New Old Gun

[shrapnel]

I told myself 3 years ago, that I would quit buying guns. But when I see something like this, I change my mind.

It is a Greener, London Best 12 gauge shotgun made in the 1870’s. I took it to the clays range and busted a few with it. This coming week, it will be out killing grouse…

 

[Salmonchaser]

So awesome,

 

[FairWeather]

150 years old, and you trust it enough to shoot it? You’re braver than I.

 

[mtmuley]

S

150 years old, and you trust it enough to shoot it? You’re braver than I.

Schrap knows his iron I'm thinking. mtmuley

 

[pabearhunter]

Beautiful.

 

[Mica Man]

Purdy thang. Should be a good grouse and partridge slayer.

 

[Nick87]

Can't think of a Greener without thinking of "Big Jake".

 

[Salmonchaser]

"Near or far"

 

[shrapnel]

150 years old, and you trust it enough to shoot it? You’re braver than I.

All these are Damascus guns, every one of them safe to shoot and more fun than a Remington 870…

 

[JV842]

Oh My………

 

[VikingsGuy]

Calling @BrentD for comment.

 

[mtmuley]

Calling @BrentD for comment.

Yeah. Shrapnel probly went into this blind. mtmuley

 

[WildWill]

Can't think of a Greener without thinking of "Big Jake".

My exact first thought when I saw the case. Just need a Derringer tucked in the box.

 

[kodiakisland]

Can't think of a Greener without thinking of "Big Jake".

Yeah, that's the first thing that popped into my head reading this thread.

 

[BrentD]

Calling @BrentD for comment.

As a rule, I do not comment on Kirk's posts for various reasons, but I will make an exception this time.

As far as I am concerned, that is as fine a hammer gun as you will ever see. And, to be at the top of the heap, it is English, of course. If there is a finer one, it would probably be Scotch. But this one has all the things I look for in a hammer gun, and a whole bunch more of just plain good taste.

Yeah. Shrapnel probly went into this blind. mtmuley

Ah, no. Probably not.

Yeah, that's the first thing that popped into my head reading this thread.

That is the first thing that used to pop into my head too when hearing the name Greener. Almost enough to keep me from buying a very nice Greener Facile Princeps (not in the same league as that hammer gun, however). But not quite. It was a lot nicer too before I fell with it one too many times. That should teach me to not try to limp to the end of the season on a bad knee, but probably not. Now it's cost me more than 2x what I paid for it, but I still like it, even if it is a Greener .

 

[Slam]

Do you shoot light smokeless loads through this?

As usual your taste in firearms is impeccable.

 

[Wildabeest]

Brent and Shrapnel comparing their gun collections with the rest of HuntTalk watching in the background…

 

[Steiny77]

That's a beauty !
John Wayne always had a pair of Greeners in the Big Jake era.

 

[std7mag]

Shooting live rounds out of a Damascus barrel isn't a problem.
Till it's a problem.
Then they fail spectacularly!

Case in point.
My buddy's 1861 Lee Enfield Carbine. 68 caliber if I remember correctly.

He didn't have any other firearms for deer season, so thought he'd load his Enfield for muzzleloader.

3rd round of 60gr FFG under a patched round ball.
The left side of the chamber ripped open. Thank God he's a lefty and was on the other side.
Blew open 1" wide about 2" long.
You could see where the 2 layers were.

 

[BrentD]

Shooting live rounds out of a Damascus barrel isn't a problem.
Till it's a problem.
Then they fail spectacularly!

Case in point.
My buddy's 1861 Lee Enfield Carbine. 68 caliber if I remember correctly.

He didn't have any other firearms for deer season, so thought he'd load his Enfield for muzzleloader.

3rd round of 60gr FFG under a patched round ball.
The left side of the chamber ripped open. Thank God he's a lefty and was on the other side.
Blew open 1" wide about 2" long.
You could see where the 2 layers were.

That is not my kind of rifle, but I believe there is no 1861, and that was probably an Pattern 1853. I do not believe they were ever made with Damascus, but could be wrong. And "two layers" does not sound like Damascus either. My guess is that you were looking at a badly corroded and then poorly relined P 53 Enfield.

Damascus can be quite safe to shoot, if it is in reasonable condition and shot with reasonable loads. You have to know how to apply the word "reasonable" to such guns. This type of post is how rumors to the contrary get started.