doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com strange US patent on British sxs

I have a WC Scott 10 gauge made in 1875 according the the Scott records. On the bottom lug it says H.N. Sherman's patent. It took me a long time to find something. It appears that this is an American Patent from 1873 and somehow Scott decided to use it on one of their guns. I personally believe this is a poor design as there is no bolting system other than the rear lug snapping into a recess in the bottom of the receiver. No wonder it never caught on! Has anyone else seen this patent? Maybe Raimey can chime in. It has the largest trigger guard I have ever seen on a double.

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The locking bite at the back of the rear lump is similar that that used in John Thomas’s British patent 324/1870 but that is held down by a rotating turret. It was quite popular, often being found on rook rifles and small gauge shotguns.

I have looked in Crudgington and Baker Volumes 1 and 2 which cover 1850 to 1890 but there is no mention of Sherman’s patent.

I wonder if he decided to get W.C. Scott to build it for him as a demonstration gun?

It may be that they built the gun for themselves to try out the patent before licensing it in an effort to circumvent the British patent. Either way, nothing is known to come from the effort.
I note that the patent was prosecuted in exactly 5 months. Things have surely changed.

I'm guessing it was a one off. Maybe a prototype? I'm surprised one wasn't built using an American frame like an Ithaca or even a cheap Belgian import.