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Chas Bowerman Birmingham


Clay cracker
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Hello, I have just purchased a box lock Non ejector 12 bore of the above maker “Chas Bowerman Birmingham”  It has an unusual feature due to having three triggers! The front trigger is pushed forward to disengage the safety, The last two are standard triggers. I can not find any information of this maker ( or patent) upon the internet so was wondering if anyone had any information possibly upon the maker or patent? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

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11 hours ago, PeterHenry said:

Sounds facinating and (without knowing too much) in line with the trends / eccentricities of late Victorian / early Edwardian gun making

Do you have any photos you could share?

Here are a few pictures PeterHenry.  ( edit to say cant upload others due to size?)8A200964-EC2E-4339-828F-F9C8CD53DB92.jpeg.b1efedf5360a4b83ba90319a1b844ede.jpeg

Edited by Clay cracker
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The gun appears to be a very basic "trade boxlock" I would hazard a guess that you have a proto type or one of many experimental guns produced that never saw a production run . Over the years I have come across several such guns that no one else has seen or knew any thing about .

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Hi,

There looks like a pin "screw" at the top of the action behind the breech end.  This could be an interceptor, to prevent  the gun firing if it were dropped. This is an "extra", fitted to better quality guns. The "push forward" trigger could be to make one trigger a "set trigger".  I would expect this to be associated  with a rifle barrel , which makes me wonder if it originally had a set of barrels with sight on, and rifleing on one barrel, to make it a Ball and Shot Gun. ?

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11 hours ago, PeterHenry said:

It does seem quite an odd configuration - intresting though.

 

How easy is it to shoot?

Swings nicely, balances right on the hinge pin. very nice to use overall. Believed to be half and full choked.  Was originally 65mm chamber but has been lengthened and reproved to 70mm.

 

 

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7 hours ago, cardigun said:

Hi,

There looks like a pin "screw" at the top of the action behind the breech end.  This could be an interceptor, to prevent  the gun firing if it were dropped. This is an "extra", fitted to better quality guns. The "push forward" trigger could be to make one trigger a "set trigger".  I would expect this to be associated  with a rifle barrel , which makes me wonder if it originally had a set of barrels with sight on, and rifleing on one barrel, to make it a Ball and Shot Gun. ?

I think you will find the screw behind the fence is a striker retaining pin .

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  • 4 months later...

Very interested in this thread.  Chas Bowerman was my grandfather, who died before I was born.  My mother, who worked with him  died in 2010 but had a collectors licence as she had two or three of his guns (non viable) which were sold on her death.  One I recall had the three trigger configuration.  I still have a few of his tools, including a micrometer.  I'd be interested to hear of any of his guns still in existence.

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This is getting interesting, a family member of the maker. And chances are the gun your mother had is the same or same type of gun the op has now. 

Hope more history can be found.

What is the rear facing front trigger actually for and what does it do ? Some sort of safety catch ?

Edited by figgy
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1 hour ago, Gunman said:

How about getting the stock off and a few pictures of the action ??

I was thinking the same. It would be very interesting to see that action and how the safety works. It would also show whether the screws behind the fences are pin retaining screws, as suspected, or intercepting sears.

OB

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17 hours ago, figgy said:

This is getting interesting, a family member of the maker. And chances are the gun your mother had is the same or same type of gun the op has now. 

Hope more history can be found.

What is the rear facing front trigger actually for and what does it do ? Some sort of safety catch ?

Yes figgy to disengage the safety the front trigger is pushed forward upon doing so the middle and rear trigger can then be used to fire the right and left barrels. 

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  • 5 years later...

Hi Rod Edwards,

Re your post back on 19/01/2019…

I have a ‘licensed’ Chas Bowerman in my possession. I live in the South West of Western Australia.
It is a 12 Gauge Side x Side, Double Hammer, Sidelock with Ejector. It does not bear a Model Number but has the Serial Number and all the proof marks from the Birmingham Proofing House, relative to the periods from 1904 to 1925 & 1925 to 1954. 
I am happy to share photos if you wish, I have partially restored it and it’s in good condition considering its age of just on 100 years.

I hope that sheds some light for the family history.

Col in Oz

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9 hours ago, Colin J McCumstie said:

Hi Rod Edwards,

Re your post back on 19/01/2019…

I have a ‘licensed’ Chas Bowerman in my possession. I live in the South West of Western Australia.
It is a 12 Gauge Side x Side, Double Hammer, Sidelock with Ejector. It does not bear a Model Number but has the Serial Number and all the proof marks from the Birmingham Proofing House, relative to the periods from 1904 to 1925 & 1925 to 1954. 
I am happy to share photos if you wish, I have partially restored it and it’s in good condition considering its age of just on 100 years.

I hope that sheds some light for the family history.

Col in Oz

I have allowed your post even though the thread is 5 years old, as some may be interested, Rod Edwards has not visited this site since 2019.

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17 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

Just looked this up and it’s patent No. 330129 taken out by  Charles Bowerman and Ernest Crump.

Will post details later.

OB

 

Attached details of the patent for the forward trigger safety.

Will advise the date a bit later when I`ve found it.

OB

Bowerman 1 001.jpg

Bowerman 2 001.jpg

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