Arrizabalaga double barrel shotguns have a reputation for being some of the finest side-by-sides made in Spain. This little 28 gauge is a nice example of the kind of work they turn out. It looks like a pretty low-grade model that’s in excellent original condition. If you shoot a smaller-proportioned gun (yeah, I didn’t want to say you’re a small guy), this looks like a great deal on decent sidelock.

Arrizabalaga 28 gauge double barrel shotgun

Auction alert! There are a number of good guns and sporting items coming up on Saturday, 2/4, at South Bay Actions in East Moriches, Long Island, NY.

Gastinne Rennette at South Bay Auctions on 2/4

Here are a few highlights of the sale. See the complete listing here.

Lot 4: Winchester Model 21 12g with 28″ barrels.

Lot 6: Francotte, 28g. side by side.

Lot 7: Belgian Browning Superposed “Lightning” 20g

Lot 9: L.C. Smith “Pigeon” Grade 12g.

Lot 44: Nichols & LeFever, original advertising for Breech Loading shotguns, rifles etc., Syracuse, New York.

Let’s celebrate one of America’s finest gunmakers: Patrick Mullin. Don’t feel bad, most people have never heard of him. Patrick Mullin’s double barrel shotguns were some of the finest ever made on this side of the Atlantic.  This 8 gauge, 11lb 5oz., percussion shotgun with 33″ barrels is an excellent example of his work. It glows with excellence and proves that a best-quality gun doesn’t need engraving.

Patrick Mullin 8 gauge percussion shotgun

Patrick Mullin made guns in New York City from around 1850-1870. He was born in Donegal, Ireland,  in 1814 and trained in Dublin and London before emigrating to the US. His guns retailed for $400-$1000 — more than Purdeys made at the same time.

Patrick Mullin 8 gauge percussion shotgun

On Mullin’s death in 1895, the New York Times published his obituary and stated “He turned out guns of his own handiwork that were unsurpassed in excellence.” This 8 gauge shows that they were right. Pics courtesy Dismal River Armory.

Patrick Mullin 8 gauge percussion shotgun

Browning Superposed shotguns are tough to beat. They’re a reliable, time-tested design and one of the few “vintage” shotguns with dimensions that most guys can shoot well. If you’re looking for a solid, dependable shooter, this 12 gauge double barrel Browning is worth a bid:

12 gauge Browning Superposed Shotgun

Fifty years from now, guys will lust after original 20 gauge Browning Over-and-Unders in the same way guys today chase small-bore Parkers. Here’s Lightning with 28″ barrels that future collectors will probably drool over:

20 gauge Browning Superposed Lightning Shotgun

W. & C. Scott was one of the most important gunmakers of the last 200 years.  In the their history they came up with many different designs for doubles. One of the quirkiest was the Quintuple Grip system you can see on this shotgun.

W. & C. Scott Double Barrel Shotgun with Quintuple Grip

This system combined a standard Purdey-bolt with two bolts on the outside of the action and barrels. It was used on a number of guns in the 1880s and makers like Holland & Holland also used it on a few of their hammerguns.

It’s an intersting design, but not very practical. The gun itself is clunky, and I doubt the exteral bolts are an advantage.

Over and Under double barrel shotguns don’t seem innovative to us. But back in the 1920s, shotguns with stacked barrels were still a new idea to most shooter. This old add from Boss shows how they sold these new-fangled things.

I like the “Vertical Gun” description, as well as the claims of “Perfect and quicker alignment, better balance, less recoil.” I’m not sure these claims are true (less recoil definitely isn’t), but that’s salesmanship for you.

Advertisement for Boss's Over and Under double barrel shotgun

Gun Auctions can be great place to buy double barrel shotguns — if you know what you’re doing. And I really mean “if”.

Auctioneers need to get as much as they can for every lot in their sale. Buyers need all the information they can get.  This sets up a sort of cat-and-mouse game. And while an auctioneer should tell the truth about a item (should), there are plenty ways to tell the truth without giving away a gun’s whole story.

