Mid 1800's Percussion Double Barrel Shotgun Van Wart Son & Co.
Item #: AA3107
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This is a double barrel percussion shotgun from the mid 1800's. The gun measures 49 1/4" overall and has 33" barrels. The bores of the London Fine Twist barrels are dark and have moderate pitting. A bore gauge shows them to be just slightly over 12 gauge. The wide flat rib is engraved at the muzzle end with an arrow and circle around the brass bead front sight. The front sight is set back 1/2" from the end of the barrels. Both barrels have a beautiful matching plum patina free of pitting. The hammers, locks, triggers, trigger guard and butt plate are all made of iron. All the metal parts have simple floral engravings. The locks and hammers have a matching dark patina. The trigger guard and butt plate appear to have been nickel plated long ago, with the majority of the plating being worn off. The lock plates are engraved with the Van Wart Son & Co. logo. The mechanics on these are crisp and strong, holding in half cock and full cock positions. The ramrod thimbles are brass, with the forward and middle thimbles soldered to the bottom of the barrels. The rear thimble, being more ornate in shape and design, is pinned to the front of the stock. and is German silver. The escutcheon plates are also silver. There is a small opening in the bottom of the stock to carry spare caps that has a small patch box type cover. That is surrounded by an ornate inlay of silver. The last piece of decorative inlay is a small rectangular piece in the top of the wrist just below the barrel tang. This shotgun is fitted with a half stock made of walnut. There are a couple of small chips of wood missing in the right side barrel channel. These are the only flaws in the entire stock. The hand checkering on the forehand of the stock is almost completely won off. You can no longer feel it, just see the pattern along the barrel channels. The checkering in the wrist area is about the same. It's for sure this one has spent plenty of time out in the field. Henry Van Wart was an importer from Birmingham, England, who supplied arms to the south during the Civil War. The Van Wart name has been found on many percussion pistols and shotguns from the 1830's through the 1860's. In the book "Confederate Odyssey" by Gordon L. Jones, on page 58 he mentions the Van Wart shotguns being used by the southern forces. Though there is no documentation showing this one saw service in the Civil War, it's for sure it was around back then. Since it hasn't been shortened, this one may very well have been used by some Western theater Rebel Infantryman early on in the war! All in all, just an absolutely beautiful antique firearm from the Civil War era.
Shipping Weight:
6 lbs
Item # AA3107
Your Price $1,625.00 USD
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