barrel marks

[reindeer]

Why do some (even best quality) shotguns have their caliber, choke and proof marks stamped on the outside of the barrel instead of of on the barrel flats where you would expect to find them?

[Gunman]

Good question, often wondered myself and suppose it was one of those things that I meant to find out  .Probobly most common on O/U's if British made where the was not a lot of room on the "flats" . Another oddity was that a lot of Westley Richards guns had the proof marks on the tubes rather than the flats .

If you ever find a satisfactory answer and only the Proof Houses will be able to tell you the real reason  , then please  let me know .👍

 

[Westley]

Westley also stamped 'SLEEVED' on the out side barrel walls of their not too good sleeving jobs.

[Sweet11-87]

probably the same reason cigarette boxes are stamped on every side with "smoking kills". . somone would probably try to sue saying they got hurt or the gun got damaged becasue the information wasnt crystal clear and probably win

[Gunman]

12 hours ago, Westley said:

Westley also stamped 'SLEEVED' on the out side barrel walls of their not too good sleeving jobs.

Originally the word sleeved had to be stamped by the submitter but once the Proof Houses accepted sleeving as a standard practice , it was the Proof Houses not the submitter who stamped the word sleeved on the original back ends above the bars on all sleeved guns . This was the norm until the early 70's [if memory serves ] when pressure put on the Proof Houses to stamp on the flats . Westley's were a big player in the early days of sleeving but like many in the trade considered it a repair job that would give a gun another 10/15 years of life . Thus they were not to concerned if joints showed and many engraved around joints .Some London Gunmakers continued this practice for several years to show it was sleeved and not original barrels as techniques improved and joints became less visible to invisible , some unscrupulous people  trying to pass off sleeved barrels as original , even before welding became the preferred practice .

[Westley]

Thank you for that. W.

[reindeer]

So I asked the proof master of the London Proof house himself:
I am not allowed to copy and paste his reply here but he answers that the London Proof house regularly stamps proof marks on the barrel flats where there is plenty of material depth. So no definite explanation yet.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by reindeer