I’m always amazed by the doubles people have squirreled. Judging by the condition of this 16 gauge over/under, this F.W. Heym has been hiding under some bed, or in some back closet, most its life.
F.W. Heym was a German gunmaker founded by Friedrich Wilhelm Heym in July 1865. This shotgun was sold through the Sloan’s Sporting Goods back in the roaring ’20s. Sloan’s used to be a big player in the fine firearms world. They had a store in NYC and Ridgefield, CT, and back when this o/u was bought, it was probably just another one of the fine doubles on the shop’s racks.
The shotgun itself is a mid-grade boxlock ejector with sideplates. The scrollwork is very well done, even though there isn’t all that much of it. I think the single trigger is original. The gun locks up on the Kersten-style system and I bet it closes with a bold KERCHUNK! Judging by the serial number, I think it was made around 1924.
A few things I love about this gun:
-The wood. It looks like real French walnut.
-The horn inlays on the stock.
-Its 28″ barrels.
-All its original condition. Not many shotguns make it past their 80th birthday that way. Fortunately, this one has.
