Ready for the Trap Line once again!
Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2023 3:56 pm
Back in 2016 I was at the Tulsa Spring show and ran across a Three Barrel Gun Co. Grade C single Barrel Trap gun Serial #106 with a 30” barrel non ejector. Unfortunately the entire floor plate/trigger assembly was missing!! The floor plate screws were in place. I walked buy that gun at least 20 times over the course of the weekend trying to talk myself out of it knowing it would be a major project but Lo and behold it somehow followed me back to MI.
I began the proverbial task of finding the needle in the haystack to find a donor gun for the project. At last Dennis Coberly from NM contacted me saying he had a gun that would be a good donor gun. I purchased that gun and thought it would be a shoe in for the project. Unfortunately that gun was an earlier Grade A Serial #48. When we compared the two floor plates my heart sunk since #48 had different taper/dimensions to the rear of the floor plate and bottom tang. Drats!!! Interesting that in the course of the 58 guns between the two guns the design had changed!!!
So then Plan B went into effect. A very competent MI gunsmith contacted a fried w/a CNC shop and measurements/drawings were sent to the shop. First a plastic template/model was created to ensure proper fit. Once sure of everything a new floor plate was made for the project. Once complete the new floor plate was engraved by a well known engraver and then the trigger assembly from #48 was attached to the new floor plate. Instead of polishing, re-engraving and case coloring I chose to have the patina of the gun matched on the new floor plate. This project took a little over 2 years and quite honestly more money than probably what the gun is worth but I am pleased w/the results and am looking forward to letting her have a run on the trap line and an upcoming vintage shoot!!!
I began the proverbial task of finding the needle in the haystack to find a donor gun for the project. At last Dennis Coberly from NM contacted me saying he had a gun that would be a good donor gun. I purchased that gun and thought it would be a shoe in for the project. Unfortunately that gun was an earlier Grade A Serial #48. When we compared the two floor plates my heart sunk since #48 had different taper/dimensions to the rear of the floor plate and bottom tang. Drats!!! Interesting that in the course of the 58 guns between the two guns the design had changed!!!
So then Plan B went into effect. A very competent MI gunsmith contacted a fried w/a CNC shop and measurements/drawings were sent to the shop. First a plastic template/model was created to ensure proper fit. Once sure of everything a new floor plate was made for the project. Once complete the new floor plate was engraved by a well known engraver and then the trigger assembly from #48 was attached to the new floor plate. Instead of polishing, re-engraving and case coloring I chose to have the patina of the gun matched on the new floor plate. This project took a little over 2 years and quite honestly more money than probably what the gun is worth but I am pleased w/the results and am looking forward to letting her have a run on the trap line and an upcoming vintage shoot!!!