I’ve run across what appears to be a walnut stocked Field grade with serial 74905 with an F under it. It also has a D MAR2S and some markings I can’t make out after that. If you have any date ideas I’d appreciate it.
Richard

Is it a hammer gun Richard? 'F' beneath the SN indicates the lowest hammer gun grade.



If so, unfortunately that SN is missing from the Hunter Arms shipping records, but the DOM would be around 1899, about the time that Royal Steel was first offered on the hammer guns.

PAT'D MAR. 29, 83 represents the Alexander Brown Breech Loading Gun patent.

Richard, you have a model F hammer gun from c. 1899. The F does not stand for field but more as a grade designation of hammer guns. No records are available for the 70,000 serial number range. As no hammerless guns have surfaced in this SN range it is believed that all guns were external hammer. Probably the most significant aspect was the change in the sidelock from a bar action to a back action somewhere in the 73,000 SN block.

Thank you gents. This is a double barrel external hammer gun. Similar to the one Drew showed. I’ve not seen this first hand yet but I’m very interested in it. I can’t tell by the pics if this may be Damascus. I recently finished restoring a 1929 Damascus for someone and would like to own one myself. Any ideas on that second number? Thank you
Richard

Richard: Damascus barrels were not uncommon on post-1913 Ideal and Specialty grades.
A 20g Field SN 14788 shipped October 21, 1919 is the latest Damascus barreled gun known.
Are you sure about the 1929 DOM?

Drew you are soooo correct. My Damascus is a 1906. I was confusing that with my 1929 Winchester SRC😂