doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Is a Joseph Bourne Hammer Gun Anything Special?

I have a consignment gun, a Joseph Bourne hammer gun with damascus barrels and only black powder proofs. The barrels, interestingly, are 13 and 14 bore. The damascus is not prominent; it may have been blued or just is dark with age. The barrel has a few pits inside but they don't appear deep. The lockplates and action have pinprick pitting. The wood is sound with good long modern dimensions and the lock mechanisms are mechanically sound. The horn or metal fore end tip is missing. The 30" barrels ring true. There is an extremely tiny bit of looseness on the pin. There is some pitting under the fore end. Overall a gun that has been used a lot and not especially well taken care of. It came from Scotland many years ago. I don't know much about the maker. On hammer guns I usually judge the gun on condition and the quality of the gunmaker's skill. If this gun were in pristine condition I'd want to get $1500-2000 out of it. But in its present condition, is this a $200 gun a $500 gun or what? I can take photos but I think most of you get the picture.

Only picture I get is that there is no picture...just speculation.

Thanks Joe, you're a lot of help. I'll bet before the days of the internet you just sat around blind and dumb.

Bourne guns would vary due to the market demand. I'm not sure if he made them or sourced a lot from the trade and finished them. I have seen Bourne guns that were hammer guns made for the agricultural worker to decent hammerless guns with tasteful engraving. There are some serial number records in exsistance for certain number sequences. Also his address changed over the years. If you can give the number, top rib address and proof mark details I might be able to narrow the date down for it for you. A photo of the proof marks is the most helpful. Lagopus.....

Maybe you could drAw us a picture of the gun ?

Considering we actually are in the days of the internet, pictures would be practical.

Ernie

Joseph Bourne was earliest at 5 Whitall Street, Birmingham until 1878 when he moved to 9 St. Mary's Row, B'ham. Then in 1912 he occupied 100/101 Bath Street, B'ham until the 1950's when the business ceased. (British Gunmaker's Vol II, Nigel Brown)

Best Regards, George

I can't argue the practicality of pictures. Below are a few. The gun is a very, very tiny bit loose with the FE off. Bores are .722 so they haven't been honed. The left barrel is still choked a tight modified. The worst thing to me is the fore end, but it is solid and could be attended to. The hammer and action has some pits but I have seen some amazing restoration efforts. It would be a good project gun and a great starting vintagers gun because of its modern dimensions (14.5 X 2.75 X 1.5 roughly)

Donate it to your local Cracker Barrel Restaurant...

From the proof marks we can tell that the gun was made and proof tested in Birmingham between 1888 & 1903.
At.722 measured bore diameter Both barrels are," out of proof!"
Maximum diameter For the barrel marked 14 is .701
Maximum diameter for the barrel marked 13 is .710
The gun is of low grade gun and would have sold for between 5&8 pounds stirling at the time of manufacture.