Original or redone? A 12g Prussian Charles Daly Feather Weight …

I’ve always liked vintage Charles Daly side-by-sides, and I think they’re some of the finest boxlock shotguns ever made.

So when this 12g came up for auction on Gunbroker.com a few weeks ago, I was thrilled. But not as thrilled as some guys. This double hammered down for $6,125 — WAY than I wanted to pay for it (a far more than I thought it would bring).

Take a look at. What do you think — is it all original? Or is it totally redone? I think it’s all original, including the finish on the bbls.

This SxS was built in the 1890s, but not by anyone named Charles Daly.

Charles Daly was a businessman, not a gunmaker. He started branding guns with his name on them around 1875. At first, he used several makes in Europe. But by the late 1880s, he had settled on Heinrich A. Lindner for most of his shotguns.

Lindner was a gunmaker in Suhl, Prussia (which is now Germany). Lindner took Westley Richards brilliant Anson & Deeley shotgun action, tweaked it, and made it his own.

In its day, this gun was one of Daly’s lower-grade models. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t high quality (or inexpensive). Everything Lindner made was beautifully built. You can see that in this gun. From the proportions of the action and the stock to the shaping of the triggers and the finish on the metal, everything is well done.

When this gun was built, the shooting world was experiencing a fad for lightweight, 12-gauge shotguns. Belgian and German makers like Francotte and Lindner responded by building twelves that came in right around 6lbs.

Prussian Charles Daly Lindner Empire Grade Damascus 12ga 26″ Featherweight:

• Make: Charles Daly made by Charles Lindner in Prussia
• Model: Empire grade Featherweight
• Action: Side by Side
• Serial number / year:  1046 / late 1800’s early 1900’s
• Finish: The Damascus twist is a very pretty pattern and shows well.  The receiver is mostly in the white but we do see traces of the original case color under the lever and in the non-contact areas.
• Caliber: 12ga – we do not know the chamber length.
• Barrel Length: 26″ with fixed cylinder chokes
• Bore Condition: Excellent – both are clean, smooth and bright.
• Stock/grips: The stock and forend are in great shape with light use and handling wear.  The checkering is still fairly sharp.  We do not see any cracks, breaks or repairs.
• LOP: 14″