This antique imported English 12 gauge double barrel shotgun is marked John P. Lovell Arms Co Boston on both locks and the upper barrel rib. The John P. Lovell Arms Company was established in 1840, by John P. Lovell, in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was known for importing English and Belgium shotguns. They later became a manufacturer and retailer of bicycles, firearms and sporting goods. Stocked in checkered walnut, with Damascus steel barrels, this shotgun is in very good condition, considering it is well over a century old. The bores are bright, with only very minor areas of light pitting. The buttstock is fitted with a modern rubber recoil pad. Trigger reach is 14-1/4" and 13-1/2", and this shotgun weighs 7.3 pounds.
The Damascus steel barrels are 27-7/8" long and chambered for up to 2-5/8" black powder shot shells. The right bore measures .734" at the muzzle and the left bore is choked to .701" at the muzzle. The wire twist pattern is faintly visible on the barrels and they have aged to a silvery brown patina. The bores are mostly bright, but do have areas of scattered minor light pitting. The right barrel shows signs of having a dent repaired about 8" behind the muzzle. The barrel rib is marked John P. Lovell Arms Co Boston, Mass. and Eureka Gun Fine Damascus. The rib is textured, called a file cut, to prevent glare when sighting. A small brass bead serves as a front sight. The extension of the rib, known as a "doll's head" design, extends back to lock into the action. The barrels have English view and proof marks under the breeches. The left barrel is marked Choke. The watertable is stamped with the same markings found on the bottom of the barrels. Do not use modern smokeless powder shotshells, or shotshells with steel shot in this shotgun. Use only black powder shotshells with either lead or bismuth shot.
Stocked in European walnut, the buttstock has numerous small handling marks from use over the past 100 years. The original horn buttplate has been replaced with a modern rubber recoil pad. The buttstock stock shows no evidence of having been sanded and the pistol grip is finely checkered. The grip is fitted with a decorative horn cap. A silver initial plate in found in the center of the toe of the buttstock. The forearm's checkering is still amazingly crisp and sharp. The ebony tip has been replaced and the forearm is lightly sanded to blend in the repair. The engraved trigger guard and action have aged to a silvery brown patina. We note the triggerguard screws are no longer indexed with the barrels.
The locks have rebounding hammers, to relieve pressure from the firing pins after firing, to allow easy extraction of the cases. This improvement allows the breech to open, without dragging the firing pins across the shotshell. Both locks are marked John P. Lovell Arms Co Boston and are engraved with a bird scene. The hammers have stiff mainsprings that provide sure ignition, and fast lock time. Both hammers are in original condition, but the tumbler screws have been replaced. With no half-cock position, the rebounding hammers only engage the firing pins when the triggers are pulled, otherwise they will not fall, and automatically return to that position after firing. The action lever is still quite tight and properly functions to “break" the action to facilitate loading and unloading of the gun.
In very good condition, this shotgun has the handling marks and wear associated with nearly 100 years of regular use. The bores are bright in shootable condition, and this shotgun has been fitted with a modern rubber recoil pad. Chambered in 12 gauge 2-5/8" chambers, this double shotgun is a lovely antique and will serve you well. Order it for ten day inspection, and try it on for size and fit. If you're in the market for a nice side by side black powder shotgun, this may be the gun for you!Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.
