Dimmock 12 g shotgun

Another of my grandfather's shotguns, this one very old, has been around my house since he died in 1973. It is a side by side with exposed triggers. "Dimmock" seems to be engraved on both sides. I can find no serial number or other markings on this admittedly ancient gun. My guess is that it is from the black powder era. The muzzles are virtually paper-thin. I don't plan to shoot it, but I am wondering if anybody knows of this maker.
Thanks.
If I have some time, I'll try to upload some pics tomorrow.

Did you pull the forearm and the barrels? Many markings can be found in theses area.

Yeah--I dismantled the shotgun. The only markings were a numeral "16" under each barrel. But the gun is clearly a 12 g. I saw a post from ~2008 that suggested that a lot of field guns made and sold in G Britain before 1900 had few identifying marks.

Did you mean to say exposed hammers?

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads...double.213842/

Quote:

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t is DIMMOCK - Dimmock is engraved on each side lock, in front of the hammers and below the break where the breech block and barrels meet. Dimmock Field Gun is engraved on the rib between the barrels,
There is a good deal of fern or feather style engraving on each side lock - all over the breech block - on the trigger guard and on the hammers.

The proof marks on the underside of the barrels - covered by the forehand piece and running from the chamber toward the muzzle are;
Right barrel -
1st. - deeply impressed - crooked rectangle with nubs on each side - possibly bundle of wheat
2nd. - lightly impressed - crossed (like an X) halberds or what could be staffs with a crown on top and what appear to be small shields in the V of the cross above and below
3rd. the number 13
4th - lightly impressed - the same as #2, but with shields in all four V'd corners of cross
5th - serial # 19266
Left barrel - Same as right barrel but with no serial # - CHOKE stamped just forward of the chamber

Inside the breech block - on the flat surface where the barrels sit and are lugged down -
Right side - proof mark same as #2 above and serial # 19266
Left side - proof mark same as #2 above
Center bar between the two lug slots - the letters J and R

The barrels have a brownish tone and faint twist pattern, - but the underside - covered by the forehand piece appears to be solid. ? ?

Hope you can make since of this - I can't find any other discernible markings.

Again, thanks a lot for the help!

Dave

The proof marks tell us the gun was made in England and sometime between 1900 and 1915 or so. It was designed for black powder ammunition and maybe, just maybe early low pressure smokeless powder and most likely have damascus barrels as well a short (2 9/16 inch) chambers. It was not designed for more modern high pressure smokeless powder, 3 inch or magnum shells or steel shot. My recommendation is that you don't attempt to shoot it but if you insist, have a few fingers or an eye to spare you can try but please have the gun inspected by a good qualified gun smith before you do and when you do use the appropriate ammunition.
Not all shotguns made in England had their names recorded. I have one in my collection, a Charles Santley which I have never been able to find out who made it. You might ask your question on Antique Guns. There is a correspondent there who lives in England and is quite knowledgeable on antique English made shotguns.

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Jennifer--
Thanks. I came upon this post before I started this thread. I took a bunch of pictures of this old, decrepit gun, and I will post them once I get sorted thru them.

Here are some of the pics I took. I'll upload the rest in the next post.

Attachment 152805Attachment 152806Attachment 152807Attachment 152808Attachment 152809

In my first post, I said that there was a 16 stamped on the barrel. I misspoke. It is 14. I also notice what might be a serial number on one piece, but I've never seen a SN stamped into a wood piece.

More photos of the Dimmock.
Attachment 152810Attachment 152811Attachment 152812Attachment 152813

Notice that my grandfather apparently soldered the barrels near the muzzle. Wow.

Pretty cool old shotgun. There was some other information in that post about finding out about the proof marks but that's as far as I got. As I recommended in another post about late 19th and early 20th century shotguns there were two types of shells made back then for shotguns, brass reloadable and wax impregnated paper shells. The modern plastic hull shell with smokeless powder will damage these old guns if fired in them.

Thanks!
I loved the comment at the bottom of your quoted item:
My recommendation is that you don't attempt to shoot it but if you insist, have a few fingers or an eye to spare you can try but please have the gun inspected by a good qualified gun smith before you do and when you do use the appropriate ammunition.

Man how cool is it that you have these?