Here’s one for my Gallery of Great Guns. This is a 10 gauge W & C Scott Premier-grade hammergun, made around 1878. James D. Julia Auctions had this gun in their Fall, 2008 sale. It sold for $13,800.As you can see, this Scott in spectacular original condition, with fantastic color case hardening and beautiful barrel browning. On top of its condition, it’s also in its original case – something that’s very hard to find on any gun that 100+ years old.
Back when this side-by-side was made, The Premier Quality was W & C Scott’s finest shotgun. It was also cutting edge, and it came with almost all of the company’s newest innovations: their patent toplever/action spindle, their patent takedown lever on the forend, their patent adjustable front lump on the barrels, and rebounding hammers. Centerfires were still new back in the 1870s, so whoever ordered this gun
SPECTACULAR W & C SCOTT & SON PREMIER QUALITY TOP LEVER HAMMER GUN WITH ORIGINAL CASE AND ACCESSORIES: SN 10666. Cal. 10ga. 2-7/8″ Chambers. Dbl trigger. 32″ Dove-tailed Damascus bbls are marked “Scott’s Patent Triplex. W & C Scott & Son. (THE PREMIER QUALITY) 10. GT. Castle Street. Regent. Circus. London” and have a triangle of scroll engraving on the extension of the smooth concave rib. Bbl flats have provisional and definitive black powder Birmingham proofs and are marked “10 B” “11 M” and “Not for Ball” and the left flat is marked “The Premier Gun.” Bottoms of the bbl are stamped w/ SN “10666″(1878). The front lump is fitted w/ Scott’s patented action tightening screw and is marked “USA Nov. 1-1870 Patent” The water table is marked “W.CS. S Patent Oct 65″ “2752″ in a rectangle, as well as, “W & C Scott & Son Makers”,”Patent Action” ,”The Premier Gun”, Scott castle logo, SN, and proofs. The action and lock plates have 85% coverage of beautifully executed scroll engraving. The serpentine hammers are nicely filed and scrolled engraved as well. Top lever is marked “W & C Scott & Son Patent”. Trigger guard has scroll, and is engraved “No.10666″. The well figured and streaked Circassian walnut full pistol grip buttstock measures 14-1/4″ over a checkered horn butt plate and features drop points, horn grip cap, and a gold shield behind the top tang, as well as, 20 LPI borderless checkering. The splinter forend is fitted w/ Scott’s patent take down lever and is checkered to match the buttstock. Bore diameter: left -.777, right -.777. Bore restrictions: left -.027, right -.026. Wall thickness: left -.029, right -.033. Drop at heel:2-7/8″, drop at comb:1-7/8″ . Weight:10 lbs 9oz. The original leather case has a green cloth interior, and original W & C Scott label marked w/ number “10666.” Case contains a leather wallet w/ 2 top lever springs, a 3-pc ebony cleaning rod w/ German silver furrels, cleaning brushes, and reloading tools to include rosewood capper and decapper by BGI, wad rammer by BGI, and roll crimping tool by James Dixon, and stuck case remover by J.L.Rawbone. There’s also a glass oil bottle w/ pewter top and a reproduction W & C Scott paper label. PROVENANCE: Notes from consignor detailing history of the gun.
CONDITION: Extremely fine. BBls retain 97-98% orig Damascus finish w/ a few rub marks at muzzle, and breech, finish thinning in an area 9″ from the breech from handling. Bores are bright and shiny w/ minor pitting just in front of chamber in the right barrel. Action retains 95% orig brilliant case color, silvered on the action beads, and thinning on the outer area of the fences. Lock plates and hammers retain 98%+ of their brilliant case color. Trigger guard retains 40% orig case color mostly faded to silver. Top lever retains 97% orig blue. Screw slots are excellent. Top lever screws show use. Wood retains 98% of orig oil finish w/ very few minor handling marks. Without doubt as fine an example of a gun from this era that you will find. Consignor states that this gun took a gold medal in the “Concours d’Elegance” in Millbrook, NY in 2003. Case: Leather is dry, cracked and rubbed, w/ pieces missing on the front and rear edge. Interior partitions are good and tight. Accessories are excellent. 4-35486 MGM17 (11,000-15,000)
