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Last Summer, I was offered what appeared to be a rather beat up British 12 bore Damascus Side Lock with 2 1/2 inch chambers, Nitro proofed 1 1/8oz. When it came to me it had one broken firing pin with the other missing. The stock had various scratches and a 3/4 inch piece of wood missing from the toe -- the horn Butt was broken in several places. The barrels are tight on face and the lock up tight. I bought it as a project for the winter and so far, I built two new firing pins, removed the wood to where the damage began at the heel/toe, seamed, sanded and filled wood and refinished in hand rubbed reddish brown Schaftol. I fitted a red recoil pad (Galizan)
The Barrels are marked E Palmer - Strood (Kent - not far from London)
Not much info on the maker except for this: " E. PALMER who was a gun maker in England in the 1880s through 1908 at least. His address was 48 High Street Strood, England. He used the markings "E. PALMER (street address) STROOD on the barrels and E. PALMER on the locks. The Palmers were a family of gun makers starting with William Palmer in 1797 and continuing through W. and H.E. Palmer in the 1920s.
There is absolutely no rust on the barrels and are pristine inside with no marks to indicate Damascus as I've seen in other barrels. They look like steel -- rumour has it that some makers made steel barrels to look like Damascus? Is there any value to the gun (not like I'm interested in selling) I do enjoy the old dear and shoot it well with Gamebore Pure Gold Ammunition.
Pictures below -- any insight would be most welcome. Should I have the barrels re colored?
Cheers, John

Well:
I certainly award you an A+ for effort to date. That cetainly doesn't look like a "fixer upper" any longer. I particulary like the form of the lockplates. Let us know what you find out regarding the actual barrel composition. Have you fired it yet?
Jim

It looks like there's pattern on the barrel flats. Wouldn't that eliminate the possibility of "faux" Damascus?

The pattern is beautiful. I'm biased, but restored they would look wonderful. The real question would be Black or Brown?

Regards
Ken

Yes I shot a round of skeet using # 7 Kent Gamebore ammunition -- Score 23.

Congratulations on your work.
I don't think there is any doubt that the barrels are genuine damascus.
The style of damascus, engraving and style of action point to Belgian origin albeit proofed in Birmingham after 1904.
The very few pins in the lock plates also indicate a very simple lock design.
Re-browning is a matter of taste, personally I would but then I re-brown pretty much everything! It is what I do!
Black is an American aberration, keep to brown if staying true to British tradition. But in the end it is down to taste.

Anyone know if guns shipped to Canada during this period were typically black or brown? All my Birmingham hammer guns (for the American trade) appear to have been blacked.

I think brown was the norm for your gun. But if you like black and white do not be shy about doing it. If the buyer had asked for black and white every maker in GB would have done it is a second to sell guns. We get so obsessed about factory original that we forget that factory was just the default finish. If a buyer contacted the factory with a request about just about anything they would have made the gun to specs for just a few dollars more if not for nothing extra. I have seen guns with nickel plating which was factory, gold washed parts, stocks altered, barrels choked or shortened as requested. You name it the buyer could get what they wanted if they had the coin.

What a beautiful gun! Very nice work. Browning might be more traditional, bluing might be more protective. Either would look excellent, and it's your gun so pick whatever you like.

This is what IGC have on the Edward Palmer of Strood:

Name Edward Palmer
Address1 46 High Street, Strood
Address2 35 High Street, Strood
City/Town Rochester
County Kent
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gunmaker
Other Address
Dates 1880?-1925?

Notes
Edward Palmer was born in 1850 in Rochester, Kent. He was the son of Edward Alexander Palmer and Alice, and brother of William (b.1848). Edward A died in the late 1870s and William and Edward, aged about 30 and 29 respectively at the time, took over the business. The 1881 census records William & Edward living with their mother at 53 High Street. The partnership appears to have ended in about 1882, probably because Edward married, because William was recorded at 53 High Street from that time onwards. Edward was recorded in the 1891 census living at 46 High Street with his wife, Ann (b.1841 in Frindsbury, Kent) and their son, Edward Charles H (b.1883 in the Strood district of Rochester). Edward described himself as a gunsmith and cutler.

In about 1895 William made his nephew, Harry, a partner in the business at 53 High Street which moved to 85 High Street in about 1896. The 1901 census records Edward living at 35 High Street with Ann and Edward Charles H. Edward reportedly ceased trading in 1925 but this has not been confirmed.

Tim

Coil spring locks or not ?