Looking for any info- age, etc.

Just picked up this J Blanch & Son 16ga single barrel hammer gun, 28 inch damascus, Jones, rebounding lock. Weight 4lbs 13 oz.

No serial on frame, tiny number on barrel ahead of forend lug -21646 - seems very high for this to be serial#.

Bore is bad.


Nice Rigby flat


1855 address


London BP proofs, unknown crown over "S" - 2nd from bottom, inverted to the others.


Locking tabs on underlever



Very cute, and would love to know anything more about it.
Any Blanch experts?

Nice old gun! If anyone out there has one like it in shootable condition and want to get rid of it, I'll be your huckleberry...Geo

You'll find a lot of info on J. Blanch & Son here:
http://www.jblanchdatabase.co.uk/page1.htm
And here, too:
http://www.jblanchandson.co.uk/index.html

Toby Barclay runs the Blanch database. You might check in with him. He will probably be in the States for the Southern SxS event in late April. He also has the Heritageguns site.

Geo,
Here is a very nice looking Needham 16.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/J-V-Needham-Damascus-Underlever-16ga.cfm?gun_id=100318395

Gary

Thanks for the reference, Gary. I'll look into that one!...Geo

Shot my 16ga Blanch on the skeet field today, 70 gr FFG and 1 oz #8, paper hull, card and fiber wads.
Singles only, can't reload fast enough.... yet. LOL
What a "blast", literally and figuratively.
Kills "skeets" very effectively.
Recoil was noticeable (5#,13oz) but not severe.
Very attention getting.
May try to chamber sleeve it to 20ga!