September 20th 2015 Premier Firearms Sale
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/19/2015
12 bore with a 27" barrel. These were manufactured by Sylvester H. Roper in Amherst, Massachusetts 1867 to 1868 only. Later models were produced in Hartford until 1876. Unusual repeating shotgun that carries four shells within a drum which is part of the receiver with a hinged loading gate at top. Has the variable choke threaded on the muzzle. This was almost 100 years before the Poly-Choke was invented, that allowed choke adjustment and was way ahead of its time and was one of the earliest that took shells. Features blued finish with walnut stock, smooth shotgun buttplate, exposed hammer, forend has nickel accents on both ends. This shotgun is in all original excellent condition, never touched. The barrel retains approximately 95% dark blue mixing patina with light age freckling. Frame is a smooth blue-brown patina. Drum is a grey-brown freckled patina. Original walnut stocks are excellent with no cracks, no major chips, just usual minor abrasions. Hammer retains approximately 75% of the brilliant case colors. Excellent clean bore with some light residue. Very scarce early shotgun with many innovative features that would be brought back to the drawing board a century later.