doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Charles Boswell

I have a Charles Boswell 12 ga, 2 1/2" chamber, 30" Damascus barrels. I'm trying to decipher the proof marks but that's a new area for me. If i can figure out how to post pics I will. Until then are there any books that explain the markings?

Also, this is there is not an address on the rib like I've seen on other doubles. Is there a way to tell if they are replacements?

Is this of any help?

https://www.hallowellco.com/british_proof%20marks%20-%20syntax%20by%20date.htm

Sharp's link should be helpful. The chart is from the book "Vintage Guns" by Diggory Hadoke. If you're new to British guns, you should get that book. It's a great place to start.

You'll find that Boswell's have a London address and Birmingham proofs. From what I have read Boswell did not get along with the man who ran the London proof house and had his guns proofed in Birmingham.

Everything I have read has said Boswell guns are well made. I have a Boswell hammergun w/under lever and I think the Lancaster tilt and drop action. It looks like a Jones under lever but the barrels move forward before dropping.

Thanks for the info. If I can figure out how to post pics I will.

They were known for Pigeon guns and top grade work. In British Gunmakers by N Brown, it says the majority of their guns were made at 126 Strand London. Around 1914 they started proofing in Birmingham due to a fall out with the Proof Master. It is noted that would have been more costly, having to ship the guns.

Send me a full size in focus close up of the barrel flats by jpg attachment to drewhausemd@yahoo.com and I'll try to help.

Yes, there are ways to determine if a gun has replacement barrels that were taken from another gun. Not as easy in all cases to determine if the barrels were new "made to fit" the gun as a replacement. Let me give you an example of what I recently saw of a set of barrels that had been taken from another gun. The gun was a Purdey island lock hammer gun of 1860's vintage that was claimed to be a pin fire conversion to center fire, but the damascus barrels did not show any signs of pin fire origins. The barrels were clearly to my mind a set of scam non-Purdey barrels: (1) wrong style of damascus pattern for the 1860's Purdey--should be 2 or 3 iron English made damascus barrels, not Belgium made damascus barrels; (2) the barrel flats were too short and did not go the full length of the action flats; (3)the gun had a Deeley & Edge lever fore-end---should have been a cross pin fore-end as the Londgon gun makers did not begin using Anson push button or Deeley & Edge lever fore-ends until 1875 and to my knowledge Purdey never used the Deeley & Edge style; (4)the barrels rib did not center to the action shield and the barrels did not fit the width of the action properly; the fore-end did not fit the action knuckle properly.

As to new barrels made for your gun. Usually a new set of barrels will have proof marks of a time much later time than the gun action was made. Also unusual for a set of new replacement barrels to be of damascus. However, there were new damascus barrels in gunmakers shop sitting and collecting dust for decades.

Is your gun a hammergun?

Kind Regards;
Stephen Howell

It is a hammer less boxlock.

Drew i emailed you pics.

The images were embedded in the email and came as thumbnails but I tried to enhance them
The barrels are 3 Iron "British Best" or "Oxford"



The original proof marks are 1904 - 1925.
1 1/8 oz. shot would indicated 2 1/2" chambers which was not marked until post-1925
The original bore was 13 = .710" - .718"

The arrow indicates the Birmingham Proof House date code for the reproof 1954 - 1989, which I can not read. There are 2 letters in the halberds. Is the letter on the R 'B'? Let me know the letter on the L.
When it was reproved the bore was .729 so honed.
It still had 2 1/2" chambers and was proved for 3 Tons which would be for a service pressure of about 9000 psi.