Investing in shotguns is tricky business. Most of the time the subject comes up I snicker and think “Good luck.” I’ve seen a lot of shotguns and I’ve been around auctions & dealers for a while now. In that time, I’ve seen just a few guns I would consider good enough to invest in. I think this 20 gauge Charles Daly Regent Diamond SxS is one of them.
For collectors, this little Daly has it all: original condition, incredibly high quality, and scarcity. It’s also another advantage. Over the last decade, shooters and collectors have rediscovered just how fantastic pre-WW2 Daly’s are. Demand has risen and prices have climbed. This trend will continue, especially when for guns like this one.
Regent Diamond’s were Daly’s best guns, and one of the best shotguns ever made. The one you see here is fantastic a example — and it’s a super scarce 20 gauge with 28″ barrels. When it comes to collecting, one thing people will always want is the best of the best. This is it.
TRULY EXCEPTIONAL, INVESTMENT QUALITY, 20 GAUGE CHARLES DALY “REGENT DIAMOND” GAME GUN WITH HANG TAGS. SN 25254. Cal. 20 ga. 2-3/4″ Chambers. This very fine, top of the line, small bore creation, made in Germany for the firm Charles Daly, has 28″ dovetailed bbls with raised, concave, matted game rib, fitted with Bradley red bead front and King red bead mid sights. Rib is gold inlaid on milled out portion, “Charles Daly Regent Diamond Quality”. Breech portion of bbls are engraved for 2-1/2″ with exceptionally well detailed open, shaded scroll emanating from acanthus ferns, as base for scroll framed logos for Witten Excelsior steel. 2-3/4″ chambers. Bottoms of bbls with provisional proofs are stamped “Excelsior Witten”.
Scallop-backed, case hardened, boxlock action with intercepting sears, stamped “PRUSSIA” on water table, features automatic safeties (SAFE inlaid in gold), gold-plated pin type cocking indicators, side clips, and square crossbolt third fastener. Nickel-plated double triggers have very fine checkering on finger blades. Action is embellished with exceptionally well cut and beautifully shaded large open scroll matching bbls, surrounding well detailed oval vignettes of game birds, gold inlaid in high relief. Buttstock measures 13-3/4″ over orig ribbed horn buttplate. There is a small inset horn oval on pistol grip tip, and a gold oval on toe line is engraved “G.P.” Stock side panels have broad chip carved borders to central checkered areas, drop point extensions which protrude into checkering which has fancy crenelated borders. Matching, long splinter ejector forend has fleur-di-lis extensions into checkering, horn tip, and Deeley type release. Bore diameter: left-.640, right -.640. Bore restrictions: left -.035 (Full), right -.025 (IMod). Wall thickness: left -.025, right -.026. Drop at heel: 3″, drop at comb: 1-7/16″. Weight: 5 lbs. 5 oz. LOP: 13-3/4″.
PROVENANCE: Charles Daly hang tag for this gun along with Abercrombie & Fitch hang tag for this gun, with specifications. (Affixed to trigger guard)
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. Bbls retain nearly all of what appears to be orig lustrous blue, with only a few very minor marks, mostly from contact with action and forend. Action retains 95 – 98% orig case hardening color, with only a hint of silvering on highest points of fences and sharp edges. Trigger guard is slightly silvered at grip, top lever slightly silvered on thumbpiece. The only marks on breechface are from contact with ends of bbls. There are no cartridge or primer halos around firing pin holes. Stocks retain essentially all of their orig rubbed oil finish with some open grain and a few minor marks, checkering excellent. Bores are excellent, bright and shiny. Action is tight. Bbls are on face. Ejectors are in time. As fine an example of this super rare gun as one could ever hope to find. Estimate: $20,000-30,000
