Old South Military Antiques

Memphis Ordnance Department Shotgun
Item #: OS-7594










The heavy, 10 gauge double barreled shotgun shown here is published in Confederate & Southern Agent Marked Shotguns, on page 122 and 123.

It is included in the book because it is thought to be a very good example of the shotguns assembled by the Memphis Ordnance Department.

The commander of the Memphis Depot advertised for parts for shotguns, writing: "it makes no difference whether any part of the gun is good except the barrel; as they are all restocked, and new bands, breech-plates, guards, triggers and trigger plates are used. I would prefer to have good locks, but this is not indispensable. Any kind of double barrel shot gun, unless the barrel is too much worn, can be made an efficient weapon. Single barrel guns….are useless for army purposes…gather up all of the bullet molds, plates, tumblers, screws, springs, nippers, bands, breech-plates, guards, triggers, trigger-plates, wipers

This gun has been restocked, heavy but plain. The gun is fitted with back action locks of slightly different sizes. One is a T. Richards, and the other an arsenal made lock. But both locks have the same the same hammers. The barrel has been shortened to eighteen inches, an iron bead sight added and two, four sided military nipples were fitted to the breech. The ramrod was fitted with an iron cap and a bullet puller. The barrel is pinned to the stock with a wedge set into plain iron oval escutcheons. These characteristics point to the gun being manufactured as a military arm, using both collected, and fabricated parts.

The shotgun has an original, pleasing, deep patina throughout and the mechanics work perfectly.


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