doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Help with Value of old British Hammer Gun (Pic's)

Hello.

I am looking for some help in understanding the value of an old British gun.

W.J. Jeffery & Co
2 3/4 chamber
Barrels say - W.J Jeffery & Co 13 king st st James st London
HERARLES Compound Gun Barrel Steel

















Thanks
Oberndorf

What a lovely gun. Nigel Brown's book places the manufacture right around the turn of the century.
More info is needed to ascertain a monetary value. WJ Jeffery&co. ispresently doing business in London and can be found on the internet. Contact them to see if there is any providence associated with the gun. Also,see if the gun is originally 2&3/4" chambers.
Photograph the barrel flats and post them so everyone can comment on the guns mechanical history. This will be important,and post the barrel measurements;bore and wall thickness,this is most important. If I left something out the next poster will fill in the blanks.
Justin

I'd say between a eight and twelve hundred...if the barrels are okay. One bad thing it has going for it is the fluid steel barrels.

Your gun is illustrated in the,"Jeffery,s Guns and Rifles catalogue, issued for the 1910-11 season".The gun is described Jeffery,s No 1A,London pattern 1905 model "farmers"bar lock hammer gun. The price at the time was 5 pounds, stirling. By comparison their best sporting and pigeon hammer gun sold for 12pounds 12 shillings stirling.[ ie: 12 guinea,s]
Looks like a good example. If in proof, with acceptable barrel wall thickness and otherwise in sound condition, one could expect to pay 1000-1250 pounds for this gun in the U.K.

Interested in sellig?
mikep@fac.unc.edu

Jefferies catalogue says,and I quote;"We recommmend steel barrels as they are far more durable and about twice as strong as damascus!" By the way,for this particular gun, damascus and steel barrels were available for the same price. Choice of barrel material was the customers option.

Thanks everybody for the information, really appreciate it.

As requested some more photographs of the barrel flats and the barrel thickness. It say 2 3/4 case under the barrel.

The action is very tight and lock up is as good as my new skeet guns. The barrels as shiny with a 3 spots about 3 inches from the muzzle in the left barrel.











Thanks

Ob, My impression, when looking at your first set of pics was that the gun had some of the features of a pigeon or waterfowl gun with its low hammers and flat file cut rib.Being marked for the 2 3/4" case and having choke in both barrels adds further to that impression. The weight would be another indicator and the drop at comb of the stock. Regarding value, the previous advice of getting the barrel wall thickness measured would be the first step and whether it remains in original black powder proof.I would echo Roys evaluation or a bit more if it was nitro-proofed. Looks like a nice shootable gun. Terry

Hi, I've never seen 2 3/4" case engraved (as it appears to me) on the bbls. I was always under the impression that chamber length/shot charge was stamped on the flats. If I'm wrong on this, please enlighten me. I always want to learn all I can.

Thanks!!

Greg

IMO Unfortunately this information from Jefferies above,which was even known at that time, is being ignored by members of this forum based upon one very unscientific study about the strength of damascus barrels vs. fluid steel examples. This opinion is based upon what I was told by engineers while I was employed in the metals industry. Low pressure loads are some but not complete insurance against a disasterous failure due to internal and unseen problems with damascus barrels. I know this won't sit well with some here but I think it needs to be said.
Jim