Need Info on Wm Moore muzzle loading shotgun

[john in jax]

Marked Wm Moore & Co on both side plates and London Fine Twist on top between the two bbls. Appears to be 12 ga with full choke bbls but that is just a guesstimate. Has ram rod that at least looks old enough to be original. Using a flashlight bore appears dusty but smooth. All parts seem to be there and it seems to be in perfect working order (i.e. hammers stay cocked and fall when you pull the appropriate trigger)

Thanks John

 

[Jim Watson]

Can't tell much about it without pulling the barrels out of the stock and looking for proofmarks.

The Moore name was widely used, see account below of British, American, and Belgian guns so marked. "London Fine Twist" is not a guarantee the gun was made in England.

http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=342840

 

[john in jax]

Now with proof marks

Sorry it took so long, but here are pics of all the proof marks we could find. The number "3" seems to appear frequently. And I'd love to know what the other marks mean. Any reference books a public library might have that you guys would care to recommend?

 

[Jim Watson]

The ELG proofmark is the key.
Belgian made, no doubt about it.
An English sounding name and "London fine twist" are pure advertising puffery, if not fakery.

 

[James K]

William Moore was an English maker of good quality shotguns. But "William Moore & Co." was a trademark of H. Pieper of Liege, Belgium. Those shotguns are of utilitarian quality but not up to English standards. The use of the name was, as Jim Watson says, an attempt to trade on a well known English name.

FWIW, I strongly recommend against firing any Damascus or twist barrel shotgun. Even though the quality may have been good, and the gun passed proof in 1850 or whenever, over the years powder fouling and corrosive priming salt have been forced into the cracks and crevices. The result is that the barrels often are eaten away inside, even though the outside is nice and the bores look shiny, the metal may be little more than orange lace.

I strongly suggest giving the old timer an honorable retirement.

(Please use a rod to measure the barrels inside and compare with the outside length to be sure the gun is not loaded. A large number of old shotguns are.)

Jim

 

[john in jax]

Thanks for the info guys. Jim I already measured with the ramrod and it's empty.

Though the shotgun is a family heirloom my buddy Ed is considering selling it. He has no kids to pass it on to and lives in an apartment so is not comfortable with hanging it on the wall. Any idea as a price range for fair market value?

Thanks again
John

 

[James K]

The problem is that those guns were not high ticket items to begin with, and most are well worn. It would IMHO be unsafe to fire, so it has no value as a gun and would be in the relic category, basically a wall hanger. He might get $50 for it at a gun show or on consignment at a gun shop or antique store. If someone offers him more, I suggest grabbing the money and running.

Jim

 

[john in jax]

Thanks for the info James. I think he's set on selling it and putting whatever funds he gets into a .38/.357 revolver of some sort. I don't know that he's ever been to a gun show, walking it around a gun show should be a lot of fun for him.

John