Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Old side-by-side find on hike

The weather was nice so I went for a hike along the Colo-NM border. While taking a rest I noticed a piece of metal sticking out from underneath a cedar tree. I found this old side-by-side shotgun. I'd be interested if anyone could identify it. The only markings I can find were on the rib between the barrels and this marking on one of the sides. Anyone have any ideas?
ll.

Another view.

One more view.

Wow, that's a pretty neat find. Can't help you on the markings though.

Have you checked to see if the barrels are still loaded?

navlav8r, no I have not. Good idea. Thanks.

Maybe it was dropped there by Billy the Kid after he shot ole Bob the Sherrif with a load of dimes

Tamale;
Good evening to you sir, I trust this finds you well on this still Tuesday afternoon.

Let's see if I can make this work here - this is what a complete one should look like I believe.


OK then, if I make out the name on the side plate it is an F Dumoulin & Co shotgun, made in Liege, Belgium.

I've handled a few of the older Dumoulin doubles over the years and thought that they were fairly well made but definitely not a "high end" shotgun - though they may have made higher grades that I've not laid hands on.

Overall they seemed to be pretty good quality shotguns in my estimation, though to be sure I'm not an expert on much and certainly not antique shotguns.

Hopefully that was some use to you or someone out there this evening sir.

Regards,
Dwayne

It's an F. Dumoulin & Co shotgun. According to my Google-Fu, that company is still in business as Dumoulin Herstal.
They used the markings "F.Dumoulin & Co. around 1900.

This is a quote from a Gunbroker.com Forum by poster Ned Fall on 12/20/2009;

F. Dumoulin & Co was a Belgian gun maker from 1894 to 1930. You can confirm this by looking on the bottom of the barrels under the forearm for Belgian proof marks consisting of the letters "ELG" in an oval with a crown over that. Most F. Dumoulin made shotguns were imported into the U.S. between 1889 and 1914 when World War One cut off exports from Belgium. The guns were inexpensive (cheap) utility grade shotguns and were sold through importers in the U.S. The guns were made to the specifications of the times, had damascus barrels and were designed for the ammunition in use at the time which was either black powder or early low pressure smokeless powder and had short chambers. They were not designed for more modern high pressure smokeless powder, 3 inch shells or magnum shells or steel shot. My advice is don't attempt to shoot the gun. Value? Value of course will depend on the guns condition, the amount of original finish remaining on the metal and wood as well as the mechanical condition . Value for one of these old imports can range from a high of about $175 to a low of less than $10 for a rusty rotten incomplete piece of junk fit only for a fire place poker. Most sell in the range of $50 to $100. "

Ed

Nice find! $ value is not an issue, it is now a piece of your history.

Someone has worked on it at some time in the past. Note the slightly "buggered" hammer screw and the visible screw in the lock.

That's really interesting. It makes me wonder what it was doing in the area I found it.

+1 Fun to think where/who it came from

chlinstructor wrote... "...it was dropped there by Billy the Kid after he shot ole Bob the Sherrif with a load of dimes"

There's your description for Gunbroker.

The barrels are bent and there is no wood. I think I'll just put in the den as a piece of gunmaking history with a cool story about finding it. I do appreciate all the insight you folks have given me about it. That's one thing I like about this forum. Aside from the goof-balls that post their expert armchair knowledge on here, we do have some genuine folks.

Thats a pretty cool find.Makes you wonder how long it was sitting there??

Billy the Kid, or someone else, may have used the stock for firewood after he bashed someone over the head with the buttstock, bending the barrels in the process. The legend could keep growing.

You wonder if someone put it down and couldn't re-locate it? I'd wonder if someone had a medical situation and never made it back?
Considering the fairly arrid climate in that region, that stock would take many years to rot away. Quite an unsolved story!

I would take it back to where i found it and put it back in its grave . That is where it belongs

Very cool find! I always wonder when I climb to a high viewpoint somewhere about who has done that before. What hunter has done it before me? Someone famous or who knows?

The Bones can't be far from the find.