Any idea what this is?

[Guest clsutton21]

Found a picture of my grandfather's grandfather. Look at that firearm...any ideas on it?

[mousegunner]

Looks like a long barreled shotgun at first glance.

[MikeW]

With "rabbit ears"

[Guest clsutton21]

With "rabbit ears"

Just did a search on shotgun with rabbit ears and came up with this:

Question, Double barrel-rabbit ears/ Sears and Robucks. - Georgia Outdoor News Forum

I'd say this is pretty close, if not exactly what it is. I wonder what ever happened to it.

[Guest Bluemax]

FA Loomis ???

[Guest bkelm18]

Amazing photograph. Do you know when it was taken?

[Guest clsutton21]

Amazing photograph. Do you know when it was taken?

No idea at all, it is on some kinda of cardstock material and looks like oil paint...pretty neat.. My granddad has it displayed and I thought that it would be best to make a digital copy of it as well. We also have one of, who we believe, is my grandfather's grandmother, but it's just on regular paper...still cool time period though.

[Guest jackdm3]

No idea at all, it is on some kinda of cardstock material and looks like oil paint...pretty neat.. My granddad has it displayed and I thought that it would be best to make a digital copy of it as well. We also have one of, who we believe, is my grandfather's grandmother, but it's just on regular paper...still cool time period though.

"Sittin' on the backlawn. (click)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (umph)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (psst)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (click)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (umph!)

Sittin' on the backlawn..."

Edited December 3, 2009 by jackdm3

[Mike.357]

where's grandmas gun?

The shotty looks like a double barrel. Looks to me like there are twin hammers.

those pics remind me of pics I have seen of my great grandparents, both died in the late 60's while in their nineties. I remember them both alive anyway. Great grampa always wore overalls too.

pretty good stuff

[KahrMan]

"Sittin' on the backlawn. (click)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (umph)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (psst)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (click)

Sittin' on the backlawn. (umph!)

Sittin' on the backlawn..."

[Guest Drewsett]

The shotty looks like a double barrel. Looks to me like there are twin hammers.

That was my first impression as well...it actually looks alot like my great great uncle's shotgun

(I haven't seen it since I was a wee lad and my father who has it now lives 2 hours away or I would tell you a little more about it)

[Guest Old goat]

I have my Great Grandfather's double barrel, looks close.

[leroy]

It may well be a Remington model 1883 or 1889 (i never can get them straight) side hammer double. There were evidently lots of them made. We have one that has fluid steel barrels. They are a great old shotgun.

Hope this helps.

LEROY

[Guest GunTroll]

Since moving to TN and getting employed as a gunsmith for a shop I have seen more doubles come in for repair/cleaning than I ever saw in CO. Hard to say what it could be with that photo. So many different makes/ models existed back then that haven't been around in a long time. I love seeing those old Damascus barrel external hammer shotguns. I wouldn't shoot one but love to look at em'. They almost speak to me. The stories they hold. Cool pictures though!

[my82cam]

i have an old parkhurst double looks just like that, my grandpa cut it down probably in the 50s for home defense. it is a damascus barrel, never shot it. guntroll, why wouldn't you shoot a damascus barrel?

[Moped]

They tend to blow up with modern shells. The barrels aren't very strong.

[Fadex]

Compare it to the ones over the fireplace at Cracker Barrell....looks pretty close to me.

[Guest TnRebel]

1883's where converted from cap & ball to shoot brass shells in 12 ga. or it could be the 10 ga. in the early 1900's you could order from Sears catalog, and have it delivered in the reg. mail .

[Warbird]

They tend to blow up with modern shells. The barrels aren't very strong.

This is simply not true. It is one of the greatest of all gun myths in existence. A damascus barreled gun that has taken care of, meaning isn't rusted through is extremely strong. A study by a couple of the classic shotgun magazines by several British doubles experts lasting several years dispelled these myths completely.

These guns tested withstood loads far in excess of modern loads. Furthermore several withstood loads when fluid steel barrels failed.

That being said I usually shoot damascus barreled shotguns with light loads on clays courses. And yes I do shoot them, properly taken care of shotguns. And I probably shoot in excess of 50 of them a year in one environment or another. I won't shoot a rusted one, which there are far more rusted ones out there and they are the reason for these myths. However I wouldn't shoot a rusty fluid steel barreled gun either.

As for the picture, it would be nearly impossible to tell you what that shotgun is, so many different companies made them. It is an American made shotgun and it appears to be in the classic 30" length. Most people owned one shotgun and used it for everything from waterfowl to upland to rabbit.

Edited December 21, 2009 by Warbird

[Moped]

Learn something everyday on this site. Thanks for the correction!

[DMark]

OK Shotgun....., But those are two fine looking Coon Dog Pups!

[Smith]

1883's where converted from cap & ball to shoot brass shells in 12 ga. or it could be the 10 ga. in the early 1900's you could order from Sears catalog, and have it delivered in the reg. mail .

I've got an old 1923 Sears and Roebuck order book that my great grandfather used in his little store in Boswell, AR. It's about 5 in. thick and has a great section on firearms.

[Warbird]

I've got an old 1923 Sears and Roebuck order book that my great grandfather used in his little store in Boswell, AR. It's about 5 in. thick and has a great section on firearms.

Yep and of course in that day and time you could buy a shotgun just about anywhere some store owner wanted to carry them. Co-ops had them, hardware stores had them, general stores had them. All with varying quality to suit their locals needs. Of course you also had the fine shops like Abercrombie and Fitch, and other outfitters.

I don't have a count of how many companies made rabbit eared side by side, or side by sides in general, but it had to number in the hundreds. Many of those were private labels, which were made by name companies who also made the guns for these private brands. But in general there were a lot of manufacturers. Of course the cream rose to the top and there were really about 7 or 8 American companies which made an exceptional gun. Among the best being Parker Brothers, LC Smith, Lefever, Ithaca and AH Fox. And today in good shape these guns can still bring large sums of money, while many of the others even in good shape are worth next to nothing. Several of my old doubles still lock up tight as a drum after all these years. Just exceptional pieces.

And going back for just a moment to the Damascus barrels. Several companies are working with artisans to make damascus barrels again with the beautiful patterns of yesteryear. So far those of us seeking out the past are failing. With all of our modern technology the many years of not creating these barrels has left a great void of knowledge and we simply cannot figure out how to recreate what they did with their technology 100 years ago. Even with all of these advances history may say it is indeed an extinct artform. Isn't that strange, it is quite oddly funny isn't it? I find so anyway.

Edited December 22, 2009 by Warbird

[Warbird]

Learn something everyday on this site. Thanks for the correction!

Well you shant need to feel badly for not knowing it good sir I can assure you of that. I believed it so for many years. I couldn't imagine, knowing how they were constructed, that they could be anything but inferior in strength. However I was proven wrong as were many many others.

[Warbird]

Found a picture of my grandfather's grandfather. Look at that firearm...any ideas on it?

While I can't really tell you much more about his shotgun than I have, meaning I haven't gotten you much closer at all to your search, I can offer you some advice on how to appreciate this fine old gent a bit more.

Get yourself a nice old field grade side by side, Ithaca or LC. Find a nice old fedora, they're easy to find in good shape. I own about 30 of them at least 50 years old. Some old style pants or overalls nice old wool coat. I actually own my grandfather's old Pendleton wool coat. Take a friend and some dogs and head to a field to hunt rabbit or birds, whatever suits you. Put some lunch in an old knapsack. I guarantee you you won't ever feel closer to that old fella or the ancestors who came before him even than doing something the way they did it. I do it every year and every year love doing it more than I did the last.