Product Details
MSSRS GYE & MONCRIEFF
A SCARCE 12-BORE 1881 PATENT PIVOTING-BREECH 'THE "GYE" GUN' HAMMERLESS NON-EJECTOR, serial no. 1796,
circa 1882, 30in. fixed damascus barrels, the rib engraved 'CONSTRUCTED BY MESSRS GYE & MONCRIEFF. ST. JAMES'S STREET. LONDON.', 2 1/2in. chambers, Lionel Gye patent pivoting breech action (at fault) patent no. 4585 of 20th October 1881 with 1882 improvements, patent no. 1282 of 16th March and no. 2746 of 10th June, sprung extractor, manual safety (at fault) with gold-inlaid 'SAFE' detail, cocking-indicators, some acanthus scroll engraving (some scarring), 13 7/8in. stock including buttplate (cracked), the fore-part with elongated lever barrel release, weight 7lb. 2oz.
Provenance: Sold with a Proof House Certificate of Unprovability as unsuitable for use, Certificate number 0125, dated 9th October 1991
Other Notes: Contemporary advertising of the "Gye" gun promoted the design as being "An entirely new Invention" and went on to assert it being "stronger, simpler, more easy of manipulation, safer, and is, in fact a far more perfect machine than any gun hitherto produced" and "This new gun may be said to be as great an advance in gunmaking as the introduction of the breech-loader was over the muzzle-loader."
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Estimate £500-700
S2 - Sold as a Section 2 Firearm under the 1968 Firearms Act