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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204 |
Thanks everyone
Its just one of those things you HAVE to raise and question when you are talking a Boss O/U. The gun weighs a svelt 5lbs 6oz so if I buy it, I'm shooting the lightest load possible. I broke a lot of targets with it last weekend even though it needs a bend job by Trevallion. But at what this gun is worth I can ill afford to be wrong (gun monkeyed with) Roy Liu get your butt back to work, lets peel out those records
-Clif Watkins
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,030 Likes: 127
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,030 Likes: 127 |
Cliff: Call David Trevallion. He will probably know the answer to your question. BTW it would be very COOL to own a Boss 20 bore over and under. I'm a little more than jealous!
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167 |
One way to distinguish guns proofed under the 1925 rules from those previously proofed is that the 1925 rules required the chamber length mark. Since that's the only chamber length marked on the flats, I'd say they're original.
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204 |
Cliff: Call David Trevallion. He will probably know the answer to your question. BTW it would be very COOL to own a Boss 20 bore over and under. I'm a little more than jealous! Its always been my dream to own one, never could pull the trigger on a new one, and this one is made in the Golden Age. I called David and he said 2 3/4 and 7/8 load are not customary, which started the ball of doubt rolling. We lose sleep over crap like this.
Last edited by Clif W.; 07/28/11 11:12 AM.
-Clif Watkins
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,030 Likes: 127
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 3,030 Likes: 127 |
Clif. The proof house can and does make mistakes on stamping these guns even the expensive ones. I have a Royal which was misstamped and then overstamped. H and H told me it was an error at proof house. Point is mistakes are made but you can never be too careful and it would be best to talk to Boss before dropping a ton of money!!
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 138
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 138 |
Clif, we are looking at the dubious proofs on the bottom barrel, what did the proofs look like on the top barrel?
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,219 Likes: 28
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,219 Likes: 28 |
Would not the proof house keep records of having stamped the gun? I would think a call to them with the information re the gun (particularly serial no., if it has one) and an ask as to the proof marks they stamped on it might yield you the answer you're seeking.
If it were me, I might couch it in terms of "I thought it an odd combination, odd enough that I wanted to know what the proof load was so I might shoot it properly" or some similar line.
I mean, it's not like Boss 20 ga O/U guns are in every corner gunshop....
Last edited by Dave in Maine; 07/28/11 11:59 AM.
fiery, dependable, occasionally transcendent
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,164 Likes: 11
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,164 Likes: 11 |
Clif W.The proof marks seen on your gun are those normally found on 2 1/2 inch chambered, English 20 gauge guns.Based on your comments there is little doubt that a mix-up occured at some place in the ordering, manufacturing or even as others have suggested at the proof house. My opinion is that the gun was made with 2 1/2 inch chambers and that the error was not discovered until the gun was delivered to the origional owner in the U.S.A. At that time a decision was made to extend the chambers to 2 3/4 and as part of that process that the new chamber length 2 3/4 was stamped on barrels. It should be noted that; no change was made to the maximum allowable shot charge[ie;increasing it from 7/8 to 1 ozs.].
During this era many English guns imported into the U.S.A arrived with 2 1/2 chambers.Chambers of these guns was frequently extended to 2 3/4 without regard to the English rules of proof.In my experience more than half of the English guns I have encountered over the past 40 years have had the chambers extended and have never been submited for English reproof.
Roy Hebbes
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 204 |
Clif W.The proof marks seen on your gun are those normally found on 2 1/2 inch chambered, English 20 gauge guns.Based on your comments there is little doubt that a mix-up occured at some place in the ordering, manufacturing or even as others have suggested at the proof house. My opinion is that the gun was made with 2 1/2 inch chambers and that the error was not discovered until the gun was delivered to the origional owner in the U.S.A. At that time a decision was made to extend the chambers to 2 3/4 and as part of that process that the new chamber length 2 3/4 was stamped on barrels. It should be noted that; no change was made to the maximum allowable shot charge[ie;increasing it from 7/8 to 1 ozs.].
During this era many English guns imported into the U.S.A arrived with 2 1/2 chambers.Chambers of these guns was frequently extended to 2 3/4 without regard to the English rules of proof.In my experience more than half of the English guns I have encountered over the past 40 years have had the chambers extended and have never been submited for English reproof. That is why it is imperative I wait for Roy to get back from holiday and speak with him, to find out just exactly what the heck the deal is. I want to believe in my heart that this gun came with 2 3/4 because it was ordered for an American family who shot Boss guns almost exclusively. But the max allowable shot charge does not bear this out, nor does the gun's svelt weight of 5 lbs 6 oz. To me this is like painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa and the kiss of death. Its a shame if thats the case
-Clif Watkins
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