Burgess rifle, anyone seen one?

[45nut]

Good Lord, I can't afford such beautiful toys, but I'm glad somebody can and more importantly, they're being shot like their makers intended.

We're not worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charon]

My grandfather was a Circuit Judge in South Dakota and left me two Burgess 12 guage shotguns. One an engraved model with two barrels. The other a field model along the lines of the the one shown above. The field model had been shot with smokeless and the top blown off. It was repaired and was still used through the depression. Not pretty, but useful as of then. My dad was given two shells and told to bring home at least three pheasants. Ground shooting was a money and rear end saver.

The high end engraved model has fine engraving with scenes on each side. The cuts are very fine, like a sharp pencil drawing and quite well done. All the barrels are damascus. My dad removed (and lost) the firing pins but I assume they could be remanufactured if I wanted to shoot gramp's guns. No pictures cuz the guns are locked up right now.

[rb1953]

Originally Posted by NZEF1945

Great stuff and I love it - alongside John Browning I reckon that Burgess is the greatest American firearms inventor of all times and the reason I say this is for two reasons - the number of firearm patents he held PLUS the uniqeness of some of his designs - they were HIS designs and not based on the designs of earlier firearms. I own and shoot both a Whitney Kennedy rifle which is a Burgess design and a Burgess 12g Shotgun the same as shown above but without the rib along the barrel.
It is also interesting to note that Burgess patent designs are stuill in use today and in the Marlin Model 39A and 39M rifles you will find Burgess designs.
The Colt Burgess, Whitney Kennedy and other rifles made licence and designed by Burgess were far, far superior to the Winchester 1873 to which they were contemporary.