doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Henry Atkin - Rebarreled?

Gentlemen,

I have a Henry Atkin that was evidently rebarreled from its original 12 gauge to 10 gauge. It has a single non selective trigger and ejectors. The barrels are 31". The weight is 7lb 14.5oz.

Below is the information that I received from Atkin, Grant, and Lang:

Henry Atkin no 413

The information recorded is as follows,

Purchased by JN Patterson in 1902 address 263 South Fairth Street, Philadelplia. It is described as a 12 bore top lever hammerless ejector double gun with 30" barrels.

Single trigger with extra trigger plate and guard for double trigger weight is 7lb 6oz.

The barrels have few proof marks which leads me to believe that it may have been rebarreled in the USA.
- I see the 10 over C which I've read is for 10 gauge 3" chambers or less. Is that correct?
- There is the DEAC AMHERST NH, which is listed as having a current FFL.

Could someone please inform me as to what the few proof marks mean?

I would value your opinions and information concerning this gun.

I would also be interested if anyone has a set of Atkin double triggers plate, especially if they are #413!

Respectfully requested,
Mark

Here are better photos:










Does anyone know why Photo Bucket rotates photos? I surely do not.

I can't see any English proof marks on those barrels. I am guessing as you suggest it's been rebarreled by an.other which makes the engraved name across the top what we might call "spurious".

Looks nice though and re-stocked at some point I would think also no teardrops so guessing elsewhere (USA?). How worn is the engraving?

Cheers

T

The name on the rib doesn't appear "spurious" to me I would think it common when a gun is re barreled to use the original barrel rib.

I'd agree the butt stock is defiantly a replacement.

"Amherst NH" could the NH stand for for New Hampshire ? (Might be Ed's cousin)

Tony,

I can see:

• 'CHOKE' (not a proof mark per se, but stamped by the Proof House)
• '10' and 'C' in diamond
• Intertwined 'C' & 'P' (can't make out the crown above it)
• 'Crown over V'
• Another one I can't quite make out (London provisional proof?)

Nigel.

Tony,

I really appreciate your answer.

I think the engraving is good but I'll let you be the judge.

Here are some photos of the engraving. I can shoot closer photos if you desire.

Joe I believe it's illegal in the UK for another to rebarrel a gun and use the original ribs with original maker's name on them.

True Joe. Hadn't thought of that, however Mike is right, but moot point if it was done in the USA. There isn't a record in the ledger for it being rebarreled though. Because I've got it at the moment.

T

These is only marks on the barrels:

I make out the same proof marks and I'm pretty sure that the large deeply stamped mark is the London provisional proof. I can also see the "10" bore mark between the provisional proof and the "crown over V" view mark. All the black powder marks that I would expect to see are there.

Based on the marks these barrels were proofed in London in or after 1887 based on the "choke" and "10C within a diamond" stamps and probably pre-1904 since it is not nitro proofed. That fits with the 1902 completion date from the AG&L records.

I wonder if this gun was not rebarreled but that the original records are incorrect and this was, in fact, a 10 bore gun when it left Henry Atkin's in 1902. If the current barrels are 1" longer than the original barrels and it was rebarreled using the original rib then you should be able to find a seam where 1" of rib was added.

The "DEAC Amhearst NH" is an importers stamp. If this gun was shipped to the US in 1902 it seems to have been sent abroad at some point and then re-imported by DEAC sometime after the Gun Control Act of 1968.

This may remain one of those mysteries in life that are never fully answered.