N.C. Greenough English shotgun? anyone?

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  • armedindy

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    Have an old shotgun from my grandfather....double barrel, hammer striked, 12 gauge, marked N.C. Greenough england....very old, and stock is broken...wondering if A. its worth anything B. should it just be a wall-hanger or C. should i try to refurb it?
     

    armedindy

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    no, i dont think so...although looking at it with the breech open i can see that one of the firing pins is missing...
     

    Speedybruin4

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    I found this on justanswer.com

    "...Greenough was a British gun smith in the late 1800's. Unfortunately, that is all we know. There are quite a number of guns out there marked with Greenough, and there is no rhyme or reason as to the brands. I have heard of very cheap guns marked Greenough, as well as expensive ones like Parkers marked with N.C. Greenough. My guess is that he was a low to mid level British gun smith in the late 1800's, and he would make modifications to other brands of guns for his customers. After making a modification, it was normal for a gun smith to stamp his name on the gun. I wish that I had more info for you, but sadly this is one of those obscure names that we just don't have much info on..."

    I just checked my books of foreign gunmakers and did not find a reference to that maker. I think that there is a possibility that they were sold under that name but actually made by other companies sort of like JC Higgins for Sears. It is all guessing at this point.

    Other than that I agree with T. Lex there just isn't much out there on this one. I did see a couple for sale. One sold at $116 on gunsamerica, one on armslist for $300 and the other was listed at $1600 on usacarry, but no mention of it selling or listing being pulled.
     

    Cerberus

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    Well, I can advise you to clean up any grime that is on it, oil it to prevent any further oxidation Do not refurbish it. And above all else do not shoot it. It was your Grandfather's keep it as a keepsake.
     

    Mgderf

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    Well, I can advise you to clean up any grime that is on it, oil it to prevent any further oxidation Do not refurbish it. And above all else do not shoot it. It was your Grandfather's keep it as a keepsake.

    ^This!
    It's likely to be Damascus steel.
    NOT good for modern smokeless powders.
     

    armedindy

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    thanks guys...what about a cosmetic fix to reattach the stock, so it can be a better looking wall hanger, or do you have any suggestions about how to enjoy it simply for its looks?
     

    Cerberus

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    thanks guys...what about a cosmetic fix to reattach the stock, so it can be a better looking wall hanger, or do you have any suggestions about how to enjoy it simply for its looks?

    Being that it is a "for the trade" shotgun, I don't think fixing the broken stock would harm it. In fact on the muzzleloading site I frequent, repairing a broken stock on originals seems to be considered highly appropriate. Just try to not have glue all over the stock, and make it as presentable as possible without removing original patina.
     

    Leo

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    I agree with the "do not shoot" crowd. All those deep pits used to be metal. Since that old metal in good condition was probably not up to today's loads, the badly weakened metal we see is definately not a barrel I would shoor near my body or friends.

    If you double check it, I'll bet the chambers are only bored for the old British 2-1/2 inch 12 gauge shell. The current American standard 12 gauge is 2-3/4.
     
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