doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Deciphering Belmont Numbers

Does anyone know if the "1D1" on the lower tang and the under rib is the model number of this 12ga Belmont Interchangeable Hammerless?

Is the 162 (inverted) on the under rib the serial number?

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It has an "E" added to the 1D1 on the lower tang. Grade perhaps?






Both of the 30" "4 Iron British Best" (thanks, Drew) damascus barrels have the same proof mark and the number 4 on them.

Sorry I can't post pictures of the barrel flats and the water table. This gun is locked up from having suffered both tragedy and travesty (a fire and then later in life nearly a year left out in the elements.)

Bonehill certainly had a system for marking his grades and variations of the Belmont Interchangeable hammerless gun on the trigger guard tang with a 4 or 5 digit alphabetical/numerical code.

A recent one at Holt’s is shown as IBIEH (1B1EH?).

It seems that they were all the same basic gun (with or without ejectors?). The one piece “patent clip lump” appears to extend forward to incorporate the rear under-rib and barrel loop for the forend.

He made it in 4 grades, but the main difference between grades appears to be in finish and engraving style but with the same underlying sound materials and engineering quality.

The grades either went up from 1 to 4 or A to D. From the engraving on the one at Holts I would guess second (B?) grade.

If anyone has a Bonehill catalogue they may be able to provide the definitive answer?

It does indeed have the clip lump design under Bonehill's 1884 patent.

Yours has nicely chiselled fences, and I take it from the code it is a D grade.

It is more ornate than the one offered by Holts which from it’s code is presumably a B grade.

There is very nice one offered online by CP Outfitters. They describe it as Grade 4, but I suspect from the very high quality finish it may well be a special order with extra finish and engraving.

Here is one at Southams earlier this year, with plain fences and minimal engraving. It is marked 1A1EH on the trigger guard tang.

It is a non-ejector.

It is clearly their lowest grade, and so the evidence points to the second digit A to D denoting the grade and A Grade being at the cheapest end of the scale.

I suspect that the 1 may not mean very much, if anything.

Despite being the. lowest grade the barrels are still marked “Finest Damascus”

I believe you’re right, Pb. I’ve seen a photo somewhere of a Belmont with basic engraving and labeled 1B1E on the trigger tang.

I’ve also seen Belmont Damascus barrels labeled “Fine”, “Extra Fine” (this particular gun) and “Finest”.

Another view of the from Southams with 1A1EH engraved on the tang.




And this is the one at Holts (their photo) marked 1B1EH, which has more engraving .

The H might stand for hammerless as he also made an Interchangeable hammer gun.

Could the E stand for Engraved. The obvious Ejector does not apply to the Southams gun as it is a non ejector.

The 1 and 1, do not seem to alter but might be to allow for indicating a special order feature although Bonehill’s business model seems to have been based like Henry (“any colour you want as long as it is black”) Ford in that he offered a limited number of options at fixed prices.

Has anyone seen one with 2 (or more) in the code?

Anyone out there with a Bonehill catalogue that might make everything clear please?

My Autumn 2021 DGJ arrived today, and the first article I read was the excellent “A Bonehill with Bona Fides” by John Campbell II.

He speculates on the marking 7A134 stamped on the action flat.

I believe that this is a variation on Bonehill’s model and grade code dealing with special Order features.

I notice that the ball fences are slightly proud of the breech ends, and are chamfered down to meet them.

This makes me wonder if Bonehill used the same action forging for 20 bores and 12 bores, perhaps filing down the ball fences and action sides to reduce bulk.

John, if you follow this forum perhaps you could let us know the width of the action body from side to side across the action flats and from the outer edges of the ball fences so they can be compared to the same dimensions on a 12 bore Belmont action?

Found for sale this reprint of a 1900 Belmont Interchangeable catalog which I’ve passed on to the local gentleman who owns this gun.
I was able to confirm that their grades ran A-D with D being the highest.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/914551436

Anyone happen to have a copy they could reference?