The "Rest of the Story"
A local auction had a WC Scott shotgun listed in their catalogue with one mediocre picture.
I went by to take a look and it was a "Premier Imperial", I knew it was special gun but had no idea how special, thanks for the education.
The gun's serial number, 48788, says it was made in 1891, it' a 12ga with 32-3/16" bbls. I was suspicious of the 3" chambers but in my inquiries a board member told me that he feels they are original, more wadding was used used back then with the long barrels. They are Sir Joseph Whitworth Barrels, address "WC Scott & Sons Patent Triplex Lever Grip, Gt. Castle Street, Regent, London, England".
The only proof marks on the gun on 12 over C in diamond (which doesn't preclude 3" chambers) crown over CP, Crown over V, and the provisional proof mark .
The gun has 100% Rose & Scroll, sculpted fences and a bar across the top of each fence, they look as though to rest the gun upside down on a flat surface.
Gas checks run horizontally out each side of the breech face and there's a US patent date of Sep. 19.82., perhaps they were added later or the serial number chart is wrong.
It is not without problems, the right barrel would not cock and the bores are .745 &.740, out of proof. There is slight pitting in each bore but in my thread about wall thickness I deem that there seems to be plenty of steel left to hone and reproof.
With the honed out bores the chokes (4" cones) are between .045 &.050, hard to tell there's some rust inside and outside the muzzle.
The stock is a wonderful piece of marble cake with a light colored but well done extension of about 1/2", fully engraved heel & toe plates. There is a repair on one of the lock plate borders and the checkering is rather simple compared to the fleur de lis of most pictures I've seen of Premiers. The dimensions are very shootable, 14-5/8, 1-3/4, 2-1/2.
So at the very least, a hone, reproof and reblue, repair to cocking mechanism, probably about $2K.
I was hoping to steal this one, which is not an impossibility at a general auction. They told me the lot would not go off until after 5pm today, I got there at 4:30 and had just missed it. I was cursing myself if it went for under my budget but not to worry, the hammer went down at $10K, add another 25% with commission and tax, $12,500.
Someone else now owns it.... back to scrounging up Nitro Specials
