doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Nitro Proof Damascus 2-1/2 inch

he who plays with fire...

sometimes gets burnt...

but then the presense of danger just increases the satisfaction...

sorta like...no, ah betta not...

Just had a read through this thread.

I'm curious about Drew's statement re: the 1904-1925 Birmingham Rules of Proof. My understanding was that during the 1904-1925 period, Max. Shot, or Grains were omitted after the Nitro Proof 1 1/8 designation? Am I mistaken on this? At least that omission seems to be the case for my two 1904-1925 Birmingham shotguns.

UK Proof

Diggory Hadoke's Vintage Guns website also shows the the Nitro Proof as having the SHOT mark following the Nitro Proof designation. Vintage Guns Proof Mark Dates

I'm now a bit confused.

_______
TC

This is from Dig's chart that you linked



The Supplementary Nitro Proof Revision of 1904 is here from The Gun and Its Development, 1907
http://books.google.com/books?id=3HMCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA280
p. 291 mentions the 1896 Rules "Maximum" mark, and p. 292 shows the MAXm. powder grains and shot mark. I don't know when that was discontinued and only the "oz. Shot mark" was stamped.

https://www.vintageguns.co.uk/magazine/rules-of-proof-5-london-

This is an 1896 Lancaster marked “E.C.” (No. 1) 42 grains = 3 Dram with MAXm. SHOT 1 1/8 oz.



A Tolley 1896-1904 1 1/4 oz MAXm but not the grains



1904-1925 London Proof - no oz. SHOT
https://www.vintageguns.co.uk/magazine/rules-of-proof-6-london-
1904-1925 Birmingham reproof - no oz. SHOT
https://www.vintageguns.co.uk/magazine/rules-of-proof-8-re-proof-

Thanks Drew. Maybe it was a hit and miss thing with some of the marking. I know I had emailed the Birmingham Proof Master a few years back asking him about when the date mark stamping started re: post 1921, he said "in theory" the date marks were used starting in 1921. To me that meant maybe they were hit and miss until the new 1925-1954 Rules.

This is one of my other threads showing barrel flats 1904-1925 without the Max, Shot, Ounces, etc. Barrel Flat Markings

My understanding from the above UK Proof website link is that for Nitro Proof marking between 1896-1904, Max, Shot and Grains or combinations thereof were used. Between 1904-1925 only the load designation mark was used, ie: 1 1/8 or 1 1/4; Max, Shot or Grains were not used. Between 1925-1954 the load designation and ounce mark were used.

________
TC

I sent the Westley to Mike Orlen for stock bending. He confirmed my barrel measurements except his results showed thicker walls than me. I must be leaning on the post too much. Mike had no reservations about shooting 2-1/2" nitro loads in it. He also told me he hangs his barrel wall gauge from the ceiling by a string to measure. That would reduce the tendency to bend the post.