Thomas Horsley - Single
Thomas Horsley
Single barrel – Number 1 Patent
An unusual single barrel Thomas Horsley 10 bore Pinfire. This smart looking single barrel shotgun was like so many other single barrels, simply overlooked. Unfortunately the gun was seen as having little value and little importance, in turn there was limited interest shown when sold. The new owner saw something in the gun that created a second look, sparked an interest enough to make the purchased.
Three stage barrel - Single bite Snap Action locking - Cross-Pin Forend latch - Horn Tip forend
The starting point in gathering information always has to come from the gun first, finding clues that the gun can give will support any likely discovery. The Name in this case is well known, so information is available via a number of resources. The serial number dated the gun in the Thomas Horsley records to June 1869, however, the proof marks were London 1855 to 1868. This minor discrepancy on the gun of being proof stamped in the previous year of sale is nothing unusual, with some guns remaining in stock for years, therefore, there could be a number of reasons for the sales delay. However, the gun may well have been a stock item for the Horsley Shop at 10, Coney Street York, as the gun was a reasonably late build of his No. 1 patent, and the fact this gun was void of a patent use number, making it more likely to be a stock item.
Single barrel Pin-fire, with Muzzle loader barrel styling
What we do know, is by this time Horsley’s latest patent (Number two patent from 1863) was in production. This would naturally slow the sales of the earlier models and their patents’. The gun in this article has the patent number 374 engraved on the breech end of the barrel. This patent was for the Horsley sliding bolt action, secured on 5th August 1862, it features a single-bite snap-action mechanism with a push-forward lever from inside the square fronted trigger guard. The design is noted for being robust, with surprisingly fewer than 60 guns recorded as being made with this mechanism. The available information tells us, that a notably large proportion of guns using the 374 patent were manufactured as Single Barrels. With the numbers of guns built being confirmed as low, these guns have become a rarity.
Horsley Patent No. 374 secured 5th August 1862
Horsley Patent No. 374 secured 5th August 1862- This patent covers Thomas Horsley’s sliding-bolt “single-bite” snap-action, operated by a push-forward lever located in the trigger guard, it drives the bolt forward to lock and pulls it rearward to unlock. It secured to the barrels from the action via a sprung, rounded bolt engaging in the single bite on the barrel/s. The Horsley No.1 374 patent is rare, with fewer than 60 being reportedly made.
Well figured stock, becoming straighter and stronger through the hand
Figured walnut on a single barrel Pin-Fire shotgun - Quality throughout from the House of Horsley
The details of this Thomas Horsley Single barrel are interesting, the features and quality within the gun are surprising. The Barrel is 30 inches in length, with fine Damascus and has a three stage barrel multiple flat surfaces to round, with the Thomas Horsley York address on the top flat, the barrel reminiscent of single barrel muzzle loaders. The barrel at the breech end contained the elongated lump, with hook and single bite. The forend is secured by a cross latch fastening, and has a well finished horn tip. The stock length measuring 14 ¼ inches, finished with a compressed horn butt plate fitted with engraved screws, and checkered to match both the stock and forend. The quality of the wood used for this gun is again surprising. The lock was removed and checked, there was another surprise, although the lock work was not signed, or by anyone of the notable or reportable lock makers, the quality of the lock work for a single barrel gun was excellent, well-made and finished including a pierced bridle. The elongated action body houses the single bite snap action patent 374. The images show clearly the relationship between the square fronted trigger guard and its contained opening lever within the trigger guard.
Un-named Lock-work, Pierced bridle, fine quality made lock from the likes of Thomas Brazier
The decision to purchase this single barrel, do a little research on the gun prior to it joining the collection has given both, an insight to the quality of some guns regularly overlook, and given the gun exposure to tell us part of its story after 156 years.
