would you buy this gun??

[Tucker943]

That has to be a brutal kick!

 

[Cut4fun]

 

[Tucker943]

Beautiful. Does it shoulder nice for you?

 

[Cut4fun]

Beautiful. Does it shoulder nice for you?

Unfortunately nope. It's just like a special field 12ga auto my dad has (that I wanted bad), comes up short to my shoulder.

So I know my dad will like it when we try it out.

 

[RIVERRAT]

As far as your advice Riverrat, its foolish. Any pre world war 2 shotgun should be checked out before firing, if you don't know when the last time it was shot was. If you want to insist otherwise, more power to you. Something tells me you just don't want to be wrong and simply say "wise idea".

I am not in the in habit of giviing foolish advice regarding guns.
I am very capable of checking most any fire arm myself regardless of when or who made it.
If some one is not capable of this it would always be the right thing to have it checked out. My dissagreement, is that I believe this gun in good order will fire, safely, regular field loads. My reason for stating this may have been a jump.

My original advice was given based on Cut4fun having reasonable inttelligence, not missing any thing obviously wrong & also my knowledge of the gun. I was wrong in assuming this gun was 2 3/4. My assumption being based that he vissually saw this stamped on the barrel. This is not always the case.
The early models of this gun could have the shorter chambering & were not stamped as such.

 

[RIVERRAT]

Wow! Thats a keeper!

Is the bore as clean as the rest of it?

 

[Cut4fun]

Wow! Thats a keeper!

Is the bore as clean as the rest of it?

Yes and even cleaner

 

[RIVERRAT]

To me personally, guns like this one carry far more value than any dollar amount some one might pay!

I have a love for old things that still work. Your gun here certainly fits this criteria.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Beauty!

 

[woodworkingboy]

The stock looks in real good shape too, but maybe the forestock could use some refinishing? In one photo it looks in better condition than in another.

 

[RIVERRAT]

If your going to keep a gun it doesnt matter.
But any gun of any value to a collector will have it's worth dramatically demininshed by any refinish work done to it.

It is pretty near impossible to make an old gun look better by refininshing & a wise eye unable to see it.

Folks do it all the time thinking the gun will be worth more. But on antique collectible guns this seldom if ever is the case. Especially among buyers who know what they are looking at.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Keep it real. Keep it original. Don't do NOTHING.

 

[RIVERRAT]

Wiping off surface rust Ya. Beyond that nope!

Yup, leave um be.

 

[woodworkingboy]

It appears to me that the finish on the stock now is likely not original. I wouldn't argue with the objectivity of the concept, but it depends on what your definition of "looking better" is, but I have done some refinishing on stocks....many coats of a mix of hand applied and polished oils that I blend myself, with what I think are quite good results in the cosmetics of the wood, compared to how it looked previous. My thought is that a gun considered to have lost value as a result of a good finishing job, is more a collectors idea of things, than how it really looks in terms of attractiveness. Oil isn't paint, it merely refreshes and brings out the depths in the wood, and it needn't be heavy. Just rubbing your hands over the stock is oiling it. Dried out wood isn't happy wood.

 

[RIVERRAT]

There is no doubt in my mind after slobbering over some of your work, you could in fact take any peice of wood on a gun or what ever & make it look better than it ever did!!

I believe the stock on that gun was probably refininshed at some time. The rear stock seems to show it. Hard to tell exactly from pics.

I am speaking from a good bit of experiance regarding the effect refininshing can have on an antique, collectible gun. But doing things that preserve the present condition are most times fine.Having no great effect on value if done right.
Again, like I said doesnt matter if some one plans o keeping it.

 

[Tucker943]

I agree. For a gun with no investment purpose, do what you like. If you are looking to get your money back out of the gun someday, refinishing will leave you screwed. Collectors want to see the patina that developes over time, and they prefer the wood to tell its tale of time.

 

[Cut4fun]

Refinished or not in the past dont matter to me. I'm leaving it just the way it is.

I do know now that the gun came from a deceased uncles collection and the guns were handed out to family members many years ago. The guy I got it from had bought it from a family member about 15 years ago he said and just kept it saved back too. Reason he let it go to me was the 16ga issue and the boot money difference on trade in on bigger saw.

 

[Tucker943]

I don't have guns for investments, I have them for shooting. I've bought several refinished guns and gotten a good bargain on them as a result. What do I care? I'm only going to take them in the woods anyhow.

 

[RIVERRAT]

Refinished or not in the past dont matter to me. I'm leaving it just the way it is.

Feel the same way. I don't wish to be a ware house for some one else after I am gone. Dont have any guns that I am overly concerned about using. No reason in my mind for that.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Thanks. I understand that from a collector's perspective, being in the original state adds value, and that is true with a lot of things. Classic bicycles is one, a rough without any alteration state preferred over a prettier refinished one, in many cases. Original has a kind of romance, it seems.

 

[Cut4fun]

I'm not worried about value on this gun.

I am either going to keep it and use it for my purposes of shooting occasionally or give it to my dad for his nostalgia moment with a string attached.

Hopefully this gun will get some kind of history with me or dad hunting with it so stories can be handed down for generations.

I have a shotgun that came from my grandpa when he was 16, was born in 1898 (my dad had refinished that gun at one time back in the 80's). It was one of those needed redo's I guess. 12ga single Essex. Not worth anything money wise, but it is family to me with lots of history.

 

[Cut4fun]

Just digging, Interesting info copy and pasted.

The gun(s) are what are known as "Trade Brand Name" shotguns. That is a shotgun made by a major maker for and sold by a wholesaler or retailer who chose the name to go on the gun. In this case, there were three makers over the life of the name and one seller. Guns with the name Essex were made by the Crescent Fire Arms Co of Norwich, CT (1892 to 1931), J. Stevens Arms Co of of Chicopee Falls, MA (1916 TO 1942) and the Harrington & Richardson Arms Co of Worchester,MA (1872 to1985). The guns were made for and sold by the Belknap Hardware Company of Louisville,KY a large wholesale sporting goods dealer. Have to offer a caution here. The guns were designed for and made to the specifications of the times. They were made for either black powder or early low pressure smokeless powder ammunition and have shorter chambers that present modern shotguns. They were not designed for more modern high pressure smokeless powder, longer (3 inch) shells and steel shot.While they may still be fired with appropriate ammunition, I recommend that they be inspected by a good qualified gunsmith before firing one. Value? Value will depend on the guns condition, the amount of original finish remaining on the metal and wood as well as the mechanical condition.

 

[Tucker943]

I might have mentioned that!

 

[Cut4fun]

That last info I posted was for the essex searching I was doing.

 

[Tucker943]

Damnit I look like a smacked ass!