BELMONT INTERCHANGEABLE 12

[DUNKS]

Must stop this. I seem to be the retirement home for old sick Hammer guns.

Second one this week. This one a freeby. Belmont interchangeable built around 1880. Black powder proofed only and really in a bit of a mess. Not sure whether to refurbish. "cost" or bin it . It was their top of the range and a fine gun but has been "used" Bores are OK , barrels are steel but need a reblack. Also one hammer spring is broken and gun is slightly off it's face. Stock although very worn is a lovely dark tiger stripe Walnut.

What do you lot think?

 

[eddoakley]

Looks to me as though it deserves some tlc to get it back to a usable condition.

Will wait for updates.

 

Edd

[Westley]

Looks like a worthwhile project. I would NOT use it whilst it is "Off it's face" wait until it goes 'Cold Turkey'  !

[paulinlincs]

To me its a thing of beauty. If you possibly can save it . 

[Mr.C]

I'll take it off your hands if you can't be bothered. A beautiful hammer gun would be a glorious addition to complement the early 1880`s boxlock. 

Be a pleasure to restore it. 

[Gunman]

Bonehill's  were generally well made and the higher grades exceptionally well finished .Keep it as a black powder gun as with proof these days you could end up with a bag of scrap . Some sympathetic renovation to make it look well cared for rather than "done up ". 

Unfortunately the English gun market is dead so any money spent will never see any return . Suggest money spent be on the mechanical side , joint and spring which if done correctly will not be cheap

.Anything else can be done a bit at a time .

[panoma1]

27 minutes ago, Gunman said:

Bonehill's  were generally well made and the higher grades exceptionally well finished .Keep it as a black powder gun as with proof these days you could end up with a bag of scrap . Some sympathetic renovation to make it look well cared for rather than "done up ". 

Unfortunately the English gun market is dead so any money spent will never see any return . Suggest money spent be on the mechanical side , joint and spring which if done correctly will not be cheap

.Anything else can be done a bit at a time .

^

This!

My brother has a lovely little C G Bonehill gun, it's a high quality, profusely engraved BLNE.........I never understood why such an obvious high quality gun was not made as an ejector?

Edited November 4, 2018 by panoma1

[matone]

A very nice gun of quality worthy of sympathetic restoration as Gunman says ! Far better than much of the tat that is for sale in the hammergun market.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Save the Belmont interchangeable if you can.

[DUNKS]

8 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Save the Belmont interchangeable if you can.

I really think I must. It's been untouched in a cabinet for the last fifty years. Wont do any harm in mine.

Bonus is it stops me collecting any more guns. There just aint any  room!

[figgy]

Stunning looking gun, deserves a place in a cabinet.  Some of these fine English guns must have been used on some of the finest shoots. Wish they could tell there tale. 

[Gunman]

On 04/11/2018 at 09:39, panoma1 said:

^

This!

My brother has a lovely little C G Bonehill gun, it's a high quality, profusely engraved BLNE.........I never understood why such an obvious high quality gun was not made as an ejector?

Looking at the time period that Bonehill manufactured it was a time when ejectors were really only just getting to common . They would have been expensive and unless you had your own design you would have been paying royalties to others .

There was also the simple problem of adapting your action to accommodate them and to utilize a tripping motion .

Bonehill's who had had a long court battle with Greener over his action which Greener claimed infringed his patent , a case that went to the Lords , action did not suit itself to easy conversion  .

Some of their box locks did have an intercepting sear arrangement   many of which I'm sad to say were could problematic and were removed , often if a gun was restocked .

 

[Caprock Ranger]

I have a Bonehill Interchangeable 12 ga bar action sielock with 30.5" steel barrels & looks very similar to the one pictured herein. It's a 2 3/4" chamber & reproofed. My hammers seem identical to yours as well as the engraving.  It was once owned by a well-known collector and shotgun shooting author.  Mine is in excellent condition for age and I use it for dove & quail hunting. I have shot many shells around 10,000 lbs pressure & 1 oz loads with no problems. It patterns beautifully and is a joy to use. It gets a lot of attention in the field. I think yours would be worth saving.

[Old Boggy]

That`s a lovely looking gun and well worth saving, even for blackpowder only as suggested by Gunman who knows a thing or two.

It would be interesting to try to research the owner of those initials on the escutcheon.

[panoma1]

What was interchangeable about them? In the days when these guns were made, in this case by Bonehill, surely they were made and finished by eye and hand, rather than machine?.....so I can't see barrels and actions from one gun being 'interchangeable' with another? Not without a considerable amount of expert "fettling".....but then again, I don't suppose the Trade Description Act was in force let alone be a concern to a manufacturer in those days? Lol!

[DUNKS]

I am sure the Belmont interchangeable was an effort to be able to supply all parts to order. ie. they were made the same instead of having to have parts hand mad for your guns.

I dont know how successful it was.

I gave mine away to a guy who was prepared to do all the work.

[guzzicat]

Save it Please,you will never regret it, if you get rid you surely will. My grandfather had a 28 bore Bonehill hammergun, that should have come to me, but his brother took & sold it. I would give anything in my cabinet for one, that is why I keep scanning auction sites & online,I still have the last box of Eley 28 bore shells he bought in the fifties, with 5 fired, his last ever shots.