doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com American Gun Co. Hammered Question

First post here, so be kind. Just bought an American Gun Co. SxS Hammered model, S/N 1137XX. Appears in great shape and previous owner says he shot it in SASS and hunted with it over the last 20 years using Featherlite and BP loads. Barrels are marked "Genuine Laminated Steel". I've read several posts on many forums that state I should not even consider firing this old gun. I'm trying to locate another set of barrels in Armory Steel to tranplant. I would appreciate any thought or recommendations concerning this gun. Anyone here done a transplant like I'm contemplating? If so, any tips? Thanks!

You might consider "transplanting" the gun to someone else...the expense and end result probably won't be worth the effort.

jOe is correct that your cash outlay will likely exceed the value of the gun. However, if you have the time and patience to locate a set of fluid steel barrels, and the willingness to do it yourself, it can be an interesting and educational project. There is a lot of info out there, and even here in past threads, on fitting barrels and putting guns on face. I have been fortunate enough to locate suitable barrels and fit them to a few guns with lost, or damaged barrels. I have also searched for years for a set of Baker B grade 16 bbls. and a set of 20 ga Syracuse Lefever bbls. with no luck. If and when I find them, I will have mismatched guns with little collector value, and only the satisfaction of saving an old American double from being parted out. You will still have the original tubes for a gun that is not very valuable or desirable to most collectors. But you might enjoy the search and the project and learn enough to salvage something more worthy in the future. I'm sure some of my gunsmithing projects wouldn't even return minimum wage, especially those in the learning curve, but to me it beats watching TV. Good luck

Keith:

I appreciate your reply. I have been restoring antique aircraft and cars for decades. Age has caught up with me and now I'm returning to my first passion of shooting. I like old things. I like restoration and returning a piece of history to usefulness. Had I researched the issue of laminated steel barrels more fully, I probably would not have bought this shotgun. I do now have another American Gun Co. Hammered Double on the way. It needs a lot of TLC, but I'm hoping to piece together one shooter from the two. It may end up with me using the stocks and locks from first on the action and barrels of the second. I'll know better when the other shotgun gets here. And you are right, I plan on trying to do most of the work myself.

Nothing wrong with laminated barrels if they are in good shape and you are using loads that are appropriate for them. Enjoy the gun as it is, if it sound and safe.

Laminated steel barrels set the standard for structural integrity in their time. At the turn of the 19th Century many were nitro proofed. Now, in the 21st Century one should not shoot any 100 year old gun without first making certain that it is safe. After having satisfied myself as to condition, I have shot many low pressure rounds through laminated, twist and Damascus barrels. In their day Damascus barrels were considered to be the strongest available. Later Krupp and Whitworth steel took over first place.

J.K.B. von Falkenhorst

Dave and Von Falkenhorst:

Therein is the crux of my delimma. How do I ascertain the status of my laminated barrels? As I originally stated, the gun is said to have been fired quite a bit over the last 20 years with Brass Cases and BP loads, which would be what I would use in it as well, whether it had laminated steel or Armory Steel barrels. I've looked at the FAQ section here on magnafluxing and it appears that experts don't agree on this either. What I do read in my searches is that most frown on the Crescent guns and their compadres of the times. Gist of what I've read is that Damacus produced in England and high end American guns are probably ok.

At any rate, I would love to shoot this gun as is, if I can reliably ascertain that it is safe and good to go. The bores look very good, though there is some darkening at the point where the shells end in the chamber. No pitting though that I can see. Rings good and I have the assurance from the previous owner that it has been shot the way it is with no signs of failure. Action is tight and on face. BTW, checked the muzzle and this old gal is choked extremely full on both barrels according to my guage.

Remember that the Crescent's were hardware store guns. Nothing wrong with that at all. They fed allot of families, but were probably not owned by many of the elite. Those guys bought Parkers, etc. I have owned Crescent's and found them to be a good value for the money. Again, if under close inspection it appears safe and you are not afraid of it. Enjoy it! Also, I believe many of the American gun makers used Belgium made barrels as well. I am still unsure if Belgium barrels are bad news, as some seem to imply. I have never had a rib come loose on a Belgium barrel, but I have on an English barrel. As in any gun, regardless of maker, where made or age, it is ultimately the shooter who has to be comfortable with what he is shooting.

All American made double barrels are hardware store guns. There were a lot more Parkers and Smiths sold over their counters than in any of the swanky shops in New York.


Destry

One of the nice thing about many hardware store guns is that they were looked upon as tools and built to last, esthetics and weight were secondary. I've had several such guns with enormously thick barrels, these suckers were built to take the toughest loads of the day in stride (of course all these guns weighed from 7.5 to over 8.5 lbs). I shot them all, typically using Winchester AA Low recoil/noise loads or Featherlites and never had problems.
Steve