doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cogswell & Harrison

Here are some pics of Lefusil's very nicely redone Coggie. He will add some text. The photographer was a little wobbly on a couple of the pics.

Cogswell & Harrison BLE circa 1908. I bought this gun from a guy in the North East, with the thoughts and ideas of having it restored. The engraving on the floor plate was completely rubbed smooth as were the screws/hardware on the forend iron. The original stock was trashed and oil soaked. I commisioned Mr. Hurst to restore the engraving, bought a English Walnut blank from Cecil Fredi and had Larry Schuknecht restock the gun to my dimensions, John Gillete did the carbona and nitre bluing. The project took just about a year from start to finish. And the final cost was about the same as a CSMC RBL. I am very satified with the results, all of the craftsmen involved did a fantastic job. My thanks to Ken Hurst for taking the time out of his busy schedule to help out with this project!

Dustin

To me it is great to see old guns restored. Thanks for the photos.
JAS

A nice job and I know it is easy to criticise but to my eye, an angle between heel and toe like this, I find, makes the gun prone to jump out of the shoulder(move down). I'd like a flatter angle on the butt sole, a little more length at heel and a more pronounced bump.

Also, I often note with some modern re-stocking that the walnut is not treated with red oil before finishing to get the correct colour and enhance the contrast of the grain.

I think this detracts from the overall effect, but I realise thet everyone has their own opinions and values and they are as valid as mine, so please accept my observations as no more than a personal reaction.

I hope yopur gun brings you much pleasure and that it reflects your own tastes.

Smallbores,
Thanks for the comments. The shape of the stock & forend is "exactly" as it is was when it left the Coggie factory, with the exception of the rounded "heel" for easier mounting and to accomdate the shape of the heel plate. The forend wood that Coggie put on this style of gun is pretty unique as well as it is not flat, it is rounded like what you would find on a round body hammer gun from days past. Feels great in the hands! Finally, The stocker and I both thought that a plain, oil finish would bring out all the hues of the english walnut, the oranges, yellows, blacks and browns...the pictures do not do it justice, it really has to be seen in person. I understand about the reddish tint, it does look great on some guns, but on this one, I like to look at and enjoy all the different colors. Thanks again.

Dustin

Nice job, Dustin!! I hope others will study your experience and understand what can be done for an old gun. Clearly, this is a "rebirth", not just a repair.

Thanks for the photos of a successful and beautiful project. I love to shoot, but I think the guns are just as important.
Dustin and Smallbore, your courteous comments and observations on what to do and why aid me in the shaping my own insight on the small points of what constitutes beauty and function. High marks for style all around.

Nice looking job! It's great to see a good old gun fixed up for another hundred years. But I have to agree with SB, the extreme pitch wouldn't suit me at all.

Have you contacted C&H for a Certificate of Origin? For a modest fee, they'll be able to give you all the original particulars on that gun. Can I assume it has Cogswell's Avant Tout action with ejectors and assisted opening?

I have contacted C&H, they are the ones who "dated" the gun for me. The cost of the certificate is about $75. I might order one in the future. They were very helpful and seemed genuinely interested in the project. I'm not sure if the gun is a "Avant Tout" or not, I never asked, and I'm not sure if its a self opener, I'm thinking its not although it is easy to open. The ejector system on this Coggie is unlike any I have ever owned before. The entire mechanism is located inside a "box" underneath the barrels, The only ejector parts on the forend wood are the "kickers". It works flawlessly and really throws the spent hulls. Thanks again for all the nice comments.

Hansli,
If you are thinking about doing a restoration, DO IT. It is a very fun and rewarding thing. 10x better than buying a new gun with no "soul".

Dustin

Dustin,
Got a few restocks and partials under my belt. Buy the healthy fixer upper and get it the way I like it, nice work and it keeps the ancillary suppliers fed. Imports with domestic value added as I see it; no RBL needed. You then end up with your own gun at an affordable price. Works for me anyway.