J.BLISSETT AND TOMES 12G SIDE BY SIDE HAMMER SHOTGUN.

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TOO LATE. SOLD. ARCHIVE SECTION.

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J. BLISSETT and TOMES 12G SIDE BY SIDE HAMMER SHOTGUN.

A TRULY GREAT example of a CLASSIC side by side 12g Hammer LONDON Shotgun from J. Blissett and Tomes. 98 High Holborn.

A great pity but the gun has one problem which I will detail first. The Highly Figured and Very Decorative Straight Grained  14 ¼” stock has a crack to the wrist. HOWEVER, this has been expertly repaired. It looks to have been done years ago so is standing up well. There is a machine screw now passing down through the crack to hold it. This has been drilled and tapped into the main action tang sitting below the trigger guard. Use sensible cartridges with fair and reasonable care when shooting the gun should give many more years of good shooting.

Original 29 ½” Damascus Steel Barrels choked at ¼ and ¼. The gun opens pushing the bottom lever down. Beacause of this it is easily used by either a left or right handed shot. ALL METAL WORK. The action, lock plates, top as well as bottom tangs. The forend catch and hinge, hammers, ….. everything, even down to the top and bottom butt plate caps. It is all profusely HAND engraved with fine bouquet scroll work. This IS A STUNNING LOOKING hammer gun.

Research turns up records to show most, if not everything produced were Very High End / TOP Quality pieces. Still well regarded and sought after two centuries later! Details and dates tie in perfectly with the London Proof marks. They date manufacture of the gun to circa 1876.  There is however, no mention of Blisset’s son on the rib. I assume this was a very early example from their new Holborn address occupied in that year.

CURRENTLY only BLACK POWDER proof.

In reality I am in two minds as to sending this away. I have little doubt it will pass through a nitro proof re-test. Given a London gun it would be best sent there as opposed to Birmingham. However, once that is done it is stamped that way for ever. Doing this WOULD open up possible interest from many more buyers. BUT it also means the gun is no longer completely original. Given its overall condition it may well be better left as is.