Guns & Outdoors Forum

Last Sunday I went to a black powder sporting clay shoot and dug this gun out to take. I have had it for a while purchasing it, for I think, just £30. I did however strike up the barrel and had it re-browned so that added a little to the cost. It was when striking it up that the mystery began to unravel. The top rib was marked 'Converted by E. Roberts, 141, Steel House Lane, Birmingham'. Usually a conversion was done from something like an obsolete pin-fire to make it useable as a centrefire. Not an uncommonly encountered conversion. This one didn't quite make sense at first as there no evidence of such work. Working on the barrel it appears that the barrel at least had come from a muzzle loader as evidence can be found that at one time it had ramrod pipes fitted. The barrel measures 32 inches in length and is 20 bore. It looks as if our Mr. Roberts has taken an old barrel from a scrap gun, welded on an under lump and hook and fitted it to a breech with a top lever and back action hammer. It had stood proof for black powder and marketed as a useful single 20 bore. Research on Roberts indicated that he was in business from 1903 to 1910. It certainly performed well at clays. I have no idea of Roberts' full output but next time I will include another from my collection that seems to have been some sort of 'conversion' but this time a double 12 bore.

£30?!?!?!?!?!?

Again, you make me want to move...

That is a nice working man's shotgun and great refinish. It that a Damascus Barrel?

Nice!

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2026 3:26 pm £30?!?!?!?!?!?

Again, you make me want to move...

Yes, this!

You have a Beautiful collection

I have quite a few guns with Damascus barrels of various types. They always look rather elegant. Gunmakers would sometimes offer their guns with either steel or Damascus and the Damascus was always about 10 to 20% more expensive. The British Proof Houses would have to test and mark them just the same. I'll come back with another example of Roberts' work shortly where he made up a gun from two parts. I've never seen more than one other gun bearing his name and that was a double sidelock with a Baker patent action which was a coil spring action rather than one powered by the usual 'V' spring. I really must have a thin out of my collection one day!

You should talk to Wambli about thinning out a collection.

He is a Master at it.

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2026 3:26 pm £30?!?!?!?!?!?

Again, you make me want to move...

Cheap shotguns VS being able to carry a gun, pocket knife, being able to say whatever we want on social media, modern dentistry, not living under a “king”, good food, yeah I’ll spend a premium for shotguns.