Barrels are on their way to Briley. After careful measurement and close visual exam they will need to reamed. Good news is that they measure .039 at the thinnest point near the muzzle. Most of the barrels are .050 so I think they can stand .005 to .010 cleaning up to remove the pitting and roughness. Will leave the choke areas alone so I can get a little more choke in the bores. Barrels are 135 years old and in very good shape. Ribs tight, ring like a church bell. Even the finish on the barrels is nice. Not a flashy black and white that I desire but a very nice deep brown and white that looks very nice.
This will be a labor of love. No way to explain the money that this project will soak up. But this is a "family gun" that was just found an given to me. Been in my great aunts house for longer than I have been alive. Her husband died before WWII. It had to be his gun or one on his side of the family. So as best I can figure it has been in a closet for 70 year. Wish he had cleaned it better before he passed, maybe he did, 70 years is a long time. Still a gun left alone, for decades, does rust but most of the rust is in the bores.
As it is, this will be one long term project gun. My only Nichols and Lefever hammer gun, so I and very happy for the gift. While I would like to think his family bought only A grades, alas it is a E grade. Like most families his family bought function over beauty. I wish I could find out when and where the family first bought the gun but those who knew are long dead. Best guess is it was bought used, most likely well used. If only these old guns could talk what fun they would be to find out where they came from and what they have done. I guarantee this gun has shot baited canvasbacks off the Chesapeake. Seems his family did that a lot back when it was considered the norm. Wish I had been there and done that as they say but then maybe not. I too would be long dead.
