Classic Shotguns: Handed Down Today

[Member 5605]

Story:
These shotguns belonged to my Great Grandfather (I never have seen), my dad handed them down today to me and his grandfather (whom he never met either). The story is that these two shotguns were wore out in North Dakota shooting birds.

Not sure of their age but here they are.
Both are 12 gauge.. I assume
Both are side by side.
Both have matching serial numbers.
Neither will ever be shot again.... ever.


Shotgun #1:
WH Hamilton





Shotgun #2:
Norwich Arms Co.


Not much on the second shotgun for markings. It clearly had it's use and the barrel was brazed back to working condition. The barrel of the Norwich Arms shotgun looks like crap. It looks almost like it was hand made because of the gouges and scrapes along the length of the chamber.





The Hamilton may be worth restoring, not to shoot but as a family pass down, the Norwich... not so much. It's in need of a LOT of work.

For those who know Winchesters, Harold McCallum of Monroe at one point thought that the Hamilton could be restored or was worth restoring.

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[GOG]

It's a wonderful thing to have traditions and to be able to pass meaningful things on to new generations.
I know it's not my say, but with their legacy I wonder if it would be better to just preserve them as is?

 

[Member 5605]

I know it's not my say, but with their legacy I wonder if it would be better to just preserve them as is?

99.999% that's what will happen.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

personally, id atleast shoot a few rounds.

perfectly fine if YOU choose not to though. i respect that. my grand dads 03a3 doesnt get shot anymore. it does however get cleaned once a month. it just sits in my safe.

 

[Argonaut]

The first gun appears to have European proof stampings. If I were to guess, I would say of Belgian origin. There were several companies that built guns "branded" with older marketable names for sale here in the US. It has several features common with higher quality shotguns but Belgian steel can be soft from some manufactures. If it is still tight or only needs something like a hinge pin to tighten the action, it could be a shooter. (With light black powder shells)........the proofs that you have photographed will tell much of the story. I have the books to cypher them but my eyes are tired tonight so I will work on it another time. The second gun looks like many that were made by low cost builders with classic style to sell inexpensively on the American market. Probably best a wall hanger. I just bought a magnificent L C Smith 1893 manufacture 10 gauge hammer gun with Damascus 32" barrels and a family history from new. It is in tremendous condition and I will shoot it some with light black powder loads. It is just so cool, I couldn't resist. family history is the best part. If you can find some stories about them, write them down and share them with your kids and grandkids. That is the most exciting part of having them.