The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Fairly sure it's a trade name for another company. Single barrel Model of 1885? 65? Can't tell from the markings.

Can it shoot 12G shorts?

Depends, how much of your face are you willing to risk? A shotgun of that age is a black powder shooter, they were not built to handle the pressures of modern smokeless powder and might even have laminated steel, otherwise known as Damascus twist barrel. Wallhanger it.

Last date I can confirm is 11 Aug 1898. Patent date?

I still can't tell the model number. Looks like a bad die did the number.

Any date you see will be a patent date. Most of these trade guns were serviceable inexpensive tools not intended to last a lifetime. Without pictures I have no idea what kind of gun we are talking about here. Anybody could get whatever name they wanted on the guns if they bought a few crates, hardware stores would invent names that sounded good.

Single shot 12g break action, w/o automatic ejector.
Looks a bit like a Topper.

Trying to get a full picture loaded...


It had no stock, I fixed a legal, but very crude, pistol grip so I could prop it against the floor and not scar the gun or the floor.

Typical inexpensive single shot, the most common of all shotguns and the most common gun you would have encountered in the west had you gone there in the 1880's -1900's Pretty much every settler took some form of this gun along to pot rabbits. I would leave off firing it, it hasn't got a stock anyway and finding one for it would be very difficult. The style looks familiar but I am too tired at the moment to make my brain recall were I have seen it.

I'm thinking a Davenport, myself. I found some BP shells... 2 5/8", but I might just let that dog lie.

Good idea, most hospitals blackout any transmission to or from firearms related sites. So if you fire it and things go wrong, after 10 days we reserve the right to all your firearms.

What firearms and who said you'd want them?? Mine aren't nice, and Bill is much farther up "The Line" than me!

I am already getting his trapdoor next Tuesday after....well....something happens

Again, why not whack Bill and get the M1907 Carbine???

You're killing me for a beat up trapdoor with a broken firing pin and sight spring. It's hardly worth it.

Again, spontaneous human combustion is not "killing" it's a mystery why some people just burst into flames. Now, were did I put that witches number? Don't worry about Bill, people have plans....

Junk Yard Dog wrote:Depends, how much of your face are you willing to risk? A shotgun of that age is a black powder shooter, they were not built to handle the pressures of modern smokeless powder and might even have laminated steel, otherwise known as Damascus twist barrel. Wallhanger it.

Agreed. A buddy just inherited a very old shotgun. I checked it out real quick and told him that under no circumstances should he ever chamber a round. I'm no gunsmith, but I saw a lot of potential problems. Looks like the thing spent most of its life propped behind a barn door. Lots of rust, no oil, bulged barrel end, questionable lock-up. No thanks. It should be retired to a place of honor.

Not shooting it. Didn't really think it would shoot, but hey. It's cool, kind of.

Many of these old guns do not even use 2 3/4" shells , they make great wallhangers.