John Farson Double Muzzle Loader Shotgun
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 5:03 pm
So, I have also been busy with non-Krag activities while the KCA was being remodeled.
A neighbor told me about a firearm he found in his attic in the early 1970s when he was tearing up some floor boards to install insulation. He found an old muzzle loader that had been hidden under these floorboards for quite some time, evidently. The house was built in the mid 1800s. He never did anything with the shotgun and just left it in the attic.
I, of course, asked if I could check it out and that I would clean it up and research it for him.
This shotgun was in bad shape with lots of thick crackled and hardened varnish covering the stock and the metal was full of rust and old grease. But, it had potential.
I cleaned it up, removed the old varnish and wiped it down good with oil on the metal and boiled linseed oil on the stock. It's quite the handsome firearm. I'm not a muzzle loader, nor shotgun collector, so, I would like to know if anyone has any information on this more than the pittance I have found on the internet. That would amount to next to nothing.
I have found that this is an English shotgun, often referred to as a side lever hammer gun or double shotgun, possibly an 8 bore. It was made by John Farson and appears to be, from what I can make of the proofs, from 1868-1875. The proofs show it was from Birmingham, England. The "Roses Patent No. 20" evidently refers to the forge the barrels came from. It has the original ram rod which is nice. It functions relatively well, overall.
Pretty wall-hanger. I have returned it to its owner with his appreciation. (Didn't charge him anything because I enjoyed the time with this interesting piece and he didn't come to me to do the work- I asked him.)
If any information, let me know and I'll pass it on to the owner. What a neat find in an attic!!
A neighbor told me about a firearm he found in his attic in the early 1970s when he was tearing up some floor boards to install insulation. He found an old muzzle loader that had been hidden under these floorboards for quite some time, evidently. The house was built in the mid 1800s. He never did anything with the shotgun and just left it in the attic.
I, of course, asked if I could check it out and that I would clean it up and research it for him.
This shotgun was in bad shape with lots of thick crackled and hardened varnish covering the stock and the metal was full of rust and old grease. But, it had potential.
I cleaned it up, removed the old varnish and wiped it down good with oil on the metal and boiled linseed oil on the stock. It's quite the handsome firearm. I'm not a muzzle loader, nor shotgun collector, so, I would like to know if anyone has any information on this more than the pittance I have found on the internet. That would amount to next to nothing.
I have found that this is an English shotgun, often referred to as a side lever hammer gun or double shotgun, possibly an 8 bore. It was made by John Farson and appears to be, from what I can make of the proofs, from 1868-1875. The proofs show it was from Birmingham, England. The "Roses Patent No. 20" evidently refers to the forge the barrels came from. It has the original ram rod which is nice. It functions relatively well, overall.
Pretty wall-hanger. I have returned it to its owner with his appreciation. (Didn't charge him anything because I enjoyed the time with this interesting piece and he didn't come to me to do the work- I asked him.)
If any information, let me know and I'll pass it on to the owner. What a neat find in an attic!!