"Eric 375," I am the current temporal owner of the only example of a Wm. Donn-marked gun (William was the younger brother of the better known James, of "Jas. Donn & Bros.," and the elder brother of John, all gunmakers and partners of the Canton, Illinois, hardware business with the gunmaking enterprise at the back of the building, which was sold by James in 1899), formerly owned by Mr. Grimm, the original subject gun of this thread, which is built on a highly refined, marvelously engraved and scalloped W & C Scott body action that evinces standard (no nitro proofs, and is thus pre-1896) Birmingham proof marks of the era (as do the barrel flats), and incorporates their 1892 patented rectangular cross-bolt or "Improved Bolt System." The two sides of its action body are marked immediately below and parallel to the edge of the water-table, "T. Kilby," as are the undersides of the barrels just beyond the barrel flats. I suspect this was the personal gun of William Donn and / or is the exhibition gun said to have been shown at Chicago during the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition (Should anyone have additional information on another Wm. Donn gun, the history of Wm. Donn, or that addressing the 1893 exhibition gun, identity, and / or its whereabouts, I would be very appreciative.).
The serial number of the Kilby / Wm. Donn gun is "1220," well within the serial number range of guns produced / finished by Heinrich August ("H. A.") Lindner during his and his father's decades long association with Schoverling, Daly & Gales. Mr. Kilby's barrel-maker number, which is also stamped on the underside of the barrels, is "20589." I have attempted to relate his barrel-maker's numbers to build years without success. If anyone has such information or perhaps cataloged the same, it would undoubtedly help establish use and build dates of the guns affixed with T. Kilby barrels. However, one should not confuse this particular "T. Kilby" with the earlier, elder barrel-maker of the same name. The barrel-maker discussed here was a distant relative who happened, by one of those strange flukes of history, to have the same name; and to add more confusion, our second Kilby apprenticed with the original and then later, in the early 1880's, took over the barrel-making business.
Beginning around 1890 or so, the second Thomas Kilby was not only producing high-quality barrels, but had begun coupling his fine barrels with action bodies bought in the trade, and the firm subsequently built / finished entire guns, whether wholly finished or sold to the trade in the white. I suspect this is how the Wm. Donn gun came to be finished and serial-numbered by Lindner, as it unquestionably was, given all the elements of a Lindner-finished gun, or those of his near proprietary outworker-produced guns, it clearly possesses. Certainly the Kilby gun was not finished in the U.S.; there was too little capability to produce or finish a gun to this standard at the time to answer the need, in my opinion.
From my research, which is based on available literature, I can say that "T. Kilby" barrels, some of which are stamped such in block letters or in cursive script (probably in script for Eastern European market tastes), were highly valued and esteemed by a plethora of European, Eastern European, and Russian gunmakers and their knowledgeable gun owners. Depending on when your gun was made, the barrels are by the elder or later Kilby.
G. T. Abbey (circa 1858-1874) was a Chicago maker of deserved renown. And he, like a number of early American gunmakers, had an association with Georg and / or H. A. Lindner, whether separate from or as a result of their business relationship with Schoverling, Daly & Gales, and some of their respective productions are affixed with Kilby barrels, which were equally esteemed in the United States, as would be the firm's barreled actions later available in the nineteenth century. I have seen several America makers' guns employing Prussian and English actions with Kilby barrels, or equally affixed with Lindner's trademark stamps. These American makers included James Donn & Bros, which also employed Prussian-made and U.K.-produced action bodies (many from Westley Richards and W & C Scott) for their guns.
Owning several 10-bore hammer and hammerless guns myself, I have formed a high regard for their versatility and use afield, whether with 2-5/8 or 2-7/8 chambers, and tend to employ RST's cartridges for my shooting purposes, as I do little reloading at this time. These antique 10-bores are nonpareil pheasant guns, in my opinion. All of them have damascus barrels, which I prefer.
Should you have the opportunity, and not already done so, please publish here photographs of your guns, together with photographs of any markings or stamps. There are many Lindner / German / Prussian gun enthusiasts perusing this site, as well as U.K. and European gun authorities, who presumably could answer even more of your questions given that basic information.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Regards,
Edwardian
