Self-Made Perc Over-Under Shotgun -- Worth?

[rhmc24]

Another candidate for collection down-size. What would be a reasonable asking price?

I wanted a shotgun so I built my own. Barrels are from a S/S junker someone gave me, locks are new-old-stock & the rest is pretty much handicraft. 12 ga., made 1960s, lock pair were new-old-stock, Belgian, from Dixie gun works. Before making the stock I proofed the barrels with 2X powder and 2X shot, fired with a fuse.

[jack404]

Hard to say , some of mine have broken my heart just about for the price and some are bought like a german custom ..

get it into a decent auction and it could be a sale and a half , small room , no shooters etc .. who knows ,

[jack404]

Did you get a price on it ?

put one ..

[rhmc24]

Soon after I built it 50 years ago I was offered $600 for it by a major collector I had done work for. At the time $600 was about a month's pay in my aero engineering level job. Didn't sell & I promised would-be buyer first refusal if/when I decided to sell. About the time this was posted (couple years ago ?) I wrote to him reminding him. Took several weeks for the letter to reach him because I had written to a google address of him on the board of a NY hospital. He phoned me saying he was retired and unable to pursue guns any more. Nice phone visit, old times, memory lane, etc. A few months later I saw his estate gun collection offered in one of the major auction house catalogs. A noted NY doctor, he had a history of health issues of his own, even in the 1950-60s. Younger than me, I guess it finally got him. I'm 88.

Thanks Jack for reviving this. Brings to mind a couple things - the old saying 'strike while the iron is hot' and post a similar question about another of my creations.

[jack404]

i've a few heading over to the US . wondering if you haven't sorted it whether you'd like to horse trade some ??

i figured i have had maybe 6-7 works inspired by your books , it'd be nice to have one with your name on it ,

so if not this one , if your up for some trading , let me know ..

[rhmc24]

Nothing is impossible. If/when you get to the wilds of Oklahoma I invite you to spend a few days with us. I live at the address where I was born & next door is a house where I have my office and use it as a guest house for visiting friends and family. We can play with guns and go out to my 50 acres and shoot some.

As for trading I'm interested in pieces that would be assets in my estate such as Colts rather than the specialty or bizarre types.

[jack404]

sounds real good ..

Cheers to you Sir

[jjmitchell60]

I have seen similar custom made smooth bore guns like that at Friendship being shot in competition. They all cost the owner in excess of $2k to as much as over $5K. No they are not cheap. with the work you did on that or who ever built it, the looks of it, the engraving, and the desirability of it; IMHO I would price it at least $2k. Now with that said, the choke of the barrels would be a deciding factor. IF some one wanted one like it to shoot skeet of trap doubles at Friendship, they would pay that for it IF choked as the would like. I know a buddy fo mine paid a man to build 2 single barrel percussion trap guns for his twin boys and each one cost $1k. They are plain Jain guns made from 870 barrels however they do take the screw in chokes. many of the custom single Shot ones you se at friendship are made with remington barrels and will cost at least $1K-$2k. Yours is in the desirable O/U configuration so do the math.
Just my 2 cents but hope this helps.

[jack404]

Springfield rifles? the few real colts i have i'm desperate to hold , London colts ?

( US made exported and remarked )

those i do have ..

[jack404]

LONDON 1849 COLT POCKET REVOLVER: 31 Cal; 127mm (5") oct barrel marked address COLONEL COLT
LONDON; Colt's patent to frame; 5 shot cylinder; iron back strap & t/guard; London proofs to lhs of barrel lug & cylinder;
wear to profiles; clear address, patents & markings; grey patina with wear to proofs to barrel; grey finish to cylinder showing
approx 75% scene; patchy finish to frame showing the grain of the casting metal; grey patina to back strap & t/guard; g.
grips with crack to rhs; all matching except wedge; gwo & f cond. C.1855.

[jack404]

some US folks i talk colts with dont like the london marked ones , i dunno , these i have .. a goodly selection i may add