Original British 11 Gauge Double Barrel Side Lever Hammer Shotgun by William Moore & Co. of London – circa 1870 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a very nice upmarket British-made Double Barreled “Side Lever” Hammer shotgun, probably intended for the large U.S. import market. The lock plates are unmarked, however the barrel rib is still clearly marked near the breech with:-

W’M MOORE & Co., LONDON, FINE TWIST

This is one of several companies founded and/or involving London Gunsmith William Moore, who was born 1781, and lived until the early 1860s. He had worked as a stocker for the famed Joseph Manton, and would eventually open his own shop at 78 Edgeware Road in London. As with most British gunsmiths of the time, he would also open a shop in Birmingham for stock making and final finishing and inspection.

Moore would go onto work with many other gun makers of the time, including his own son Charles Moore, as well as William Harris. In 1836 William Moore was appointed Gunmaker-in-Ordinary to King William IV, and in that year the name of the firm changed to William Moore & Co.. In 1854 the firm were appointed gunmakers to Prince Albert, the Prince Consort. William more continued to have success and additional partnerships before passing away sometime before 1864. His businesses however survived him, and today the firm of William Moore & Grey is a direct successor to his business.

We believe that this somewhat upmarket example from this company was probably made around 1870, after William Moore had passed away, though it may have been made earlier. The “Fine Twist” on the barrel strap indicates that the barrel is “Damascus” forged, resulting in a lovely pattern due to the laminated nature of the steel, which also adds strength. The finish on the barrels is faded to a plum patina, but the spiral forging lines are still readily apparent and very attractive.

The bottoms of each barrel bear the correct Birmingham proof marks, including the CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / BPC “proof” and CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V “viewed” marks. There is also the CROWN / BP definitive proof, and a 11 marking, indicating “11 bore” or about .751″. This is a rarely seen cartridge today, but at the time it was relatively popular, and we have seen other period examples in the same chambering. There is no serial number marked, but there is W.M on the bottom, for William Moore. The “Table” part of the breech has the Birmingham “Viewed” marking, and there are no markings on the fore grip.

This lovely DOUBLE BARREL 11 gauge Hammer Shotgun presents very nicely, with a lovely patina of age, showing much handling and probably moderate use. It is all iron mounted, and features lovely engraving on almost all of the hardware, particularly the frame and back action locks. It has a great checkered wrist on the butt stock, and the fore stock is checkered as well. Originally intended for hunting and home defense these saw a lot of use on the Frontier and were supplied to both Stage Coach Lines and Railroads.

The action still functions correctly, with ejection and dry firing, and both firing pin springs are working correctly. The back action locks both function, and while they do have a half cock position, neither holds there securely. It is an early design “side lever” type, instead of the more common lever on the back of the action seen later. We checked the bores of the barrels, and they are clean and shiny, but they do show signs of past cleaning and removed oxidation and fouling.

The rear stock has a lovely color, and has a very nice iron butt plate as well as a small escutcheon on the lower side. It is in very good shape, with no cracking or other issues, and the checkering on the wrist is very well retained. The fore stock is a bit more worn, and has a crack on the left side, with an inch long sliver / chunk missing along the front on the woodline. It still locks correctly onto the bottom of the barrel, and is relatively easy to remove.

A very nice antique early design hammer shotgun by a well-known maker of British shotguns that still exists today! Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1870
Caliber: about .755″ 11 gauge / bore – 2 5/8 inch chambers
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 46 1/2 Inches
Action type: Back Action Locks with External Hammers
Feed System: Top Break with Side Lever

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country’s antique gun laws prior to ordering.