Here’s one of the Kings of shotguns: A 12g Boss Sidelock Over-Under. It’s in fantastic original condition, and it’s coming up at Julia’s March 2015 sale.
The Boss O/U was created in 1909, and the innovations it introduced are still in use today. If you shoot a stacked-barelled Beretta, Perazzi, or Fabbri, your gun descended from the Boss O/U.
The Boss O/U has always been an especially difficult shotguns to make, and a single gun like this with two sets of barrels and a single forend would have been even harder to build. Only the best of the best workmen at the company would have worked on it. The gun would have been incredibly expensive to buy, too. Having a new one like it made today would probably cost you close to $200,000.
BTW: You can read more about Boss & Co and the firearms they built here, and you read this post to learn why Boss’s O/U was such an innovative creation.
Also, if you’re a Boss fan, go here to see one of the rarest Bosses ever built: A Boss over-under double rifle, two-barrel set in mint, all original condition. Learn more about this incredible double here and here.
EXCEPTIONAL NEAR NEW BOSS OVER-UNDER SIDELOCK GAME GUN WITH EXTRA BARRELS AND CASE: SN 8981. (ca 1952) Cal. 12 ga. 2-3/4″ Chambers. 27″ Demi-bloc bbls, fitted with matted, solid, raised ribs, mounted with red Bradley beads, are engraved “Boss & Co Albemarle Street Piccadilly London. Made in England” on top lefts. Open choked set has inlaid gold star on top left. Right sides of top bbls and bbl flats are stamped with London nitro proofs for 2-3/4″ chambers. SNs are on bottoms of bottom bbls. Typical case hardened Boss O-U sidelock action nicely sculpted to incorporate Boss ejector system, features non-automatic safety (SAFE inlaid in gold), gold band tumbler end cocking indicators, bushed strikers, and Boss’s exceptional single trigger. Action and lockplates are engraved with Boss house style small scroll and rose bouquets. “Boss & Co” is on each lockplate, and “Patent 3307 1909″ is on both sides of action, referring to Boss’s patents for the O-U system. “Patent 3308 1909″ referring to ejectors is on bottom of forend iron. “Boss Patent No. 11278″ is on trigger plate referring to single trigger patent. Small bow single beaded trigger guard is also scroll engraved, and has SN at grip. Very fine, nicely marbled, and fiddle figured European walnut round knob pistol grip buttstock measures 14-1/2″ over brown leather pad. Classic point pattern checkering with mullered borders is at grip; well shaped drop points are at rear of lockplates, and a large gold “P” is inlet on toe line. Unusually shaped one piece forend flares to semi-beavertail, and is fitted with Anson release. Open choked (gold star) bbls: Bore diameter: top -.729, bottom -.729. Bore restrictions: top -.008 (IC), bottom -.024 (Mod). Minimum wall thickness: top -.027, bottom -.024. Drop at heel: 3-1/4″, drop at comb: 1-5/16″. Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz. LOP: 14-1/2″. Heavily choked bbls: Bore diameter: top -.731, bottom -.731. Bore restrictions: top -.026 (Mod), bottom -.036 (Full). Minimum wall thickness: top -.022, bottom -.022. Drop at heel: 3-1/4″, drop at comb: 1-5/16″. Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz. LOP: 14-1/2″. Original makers tan leather two-gun motor case is embossed on top, and is accompanied by tan canvas outer cover with leather trim, with medallion embossed “G.P.” Interior is lined in burgundy cloth and has small Boss Albemarle Street label in lid. Case contains 2-pc walnut and brass cleaning rod, assorted cleaning implements, two pairs of snap caps, round oil bottle, dusting brush, small leather wallet containing a pair of spare strikers, three beech handled turnscrews, and a small envelope marked “Safety Wire” (removed to make safety non-automatic).
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, very close to new. Bbls have only a hint of silvering on sharp edges of ribs, and a few exceptionally light marks. Damascening on breech ends and bottoms is excellent, with only some slight assembly marks. Action and lockplates have only a hint of silvering on beads. Blue of top lever, trigger guard, and forend iron have only the slightest of edge wear. Fire blue of hinge pin covers, screw heads, and lock pin ends is essentially untouched. Safety is only slightly silvered. Stocks retain essentially all of their hand rubbed oil finish, grain open, with one or two light handling marks. Leather of pad is slightly darkened. Bores are excellent, appear essentially unfired. Mechanically crisp. Case leather is excellent, with only some slight rubs, as protected by orig outer cover, which shows some scuffs and marks, but is generally excellent. Interior cloth is excellent, with some light marks from contact with gun. Label is excellent, as are accessories. A good handling, versatile Boss O/U in an extraordinary state of preservation. Estimate: ($60,000-$90,000)
