**Update** After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

MonkeyBoy

Bronze Member
Feb 6, 2006
1,600
57
Virginia
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V3i
I can't even begin to guess the number of iron pipes I have dug thinking they were barrels.. well.. after 25 years I finally dug one!! Not exactly what I hoped for but hey... I'll take it!!! I've been going back and hunting old sites with the V3 and found this along an old stack stone wall.. made my day!! It is 35" minus the missing stock..

Any ideas as to make and model?? I know it's not that old but hey.. it's counts!!!

MB

Ok.. after a day of soaking.. it is a COLUMBIA SINGLE SHOT 12 GA. SHOT GUN. DAMASCUS BARREL, BLACK POWDER ONLY. I can read the "Columbia".. still pretty crusty so I'll give it a week or so.. appears to be 1890ish maybe a little later.


**UPDATE**

After the first cleaning..
 

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Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Way to go monkeyboy :headbang: don't know what type, but somebody will get it shortly :icon_thumleft:
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Cool old shotgun. Looks like maybe an old Hopkins and allen or maybe a winchester if you clean it up a little it will have the make and model #s on it. Nice find.
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

umrgolf said:
Way to go monkeyboy :headbang: don't know what type, but somebody will get it shortly :icon_thumleft:

Thanks!! You know.. I actually stood there for a sec looking at it thing.. "no.. it really is a shotgun!" ;-) A video of it all would have been pretty funny!!!
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

bdu1962 said:
Cool old shotgun. Looks like maybe an old Hopkins and allen or maybe a winchester if you clean it up a little it will have the make and model #s on it. Nice find.

It does have the style of the 1900+- Hopkins and Allen.. esp the trigger guard.. thanks!!

MB
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

.. now that is a cool find !
Thanks for the photos !
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

That is a sweet find. My vote is for Hopkins and Allen because of the trigger and guard as said earlier.
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

MonkeyBoy said:
I can't even begin to guess the number of iron pipes I have dug thinking they were barrels.. well.. after 25 years I finally dug one!! Not exactly what I hoped for but hey... I'll take it!!! I've been going back and hunting old sites with the V3 and found this along an old stack stone wall.. made my day!! It is 35" minus the missing stock..

Any ideas as to make and model?? I know it's not that old but hey.. it's counts!!!

MB
I'm pretty ignorant about guns, shotguns notwithstanding, but would there be any maker's marks on it? I bet after a nice cleaning you may find some and then you'd know for sure. Of course, once cleaned you could get a decent facsimile stock and hang it on your wall. That would be some conversation piece and decoration! Great find!
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

DMN said:
MonkeyBoy said:
I can't even begin to guess the number of iron pipes I have dug thinking they were barrels.. well.. after 25 years I finally dug one!! Not exactly what I hoped for but hey... I'll take it!!! I've been going back and hunting old sites with the V3 and found this along an old stack stone wall.. made my day!! It is 35" minus the missing stock..

Any ideas as to make and model?? I know it's not that old but hey.. it's counts!!!

MB
I'm pretty --deleted-- about guns, shotguns notwithstanding, but would there be any maker's marks on it? I bet after a nice cleaning you may find some and then you'd know for sure. Of course, once cleaned you could get a decent facsimile stock and hang it on your wall. That would be some conversation piece and decoration! Great find!

I'll have to soak it for a week to get the rust off.. hoping for a maker's mark somewhere on it.. I have already been looking for the same model.. hang a good one and the dug one together. ;-)

MB
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Congratulations! I used to have a shotgun just like that. Mine had Chikopee Falls, (Mass. ?) on it. I shot my first turkey with it. Mine had a full choke pattern and could really reach out there.
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Congrats on the gun Mark. That is pretty cool. Hey, I would like to invite you to my new forum. If you wouldn't mind please, post some of your past finds and hang out for a while. The site already has over 500 members and is growing more and more every day! www.justgodetecting.com I just became a White's dealer too , if you ever need anything.. Give me a shout! I'll offer you some great prices on product if you patronize me as well :hello2:
I hope you are feeling well.
Mike and Family
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Congrats on finally finding a shotgun! :notworthy:
I'd love to find something like that some day! :thumbsup:

Dave
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

awesome. definately not winchester, maybe hopkins and allen, possibly iver johnson, but back in the day there were dozens of similar looking guns with a myriad of markers markings, probably most made by 1 or 2 companies on contract for others. Most makers marks were pretty shallow so if it's pitted to any depth you probably won't find one. Makers markings would most likely be in the middle left side of the receiver. The top of the barrel in the breech area would normally read the gauge followed by choke (12 ga CHOKE, choke meant full choke) occasionally followed by chamber length or in the case of some iver johnsons, "barrel and lug forged in one" or some such. Good luck finding the makers marks, would be interesting to hear if there are any that are readable.
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

I would have to fix it up and put it on the wall for sure , nice piece and Congrats :headbang:
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Welcome to the gun club. Nice find. I just got into metal detecting a few weeks ago. The first time I took it out to practice in my yard I found a gun. Now I am hooked for life.
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Congrats, Welcome to the club !! :headbang: is it a 10 gauge or 12 ???
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Now that's the WOW Factor!!
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Mark, I know exactly what you mean, those countless pipes and endless holes dug to get to them only to be let down by a pipe........Fantastic Find buddy!! Congratulations :occasion14: :occasion14:
 

Re: After 25 years I finally dug a gun!! ;-)

Woodland Detectors said:
Congrats on the gun Mark. That is pretty cool. Hey, I would like to invite you to my new forum. If you wouldn't mind please, post some of your past finds and hang out for a while. The site already has over 500 members and is growing more and more every day! www.justgodetecting.com I just became a White's dealer too , if you ever need anything.. Give me a shout! I'll offer you some great prices on product if you patronize me as well :hello2:
I hope you are feeling well.
Mike and Family

Mike.. Just joined! I'll send you my wish list when I "need" more machines!!! ;-)


Mark
 

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