Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a lovely Belgian-made Double Barreled "Side Lever" Hammer Coaching shotgun, intended for the large U.S. import market. It is marked on both lock plates with W. PARKHURST, for "William Parkhurst". Also seen are "WM PARKHURST" and "WG PARKHURST, all of which were actually trade names used by Schoverling, Daly & Gales of New York City. They were an outfitter specializing in guns, fishing equipment, and other outdoor pursuits, and they imported guns from both England and Belgium for the "Parkhurst" line.

We believe that this "Stagecoach Length" example from this company was probably made around 1895, after Joseph Gales had joined the firm in 1887. The barrel strap still has a clear marking near the breech:

BELGIUM LAMINATED STEEL

It 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 when the fore stock and barrel are removed.

This also reveals the markings of both the E / L G / * in a "Crowned" oval on the end of both barrels, indicating manufacture and inspection in Liège, Belgium after 1891. This proof had been introduced for exported arms to comply with new proof laws in Germany. There are also various single letter inspector proofs, as well as the "Perron" or Tower of Liège proof. Both barrels are marked with 18.2, indicating the bore diameter in millimeters, which is equivalent to 12 gauge chambering. There are no markings for a choke or "Not For Ball", so this example may not be have any choke in the barrels, which really wouldn't be needed with such a short barrel length. The "water table" of the shotgun breech area is also marked with the "Perron" or Tower of Liège on the right side, along with serial number 7831, There are some additional proof marks as well.

This lovely "Coaching Length" DOUBLE BARREL 12 gauge Hammer Shotgun presents very nicely, with a lovely patina of age, showing moderate handling and use. It is all iron mounted, and features lovely engraving on much of the hardware, particularly the frame and side action locks. It has a great checkered wrist on the "pistol grip" style butt stock, and the fore stock is checkered as well, though it is a bit worn. 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 the breech opening and the ejector presenting, and both firing pins still move, though the springs are broken and/or missing, and the striker ends are quit "mushroomed" from hammer strikes. The back action "rebounding" locks are both fully functional, with strong action, and they do not have any provision for a "half cock" position, as it was not needed. The breech is a later "top lever" design, very common around the world in the late 19th century, replacing earlier side and under lever types. 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 "pistol grip" rear stock has a lovely color and grain, and has a small escutcheon on the lower side. It also was fitted at some point with a lovely WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS rubber butt pad. It is in very good shape, showing wear to the checkering, and no cracking or other major damage. The fore stock shows a bit more wear, and also has a chunk of wood missing on the left front. It removes easily using the lever on the bottom.

A very nice antique Belgian hammer coaching shotgun, made for a very nice New York City outfitter! Ready to research and display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: c.1891
Caliber: 12 gauge / bore - 3 inch chambers
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 18 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 35 Inches
Action type: Side Action Locks with External Hammers
Feed System: Top Break with Top Lever

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IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.