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November 7, 2015
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I didn’t have anything pretty enough for the “Center Piece” thread but have sure enjoyed the thread! I figure most of us have a beater, shooter, Frankenchester or Bubba gun but we don’t get to show them off very often. These old guns have more character than most of us can accumulate in a lifetime and may have collected more critters than we ever will but … they look the part. Been there, done that, wiped down every year or two with a greasy t-shirt. It’s past my bedtime but I think I can find a pic or two.
Mike
Wow–think this one may win the Blue Ribbon in the beater category; I’ve got nothing to match with it except some junk top-break revolvers I’ve been saving for the first “gun buy-back” in my area. Hard to imagine the kind of hard life it’s lived, though I see no evidence of deliberate abuse, & the wood is surprisingly good, compared to the metal. If only those markings on the rcvr. could be deciphered!
I was thinking about a thread kinda like this. I have some nice ones, but the 110% ones with all the special features have been evading me for the most part. I have taken moose, black bears, brown bears, deer, elk, caribou, and all kinds of stuff with old Winchesters, Savages, and Marlins. Still carry them in the field today. I’m in.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
November 7, 2015
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Huck Riley said
Is that Texas State Patrol?
No, my theory is possibly one of the railroad police agencies.
Mike
OW1892 said
Southern Pacific?
There was a SP depot in the town I grew up in, & when I was ordering incredibly cheap foreign military rifles, like Rolling Blocks, Martini-Henrys, early Mausers, etc., advertised in the Rifleman (this was while I was still in high-school), they were always shipped Railway Express…including a cavalry lance about 12′ long that could probably have been shipped no other way. It was always a thrill to go over to that depot, about 10 m. away, not only to pick up whatever I’d ordered, but to see any passenger trains that might be waiting at the station.
Railway Express probably employed armed guards, but I’m inclined to think that both that company & SP would have used die stamps for marking their property less crude looking than the carelessly applied markings on this rcvr. But maybe I’m overestimating their professionalism.
November 7, 2015
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OW1892 said
Southern Pacific?
That’s what I was thinking. It’s also interesting that this shotgun was not built as a riot gun. It was shipped with two (30”?) barrels, FULL and CYL. Whereabouts of the other barrel is unknown to me, no provenance from seller.
Mike
TXGunNut said
That’s what I was thinking. It’s also interesting that this shotgun was not built as a riot gun. It was shipped with two (30”?) barrels, FULL and CYL. Whereabouts of the other barrel is unknown to me, no provenance from seller.
Mike
If you’re SURE it was shipped with 2 brls, then I would discount it having been acquired by SP or any other big company. Creating a situation where employees were expected to keep track of an “extra” brl just doesn’t seem like sensible corporate policy.
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
If you’re SURE it was shipped with 2 brls, then I would discount it having been acquired by SP or any other big company. Creating a situation where employees were expected to keep track of an “extra” brl just doesn’t seem like sensible corporate policy.
Yes, quite sure. Only scenario that makes sense is that it was acquired used, modified and pressed into service but admittedly that isn’t the way big companies generally do business. The FULL barrel could have been long gone by then. The stamps are very puzzling, can’t even say for sure they were out of the same set. This 1897 has been knocking around since 1906, until we find another gun with similar markings and a bit of provenance we’ll likely have more questions than answers.
I’ve shot a few rounds of singles trap with this old gun. As it’s a quick handling gun I get on the birds quickly before they get out where the pattern thins. Been meaning to shoot a round of skeet with it, could be fun.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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win4575 said
So, where are the rest of the “beaters”. I like them. Show me more.
Well, I may have another beater or two but I was hoping to see someone else’s. I’m not the only one with a beater or two stashed away. Bring them out, it’ll be fun! 
Mike
win4575 said
So, where are the rest of the “beaters”. I like them. Show me more.
