Just bought a nice hammer gun by Thomas Sylven of 44 Bedford Street, The Strand. Never had one before - he was best known for converting muzzle loaders to breech-loader and traded in London from 1865 to 1880.
This is an interesting patent with protrusions on the underside of the barrels, which engage with indents in the table to slide the extractors up and down- most odd.
It is a bar-action hammer gun of good quality, with non-rebounding locks and Jones under-lever operation, nicw wood and rather straight comb, 14" pull with skeleton buttplate. The rib is not filed but is broad and the gun weighs 7lb.
I think it may be an early live-pigeon gun, dating from the late 1860s. Proof is London for black powder only, barrels are 30" three iron Damascus. forent is wedge and escutcheon retained. I understand that Sylven was once an employee of Lancaster but know little else and have not seen another of his guns. does anyone else have one or has anyone even encountered one?
Interestingly, it came in an Army & Navy labelled pigskin case with a letter dated September 23rd 1898 from the director of Army & Navy CSL to the then owner (a Mr Paddison). It outlines that they had regulated the gun with Schulze powder and No.6 shot at 30 yards and 40 yards: Typically giving 198 pellets in the pattern at 30 yards with the left and 178 with the right and at 40 yards 145 left and 143 right. They felt the left at 40 yards could be made to shoot tighter and noted that 'penetration was good'.
Little finds like this are what makes this so much fun.
