doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - New William Powell And Sons 12 Gauge

I just got this from Kirby at Vintage doubles. This gun is spectacular. I have showed it to a number of people that are stunned with the condition of this gun dating from the early 1870's. The attention to detail on this gun is beyond compare, what a dandy. I will be shooting it soon...

Best policy on your forearms posted here: whatever "advice" Ed Good offers, just do the opposite and you'll be fine.
JR

Stay away from my gun...


This is a really cool feature, where it shows if the gun is loaded by the lettering on the firing pin...

Good Lord! restocked and a pinhole. What a bunch of detectives.

No pinhole and it isn't restocked. Look at a LC Smith or something if you want to pick something apart. Powell guns are top tier English guns and this is a real nice 150 year old survivor...

Shrapnel,
My observation was meant to be a 'heads-up' - not a criticism.

I have collected Powell guns for over 20-years and have a significant collection. My
collecting focus is the 'lifter' (guns like yours) so I have a firm grasp on their quality.
My collection contains two 'pin holes' - unfortunately.

As to your stock, I believe the wood is original. I have a lifter with similar wood. There
is an easy way to possibly confirm its originality. Remove your right lock. During that
period (1870s), Powell's stockers would usually stamp their initials in the wood below
the front tip of the lock plate.

You don't know much about 150 year old wood or guns. I have a Daw Shotgun that is even older and I have shot dozens of upland game and turekeys with it. You may need to stick to something else to criticise, because you don't know old high quality shotguns.

Steven Dodd Hughes wrote 2 articles on the Daw for Shooting Sportsman magazine and looked the gun completely over to write the articles and he forgot more about fine guns than you will ever know. Suffice it to say, you need to do something else besides armchair quarterbacking shotguns...

Thanks for posting!
Do you have information as to how the gun remaining in such amazing condition for 150 yrs.?
Was it Nitro Proved at some point?

BTW: the barrels are English 2 Stripe
'Zipper' weld between straight ribband end welds



According to Bro. Helsley, the barrels on Best grade were labeled in the Powell ledgers as "Best", and were usually 3 Iron. Other grades were simply "Damascus" (usually 2 Iron) or "Stub Damascus" (usually Laminated Steel).

Tiny superficial pits are not uncommon and were usually from surface inclusions lost during the finishing process. I tried to enhance your image and there are a few more nearby. I can't explain the loss of contrast in that area, other than possibly from light rusting that was successfully scrubbed away. Do you know if the barrels were ever rebrowned?

I took some pictures of the proof marks...

My gun (4661) also has barrels by JT. There are no (old) marks on the barrel flats (which now carry the modern nitro reproof marks at 0.732 in). The new marks are small and unusually clear and well stamped. Any earlier mark would almost certainly be still visible.

I will see if I can find out who JT and JK were.

I have the exact same model gun. I got it because I had to make the spring that works the push lever to open it. Not an easy spring to make. I was telling someone and he had knowledge of someone who had the same gun that also needs a spring.
I contacted the owner and struck a deal to buy his gun since he was afraid of shooting the Damascus bbls. It was also missing a hammer and several screws all of which I made . That was 12 years ago and I've been shooting mine at vintage events and bird hunting ever since . I absolutely love it