W.W. Greener Hammer Double Barrel Shotgun

This is what I mean. Check out this 12 gauge W.W. Greener hammergun. From the pics and information listed, I can see three issues with this gun. None of them are called out. Can you guess them?

The first is the butt stock. It looks refinished. Let’s check the condition report to see what it says:

“Very Fine. The barrels retain 70% of the damascus pattern with the balance a smooth brown patina. The action retains 70% original vivid case colors. The engraving is crisp. The wood is very fine with some minor handling marks and some scattered minor blemishes in the overall crisp checkering with minor chip missing from the forearm (right side). The case is good.”

Nothing about a refinish. Of course, there’s nothing about it being original either (even though the auction has “original vivid case colors”). This omission makes me think that the auctioneer believes the stock has been redone (very well, though).

Issue number two and three have to do with the barrels. First, there’s the length. The listing says they’re 27 3/4″ long. OK, but the barrels on vintage British shotguns are almost always 28″ or 30″. So what’s going on — have these been cut, or did the auctioneer make a mistake?

I sent some emails to find out. The auctioneer confirmed that the barrels were 27 3/4″ long; W.W. Greener confirmed that this length does not match what’s in their records. So it’s safe to say the barrels are cut.

Next, check out the browning on the barrels. Since the barrels have been cut, that brown is probably not original. If you take another look at the condition report you’ll see that the auctioneer doesn’t think the bbl’s finish is original, either. If he did, he would say so.

So that’s 3 issues. While they auctioneer doesn’t scream about them , I’m pretty certain he knows they’re all there.

BTW: The only way to know if the gun is really OK is to inspect yourself, or to hire someone to look it over for you.

Gregg

www.dogsanddoubles.com

Woodward Over & Under shotguns make me crazy. They are one of the most elegant double barrel shotguns every made — without a doubt — and the ones I’ve handled have been some of the finest shotguns I’ve ever seen.

Pair of 20 gauge Woodward Over Under Shotguns

James Woodward & Sons introduced their Over & Under in 1913 (Boss’s came out in 1909). I’m not how many they made before being bought by James Purdey & Sons in 1949 — but I would guess it was fewer than 300 O/Us all together.

Most of these were 12 gauges, with some 16 gauges and a handful of 20 gauges. Woodward also made at least one O/U in .410 and maybe some in 10 gauge and 28 gauge (I’ve never seen or heard of 10g or 28g Woodward O/U, but that doesn’t mean much).

With such small production numbers, decent Woodward O/Us are hard to find today. Pairs of them rarely come on the market. Pairs of 20 gauge Woodward O/Us are practically unknown. That’s why these guns that Lewis Drake has are so stunning. They’re a true pair of 20gs, made in the 1930s for King Michael of Romania. It’s good to be the king.

Pic courtesy Lewis Drake. All rights reserved.

Guyot is a gunmaker I’ve written about before. While I’ve seen a number of double-barrel shotguns marked with the Guyot name, I know very little about the maker. About all I’ve been able to come up with is that they made some real nice guns. This boxlock at Jaqua’s is an excellent example.

16g Guyot Double Barrel Shotgun

It’s a 16g gauge with double triggers and ejectors. It looks like it was made on the proven Anson & Deeley patent action. I would guess that this gun was made in Belgium for Guyot, and if I had to bet I would say that Francotte was behind it (check out this Francotte Knock About to see what I mean).

Finish wise, it looks nearly new and all original. If it is all that, $1995 is a  reasonable price. Where else can you buy that much quality, and that much condition, for that kind of money?

Good guns! Some nice double barrel shotguns are coming up to auction of the next few weeks. Here are couple side-by-sides and over-and-unders that caught my eye:

Fox A grade 20 gauge double barrel shotgun

A.H. Fox Grade CE, 20 ga. side by side shotgun, mfg. 1927

A.H. Fox Grade A, 20 ga. side by side shotgun, 28″, mfg. 1930

Fabrique Nationale & Arms 28 Ga. O/U Shotgun

Ithaca Classic Doubles 4E 20 Gauge Shotgun