My great grandpas shotgun

[slagmaker]

This finally made it to my hands.

This was my Great grandpas shotgun.








The markings on the watertable.





I belive it is a 16 guage.
I really dont know anything more than it was his and now its mine.

I do know that I would love to have a shotgun built to todays standards but with the same shape as this one. Very comfortable and easy to point. It fits me very well. I think it would be a joy to carry in the field. I wonder how many rabbits it has taken?

[Yotehntr]

Now that's a treasure! 

[golfertrout]

very nice gun

[centerfire_223]

I have my Grandpa's double barrel too and there is no amount of money that could buy it. That is a treasure of a life time, congrats!!!  

[FinsnFur]

Very interesting. Looks to be in pretty fair condition too.

[pitw]

She's a nice looking old timer .  Until I find my book "Proof Marks of the World" I won't say much more than I believe made in Belgium.

[KySongDog]

Very nice, Slag.   Family heirlooms like that are so important.   

[slagmaker]

Been doing soem research

It is a M.C.Meacham Arms Co built between 1880 and 1890. It's a hardware store gun in that they were made on order for Meacham "a sporting goods distribuitor" by diffrent gunshops One in Belgium and the rest in the states. I beleave you are right Barry and this one was made in Belgium.
It has seen a lot of use. If I had blackpowder loads for it I still dont think I would shoot it. It is very loose in the lock up and the firing pins have been mushroomed from the hammer strikes.

I was thinking about the land my family owned when this shotgun was new and how I have hunted the same land. I was thining about how I may have taken a shot standing in the same spot as my Ggrandpa. Lot of time under this gun. The family no longer owns the land, it was sold after my Grandmas death when I was 16. The house is all borded up now. Thers a bit of histroy in that house. It was a two story log cabin with a modern addition. The origional house was built back in the days of indian attacks.

I so wish I could walk those fence rows once more.

[vvarmitr]

That is just spectacular! 

I love reading/hearing stories like that. 

Sorry to hear about the homestead.     

[alscalls]

WOW!!!   Thats a neat piece!     

[AWMiller]

a jewel indeed!!  at our family cabin there are many of the old-timers rifles and shotguns and pistols....  It's now a tradition for each family member to mark their spot on the wall and designate which firearm they want to have put up on the memorial wall. We always put up a pic of them during a hunt with that firearm and it's truly something folks spend a LOT of time browsing every time we're there.

Thanks for post