"The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

I recently posted about a Henry Elwell dbl bbl shotgun and many prople have been very generous with their time trying to help me identify the gun and its value.

I have another old gun called "The International" and it is also a double barrel shotgun and has a patent date of 1883 .

Does this gun have any value or is it just a "Wall Hanger"?

This gun was brought over to the US by my hungarian grandfateher who was a patternmaker by trade and he remade an elaborate checked forestoch and rear wood plate for it since the original was destroyed years ago.

Thanks for any help!
Larry

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

Does it have a butt plate with image of a waterfowl and intitials S.J.D. & Co.?

If so, made by Simonis, Janssen & Dumoulin of Liege, Belgium for Meacham Arms Co. of St. Louis, and probably obtained by your grandfather after immigration.

Later: Rereading your post, the "rear wood plate" you mention probably replaced the hard rubber original buttplate I cited. But if you remove the barrels, they will probably have several Belgian proofmarks on underside, such as those on the "Union Machine Co" example shown here (scroll down past the revolver and rifle):

http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge...oulin%20gb.htm

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

Thanks for the great info and link. I had gotten one of these a year ago, and could not find any info on maker or year of manufacture. Based on the proof markings, I have now been able to identify it. Unfortunately, mine is missing the fore end iron, the piece that attaches to the wood and locks the barrells in place. I don't expect that I will ever find a "spare" so I need to find a truly talented gunsmith that can manufacture one from another piece. I am in the Fort Worth, Texas, area, and would prefer not to ship the gun very far off. Any suggestions?

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

The wood is not a big issue, a new wood forearm is relatively easy to make, the big problem is the metal attachments. The cost of reverse engineering the forearm metal is going to be way higher than the value of the shotgun. Just so you are aware of the problems.

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

Yeah, that is what I figured. Still, it is sad that but for the missing metal, the gun is hopelessly in pieces. The family I got it from had it taken apart and stuffed in a drawer, for storage and to keep it away from smaller children. Unfortunately, at some point the metal became separated from the foregrip, and now is lost. I'm sure someone saw a wierd looking piece of metal, didn't know what it was and threw it away.

I have looked and found a couple of pieces of spare parts foreend irons, but none fit, and would require machinning (sp?).

I will keep trying to fined someone who has the talent, and can be reasonable on price.

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

We too have an International 2 bbl shotgun. Same lines but older. Ours appears to be older. The plastic butt plate has the initials SJD&CO. It's serial No. is 12156. The right side plate has PATd June 20, 1883. The left side plate has The International. The rib has Laminated Steel. The forearm is missing an inlay at the front & has the serial # on it, also the triggerguard & under the barrels. Also at the back & bottom of the bbls it has NOT FOR BALL & PATd MARCH 27 April 14 & June 20 1883. It has a small oval inlay on the bottom of the stock. The proof marks sre different from the pictures in the forum and it looks like it has 10.2 with them. Can you give me more information? We thought the gun was brought over from Europe, but everything on it seem to be in english. Thanks for your help. It is a family heirloom.

Re: "The International" DBL BBL Shotgun
 

It was just marked in English for export to USA. S J & D = Simonis-Janssen & Dumoulin of Belgium:

http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge...oulin%20gb.htm

Scroll down and you'll see a shotgun marked "Union Machine Co" another of their trademarks.