Good evening Forum members. I received my hammer Ed Kettner 16Ga today. I have posted pics of the action, barrel flats, and the gun below. Any information you can provide based on the proof marks (date manufactured, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. The barrels ring true and although the bores are a little rough, they are very good for the most part. Judging from the end of the barrels and their thickness, it is probably choked full of extra full. The blueing is worn in a few areas and there are some light rust spots, but I think they can be cleaned up. There used to be sling swivels on the barrels and stock, but they have been removed. The gun seems to lock up tight but the top level does not return to the middle by itself. It seems the spring is broken. The rebounding hammers are low profile with stout springs. They seem to work well, although I think the left one needs a bit of attention (cleaning for sure). The horn trigger guard also needs some attention. The butt plate is also horn and the victim of a bug/moth attack, but I think it can also be repaired. The stock and forend checking is fine, but very worn. The stock seems to be sound with no cracks, but has a lot of scratches. However, it does seem to have some nice figure. If it were you, would you just do a service repair (strip & clean, open the chokes to be suitable for hunting and sporting clays, and fix any mechanical issues) or do a full restoration (re-blue barrels, refinish wood and recut checkering, repair horn trigger guard and butt plate) in addition to service repair?
I realize that continental guns don't hold/appreciate their value as English guns do.
BillK
