Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors OT 10 Gauge Shot Gun

My buddy just gave $100 for this shot gun. It's in a hard leather case, engraved and checkered. It is about the heaviest side by side I've ever held. Wood to metal fit is beautiful, engraving and checkering nice, wood pretty. Maker is J Manton and co. I googled it and it said it's a cheap Folsom import. I've had cheap Folsom 12 gauge side by sides before and this gun looks and feels nothing like them. I was wondering if it could be a Joseph Manton gun from england? I got a couple cell phone pics down in his basement. Not the best, but maybe you can get a feel of the quality of this gun and give an opinion, Joe.

Don't look cheap to me

IMO the engraving looks more like what would be seen on a Belgian import. Ask him to take some good photos of the water table and barrel flats. Proof marks, Belgian or English, may tall the tale. The Belgian guns did come in varying levels of quality.

Manton is an English maker. Well known too. A C note for that is a bargain. Even if it doesn't shoot. IMO.

been down this road before and if memory serves date and address are important to see if it is the real deal or a cheap import.

+1 on what Steve said. Manton was a well established British gunsmithing house back in the day. They also did dueling pistols. They produced quality firearms.

Does he plan to shoot it? Those old 10s are impressive. Especially around dusk.

Michael B

Ditto what Gary said. The engraving doesn't look like what a Best Quality English gun would wear. The proof marks will tell the tale. There were a lot of Belgian-made guns with English names that were slight variations on the real deal's names to get around copyright infringement. Those JABC's ("Just Another Belgian Clunker") have been fooling people for over a hundred years now. That's not to say it's bad gun- some of them were quite good- just the difference between a $200 gun and a $2000 one.

I picked up a hard case(I think it was for a rifle) several yrs ago at an estate sale, it had shipping stickers all over it, Africa, South America

nice hunk of walnut either way.... though those barrels look short for an old 10 gauge, any idea the length?

That is one of the sadder looking LOM cases I've seen... they are commonly pretty beat up with broken straps but that is the first I have seen with the nose completely collapsed.

Drew, you might be right. I kinda thought they were a bit short. What I did notice is there was no bead on them. Might have been cut down. I'm waiting to get another look. I'm pretty sure they had crossed halberds for proofs. That would be English. It is a pretty gun, Joe.

Should it have a bead?

I have to agree with gnoaah. For comparison, here's a photo of a drilling that dates back to about 1910. Its a Charles Daly import, built in Prussia by J P Sauer ----- the quality is way above that 10ga double, but no where near what you'd expect to see produced by Manton. Just my opinion-- he got his $100 dollars worth any way you cut it !!