My rebarreled ’94, carried across some hunter’s or rancher’s saddle bow until a groove was worn in the forearm, is unfortunately in the very back of my “safe” (what others would call a closet), & I’m too lazy to dig it out. But I promise you it “qualifies,” & you “high-condition” purists would turn away in disgust if you saw it.
November 7, 2015
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All kidding aside, Clarence, I appreciate a gun with character and your old 94 is exactly what this thread is about. If you dig it out anytime soon a few pics would be cool. I understand about digging stuff out, happens every time I go to a show in an attempt to thin the herd.
Mike
There are a few I have that would likely qualify as a beater. Bought this 1894 short rifle (30WCF) from a gun shop in Austin. It was brought in by a “little old lady who said it had been in the family since she was little”. When I bought it some 15 or more years ago it was the first short rifle TD Id come across. It was missing the mag retaining band (which I put a standard ban on–the TD mag bands are hard to come by especially if trying to match its current condition) and was coated with a thick layer of varnish. Years ago I stripped the varnish off the wood. Although it doenst show in the pic, the metal is pretty rough and typical of a gun in which the owner took great care of the bore but couldnt bring themselves to slap an ounce of oil on the outside. With the dried out wood it is likely it spent a lot of time outdoors or stored in less than optimal conditions. Regardless, I still like it enough to hold onto for a while longer. Whether its a beater or not is left to the eye of the beholder.
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
1892takedown said
Although it doenst show in the pic, the metal is pretty rough…
I see some of it–a sandblasted effect. Took some real neglect to achieve this, as the climate around Austin is not a humid one.
I have a 16 ga 1897 win, fairly good shape. Bought from a friend, when I got it he gave me a letter from the previous owner. Story goes that he said he didn’t want the lowlifes in the family to sell it for dope money, so he would sell it to my buddy. In the envelope there was a picture of his grandfather standing by the railroad tracks with the gun. His grandfather was a guard in the baggage car. He said he didn’t know if pap ever shot anybody, but they ate a lot of rabbit. The shotgun is stamped Missouri Topeka Kansas RR on the back edge of the receiver. 20″ barrel cyl choke, looks all original. I shot it with high brass 6 shot and it puts a pretty good hole in cardboard at 30 ft. Buy the story and not the gun. I bought the gun, ha!
clarence said
1892takedown said
Although it doenst show in the pic, the metal is pretty rough…I see some of it–a sandblasted effect. Took some real neglect to achieve this, as the climate around Austin is not a humid one.
I like coming here because I pick up new terms. For instance, I learned “brown” here. Now I pick up “beater” and “sandblasted” effect. These all apply to what I (sincerely) like; and that which I would prefer to own. (I also learned about cosmoline: good look!).
The problem I find is this: I don’t see a whole lot of brown, beater, sandblasted guns for sale when I look around. I see more “nicer” guns for sale. I don’t know why that is? Intuitively, I’d think there would be more of the former, and I would think they would be less expensive. But apparently I’m wrong. Oh well, it is what it is. I’ll keep waiting around for the seller who thinks he/she has crap and will sell it accordingly.
w10ring said
The shotgun is stamped Missouri Topeka Kansas RR on the back edge of the receiver.
More what I’d expect on RR property.
Huck Riley said The problem I find is this: I don’t see a whole lot of brown, beater, sandblasted guns for sale when I look around. I see more “nicer” guns for sale. I don’t know why that is? Intuitively, I’d think there would be more of the former, and I would think they would be less expensive. But apparently I’m wrong. Oh well, it is what it is. I’ll keep waiting around for the seller who thinks he/she has crap and will sell it accordingly.
For one thing, guns in this condition are the ones parts dealers used to break up for parts, so the worst ones were taken out of circulation that way. Don’t think this happens as much anymore, as most beaters are now worth more than the sum of their parts. Most gun show dealers don’t like to have them on their tables, so if they acquire one will be more likely to sell it on Gun Broker. But even the dealer who KNOWS he has crap probably won’t “sell it accordingly.”
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