgium to a very low price point, usually under $2.00 for both tubes.

Like almost all of these guns, yours has Twist / Laminated damascus barrels.

The skill to repair damaged damascus is long gone. The gun needs to be examined carefully by a gunsmith like Terry who understands older guns and damascus. Depending on exactly where the damage is, the gun may be shootable as is.

Pete

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I think the proofmarks will be interesting, if it has any. I have seen a couple of Rival guns and , like Pete said, they were Crescent "looking". But, I think your gun is a bit different and maybe it's because it's so well preserved. I think the sculpting around the breech , the hammers, the metal to metal fit, and the metal to wood fit are better than the Crescents I have seen. It also has what looks like a gold shield in the bottom of the buttstock. I wonder if their were European "Rival" named shotguns, too.

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Originally Posted By: RocketFoot
Man, that's nice! I just picked up a twin to your's in 12 gauge! Have you found any indication on age?


None at all. I can't even find it in any of the reference books I have on hand.

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Originally Posted By: Daryl Hallquist
I think the proofmarks will be interesting, if it has any. I have seen a couple of Rival guns and , like Pete said, they were Crescent "looking". But, I think your gun is a bit different and maybe it's because it's so well preserved. I think the sculpting around the breech , the hammers, the metal to metal fit, and the metal to wood fit are better than the Crescents I have seen. It also has what looks like a gold shield in the bottom of the buttstock. I wonder if their were European "Rival" named shotguns, too.


It is actually a silver oval. It has proof marks. I will have to highlight them with correction fluid and try to get a picture.

Last edited by Mossyrock; 03/09/09 03:57 PM.
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If Crescents hammerguns had grooves in the stock head to accomadate the hammers (like Rocketfoot's does), this must not be a Crescent...no grooves...Geo

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Originally Posted By: Geo. Newbern
If Crescents hammerguns had grooves in the stock head to accomadate the hammers (like Rocketfoot's does), this must not be a Crescent...no grooves...Geo


Well if it's a Crescent, the rule is ..some do some don't. Probably depends on the date of mfg. I have seen both and the breech on this gun is different from the other 12 ga. We also can't really see that area in the pictures.

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