doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gye & Moncrieff A.G. Parker Dbl Rifle 38-55 Help

Tinker,

I was giving him points to bring down the seller's price when they spoke next.

Pete

kcgunesq:

I took a second to scan thru your pics and with the "DE" on the Deeley & Edge forend latch, I'd say yours was made about the same time as the other 360 BPE on a current thread. Deeley & Edge patented their forend latch in 1873, and I'm just guessing and just for numbers sake say the patent was enforced for 14 years with correct payment(I'm sure it was subject to the 1851/1852 New Patent Law and the period length may be found here: http://books.google.com/books?id=gZoDAAA...ion&f=false ) so your example was made during the 1873-1887 time period. If G&M began in 1876, they could have had built an example composed of components from say 1874 or 1875. Also the "360" on the case even more supports the 360 lining. If you have the "38-55" some measurements might really narrow down the field. Is it a left-handed DR and are the London proofmarks on the tubes and not on the flats?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Pete-




I get it.

I think we've given him a great deal of information to support any notion that the old guy made a good investment in that 'pawn' way back when!


I'm pretty charmed by that rifle - and the details in the text on those barrels (along with what appear to be proper period telescope mount base locations on that rib) this could actually have been a period 38-55 re-barrel - and how neat that would be!
Without full-scene images of the barrel flats all the way from the breech to the forend hook, I'm still wondering where the British re-proof marks are and from when?

Something that would really complete the package would be period-proper British 'maker's cased' tooling for loading - bullet mould/sizer, case prep/seating tools, etc
Also it would be nice to see bullet weight/charge prescription somewhere on the rifle to see what load it was regulated for...



Neat rifle!
Perhaps the original poster (coin/watch/jewelery/firearm specialist) will end up getting an incredible deal on it - and if he does, I hope he ends up getting it running nicely without stuffing it.
Also - if he actually does end up getting it for a song - I'd hope that when/if the time ever came for him to pass it along that he'd offer it to someone here (who would care for it, run it, and HUNT with it) for a similarly screaming deal!



Cheers
Tinker

I don't have it at the moment. I came back home to get some work done on the house. My wife and child stayed with my parents. Someone will bring them back later this week. If the neighbor is agreeable, I will have it brought up and I can even take some short videos to post on Flickr.

As far as I know, he doesn't have any bullet molds, etc. But I will definitely ask.

Thanks for the "specialist" designation, though I am much more of a jack of many trades, expert at none. I get on a subject and spend a year or two learning enough to ask intelligent questions, but not much more. That said, firearms have been an interest for nearly 30 years and I have more than I can count(at least on my hands). But nothing antique. The closest I have would be a Manurhin PP and a Mitchel's Mauser k98 with all of the fixin's my wife gave me for Christmas a few years back. Just for the record, I don't have any interest in coins. Not yet anyhow. Maybe after the watch fever subsides. But not really mechanical enough for me and not sparkly enough for my wife.

I have a philosophy of not selling guns, but I get your point. Actually, that's why I'm not really sure I want this gun. This neighbor is just about the nicest neighbor anyone could ever get by random. I've known him since I was about 11 and that's not too far from 30 years. Unless he really just wants to sell it to myself or my father, I'm not sure I can agree to pay a mere fraction of what its worth. I'd feel guilty every time I held it. Just for the record, I'm not soft person and I'm not afraid to negotiate. But I just can't see giving this guy the hard sell (hard buy??). If he was a gun dealer who didn't know what he had, or someone cleaning out an estate at a garage sale, I would feel differently. If he was a mere acquaintance who was simply trying to raise money fast, I'd jump on it.

As soon as I can get a good sense of what a fair price is, I will give that information to him along with my offer to buy for what I can afford or alternative, with my offer to help him find a good home.

I briefly belonged to MVACA before I had a child. Maybe I should attend another meeting with this gun if I can get it back for a few weeks.

Thanks again to everyone. I really do appreciate all of the feedback. I'll continue to keep the group updated.

You're welcome here, for anything I've been able to offer.


IF you end up with this rifle in your personal keep --
Consider that this or pretty much ANY double rifle is going to be a completely new and different experience for you - and it's likely to be a handload-only proposition.
Those handloads will take a bit of load and shooter process development to get to where it's shooting right.
Once you work your way up to the right loads and the right handling skills, you'll be a permanently changed man.

You will want other double rifles.
Your 'no sell the guns' ethic will become fluid - you'll look at the rest of them as distracting clutter, at the very best you'll see them as trade bait or potential revenue stream for your next double rifle purchase.

Tread carefully.
You're at a gateway and the light from the other side of the threshold is bright and beautiful.
It's ok to take that next step, just keep this in mind...


It's very very hard to look back!





Cheers
Tinker

And there's something non-typical or odd about the proofmark sequence. It may not matter but the later marks are usually stamped around/centered about the gauge designation. Are the proofmarks the same on both tubes or flats?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Nothing new to report yet. I still haven't had a chance to get the gun again. Our second is due in March, so I'm sure there will be some chance not too far off with family visiting as we prepare.

Anyhow, I just wanted everyone to know I hadn't disappeared.
I will continue to post as I have more information.

I have to make a comment here.

I have been on this BBS for a long time. Way before Dave upgraded it to its present configuration.

I have read a great many threads. Perhaps a few thousand.

This is about the most gracious, information filled thread that I have seen.

Bravo to all of you. I am proud to be in the same "family".

Best,
John