Beschreibung:

20 gauge, 26.5" round barrel with adjustable choke, S/N 27. Blued barrel, nickel frame, case hardened breech block. Walnut stock with shotgun butt, smooth forend with pewter caps front and rear. Serial number present under barrel (concealed by forend), not noted anywhere else. Left side of receiver stamped C.E. Billings / Patd. Nov. 2d, 1875. Single shot breech loading center fire shotgun with "trapdoor" style breech that is hinged at the rear and when opened actuates a cartridge extractor. Roper shotgun barrel. Charles Ethan Billings had learned the gun trade as an employee at both Colt's and Remington, eventually becoming the president of the Roper Revolving Rifle Company ca1865-1869, a company that Christopher Spencer was also involved in. In 1869, Billings and Spencer formed a joint venture operation that primarily produced tools and parts. Billings held numerous firearms related patents, with his final one, #169,335 being the patent referred to on the receiver of this shotgun. A scarce single-shot shotgun, combining both Roper and Billings parts, from an interesting designer who was active in the mid-to-late 19th century American firearms manufacturing business. Condition: The barrel retains most of the blue finish slightly dulling. Frame and forend tip retain all of the original nickel finish. Bore is bright and shiny but needs to be cleaned. Stock and forearm still retain most of the finish with some nicks and dings.