"COLT MODEL 1878 HAMMER DAMASCUS DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN. SN 14738. Cal. 10 ga. This fabulous shotgun has 32" Damascus bbls with tapered concave smooth rib, sgl bead, doll's head rib extension & dbl underbites. It has back action locks with very gracefully curved, high spur hammers and a long opening lever. Receiver & lockplates are very tastefully engraved with about 30% coverage foliate arabesque patterns & a rosette around center pin on each lockplate. It has maker's name on each side. All appended metal is engraved to match. Mounted with very highly figured French walnut with checkered black insert schnable tip splinter forearm and bulbous round knob pistol grip stock, 14-1/4" over a rampant Colt logo hard rubber buttplate. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter fully identifying this shotgun with weight of 10 lbs., engraving at $2.85 and under special features, "furnished with a doll's head rib extension and $85.00 worth of enhancements". It was shipped Oct. 7, 1882 to Hartley & Graham, NY, NY in a one gun shipment. Also accompanied by what is probably part of the $85.00 worth of enhancements is a wonderful English style oak & leather, burgundy felt lined trunk case with "J.W. BEEKMAN, JR. / NEW YORK" embossed on the lid. Case is of tan leather with brass corner reinforcements and is compartmented in the bottom for shotgun, a round glass Hawksley oil bottle & compartments containing two ebony handled turn screws, a brass & ebony 1-pc cleaning rod with separate ebony & brass handle, a complete set of reloading tools with a Hawksley stuck & broken shell remover, powder & shot measures, an ebony tamper & various cleaning implements. Bore diameter: left - .774, right - .776. Bore restrictions: left - .025, right - .022. Wall thickness: left - .057, right - .054. Drop at heel: 3-1/8", drop at comb: 1-3/4". Weight: 10 lbs. 0.96 oz. CONDITION: Extremely fine. Appears to be new & unfired retaining virtually all of its orig factory finish to both metal & wood. Damascus pattern in bbls & ribs is crisp & bright & untouched with only faint muzzle & breech end edge wear. Receiver, lockplates & hammers retain virtually all of their brilliant orig case colors, slightly faded on bottom. Opening lever & trigger guard retain virtually all of their bright niter blue. Forend iron retains about all of its bright orig case colors with bright niter blue on latch. Wood is sound with a few scattered minor handling & storage mars and retains virtually all of its extremely fine orig factory hand rubbed oil finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bores. Case has a few spots of water stain & oil splatters on top, otherwise exterior is fine although a little dry, in need of treatment. Interior is lightly faded with light soil & a few spots of minor moth damage. Carrying handle has broken on one end. 4-31094 JR295 (25,000-45,000)"
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