Larry Hirding

Michigan USA

Breech loading Hammer gun

 

Bore - 16

 

Jones underlever

 

Top rib – Herbert E Pollard & Co Worcester

Side of action - Perrins & Son

 

Serial number - Unknown

 

Larry lives in Michigan, USA and has a long association with this gun. It is a Jones underleaver screw lock, probably dating from the 1860 - 1875

While the browning is a little faded the Damascus twist pattern on the barrels can still be seen. 

At some time Herbert Pollard did some work on the barrels which required the gun to be re-proofed and the rib was removed, being replaced with one  with Pollards name on it. We can only guess at what this work may have been. We know of guns which were originally pin fire being converted to centre fire – but I don’t think the position of the hammers is quite right for this conversion. Most likely someone didn’t clean it religiously and the corrosive black powder rotted the barrels – who can say.

This is a little of the history which Larry sent me…..

The last time the gun was shot was in the early 1970's. If I recall correctly I was using 16ga low power paper shells. We were warned not to use the more modern high power loads. I used the gun for hare and partridge.

The first hare I ever took was with this gun.

 I was 12 yrs old and wasn't old enough to go whitetail deer hunting but my father allowed me to tag along with him one morning and carry the shotgun in case we encountered a snowshoe hare. Sometimes referred to as varying hare due to their fur turning snow white once the ground became covered with snow.

 

We had snow earlier in the year but on that morning there was no snow on the ground. As we were walking through a pine forest I spotted a bright white hare sitting next to a pine stump. He was quite obvious. I drew down on him and fired, the hare disappeared. I figured I had missed but when we walked over to the stump, there he was, a clean kill. He had fallen back into his burrow upon impact. A beautiful snow white hare and quite large I recall.

 

I hunted with the gun for a couple more years and took many more hare, partridge and a few pheasants. I do remember the barrels getting quite hot on occasion if I shot both barrels in succession.