[Grizzley1]

Selous, Dave? I stand corrected....which ain't nuthin' new.....

I could very well be wrong, it's been well over a dozen years since I read the story and I've slept a time or two since then. Jerry, what is that small rectangular piece on the front edge of the lock plate? It can't be a safety in that location.

 

[Jerry10]

The lock only uses one screw and it locks into the rectangular piece. It could be a modification, but if it is then it is old, probably during its working life. I have a lot of old rifles that have unique parts to the actions, usually they never caught on because they were not very good or inherently weak. Have a Trantner rook rifle, early 1860s rimfire, that has so many design defects it was hardly fired.

 

[Grizzley1]

I've seen a few features that are unique and never caught on. We had a rifle come through the shop with the typical British style patent hooked breech but no key to hold the barrel in place. It had a tennon at the rear of the rib that slid into a mortise in the iron nose cap. You slid the barrel forward and then lifted it out of the stock as you would any other hooked breech. Joe, the shop's owner, handed me the rifle and asked me to figure out how to take it down, he knew how it worked, he just wanted to try to pull one over on me. And he succeeded.

 

[TRAP55]

"Recoil is more of a push than a punch", were the words I heard before I pulled both triggers on a SxS 8 Ga. Kind of like my knee doctor getting ready to shove a #12 spinal tap needle under my kneecap to drain my knee, " You might feel a little pinch".

 

[Jerry10]

How about a picture of the whole thing ? Any idea on date ? That's almost big enough for one of those wall guns . Just wow that bore is just HUGE !!!!!

Based on style and engraving I would say the date is early 1830s. The proof marks are very clear but are for London and hence not helpful on date, just too wide. The engraving mentions "His Majesty" so that means pre or early Victorian.

 

[Grey Kiwi]

Coincidentally I read this post just today, and about 1/2 an hour later (on an NZ forum) I found this...
An 8-Bore Explora Safari - It seemed like a good idea at the time / The Explora - Premier Online Field Sports & Gun Journal
Yeah, love to see a video of the first firing please OP.

 

[Jerry10]

Be sure and post the video of the "shooting" ... I would love to see the damage it does to the shooter .

I love that soft looking recoil pad on that monster ... just plain steel ...maybe people were tougher back then ...
maybe I'm just a weenie for not wanting to shoot it ... but I've alraedy detached both retina's from my eyes and my eye doctor said "no more big bores" ... I keep the note in my wallet ... I swear , I would shoot it but my doctor want let me ... Yeah right ... that bad boy will detach more than a eye retina .
Gary

The range officer is insisting the first shooting is recorded for our Christmas party.