Velocette

That could be it. The section is just in front of the chamber, about where the forcing cones are and tapering down to the barrel proper.

Nice tries but the truth is strange. Its a section of barrel from a Brno 301 O/U which Holts gave back to me when they had de-commissioned it because of its lack of UK proof. I've been experimenting with finishes other than blacking/blueing for steel barrels which don't look so "new" and somehow out of kilter with the rest of the finish and patina of an old gun. This is part way through a process of slightly etching, browning and boiling, attempting to give a slightly Damascus effect but without its typical patterns, which you would not expect on "Poldi Special Steel" used on the Brno. This seems to show some sort of twist which must be something to do with how these tubes are made but I know nothing about modern shotgun barrels are made so perhaps they are all like that. The effect I was looking for was a slightly grainy, dark pattern with paler, "worn" looking surrounds that should be just the job for minimizing the pits of light surface rust without polishing them out.

Just a quick test of the encyclopedia of knowledge on here to see if anyone can identify the type and make of the barrel section in the picture. A slight clue is that I've recently been working through the Angier book looking for different finishes that befit the age and dignity of older, well used SxS shotguns.

Have you a source for these, in the north of the country, as they sound well worth trying. Imperial Game prices just keep rising and rising ! Thanks.

Collected by BinaryB today, one of the right sort that make this site what it is.

That was quick,, the gun is being collected tomorrow by Oliver,, a good outcome ! Thanks for all the kind comments.

The above gun needs to go to free up space for the next Holts acquisition, fingers crossed. Its dated to about the turn of the last century, has twist steel barrels and is black powder proofed. I've re-browned the barrels and apart from some light internal pitting are quite useable. At my own risk I have shot 26g Imperial Game cartridges through it, as well as home loaded Pyrodex with no issues whatsoever but that's a choice for the new owner. Its choked at aprox. 5 and 15 thou and unusually the R/H barrel has the most choke, the L/H the least which I've been told is for driven game/grouse when the distant shot is taken first, but who knows ? Collection only from near Haworth needs to be within the next two weeks or unfortunately it will have to be dismantled and scrapped.

I've only used the Pigeon Select for two or three years now but they pattern beautifully in the guns I want to use them in. Best of all is the performance in that SxS Beretta I bought recently. Full choke in both 29" barrels and they knock crows out of the sky at ridiculous distances.

BinaryB, you have P.M.

I have for sale 1000 Eley Pigeon HV 32g fibre cartridges which are too hefty for my guns these days. I would be willing to swap for 1000 Eley Pigeon Select 30g, otherwise priced at well under retail at £250.00. Collected with Certificate near Haworth, Yorkshire.

What a shame !

Thanks for all the encouraging comments, I'll be out with it tomorrow on more fallen barley, fingers crossed !!

All I had to do now was fit a stock extension as it had been cut down to about 12.5". I had an old Belgian stock of roughly the right size so cut a piece off it and fitted it to the Sauer. I've never done this before, and it shows ! but its to be a working gun. The original stock wood has some nice fiddleback on it with a bit more oiling and polishing will look fine. Its choked at 5 and 15 thou and shoots 28g of Imperial Game very well out of its 29.5 " barrels and I got some of the first pigeons on fallen barley that I've seen this year. All in all, an interesting gun which will get some use this year.

A careful smear of plastic steel in the worn spots followed by fitting the pin exactly has cured that. Someone in the distant past has done something similar to the hand pin.

The only work I had to do was on the stock which had a slight crack at the head at the right hand side and smaller similar one on the left. A good soak in Acetone to remove some oil saturation and then gluing with Titebond 2 along with a small dowel put that right. The stock probably split as a result of hand and breech pins coming loose and it being shot like that for some time The result of this looseness had caused the hole in the stock for the breech pin becoming slightly elongated and thid was compounded by the fact that the pin is tapered.