This combination gun received the a "Ten Best Weapons" silver medal from the NRA in Washington, D.C., in 1965 (medal number 51, not included). Like most William Billinghurst (1807 - 1880) revolving rifles based on the Miller patent, it utilizes pill primers rather than caps. This combination gun shares obvious similarities with another famous combination gun design from the period: the LeMat "grapeshot" revolvers and long guns. The upper barrel is .38 caliber, rifled, fitted with a fixed nickel silver blade front sight and a dovetailed notch rear sight, marked "W. BILLINGHURST ROCHESTER. N.Y.," and is fed by the nine-shot, manually revolved cylinder which has a serrated surface for better grip. The lower barrel is .72 caliber smoothbore (around 12 gauge). The cylinder is fired using a back action lock with engraving and "W. BILLINGHURST" marking. The lower barrel is fired using an underhammer mechanism using the trigger guard as the spring. The standing breech, upper and lower tangs, and buttplate are also engraved to match the lock, and the upper tang is outfitted with a folding peep sight with drift adjustable aperture. The stock has a checkered wrist. Provenance: The Mark Aziz Collection; Property of a Gentleman
Very good. The metal overall shows mostly silver-gray patina with some patches of minor light oxidation/pitting, and crisp markings and engraving. The shotgun barrel is slightly dented at the muzzle. The refinished stock has crisp checkering, a chip at the heel, minor flake at the tail of the lock, and minor marks and scratches. Mechanically excellent. This is a very solid and attractive example of a rare Billinghurst combination revolving rifle and shotgun.
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