more jensen proof marks

kmk678gc · February 12, 2002, 07:53 PM

Jack I looked at the shotgun myself your right about circle with the E above the LG and a star under that ,and the diamond with the 12 over the C. Theres also a mark that looks like a golf club. one barrel has the # 184 the other 181, TST, and 40 61, And a #14 between the barrels, The forend has the # 7472 on it and on top of the barrels it has belgium laminated steel

JackM · February 13, 2002, 09:51 PM

Hi, kmk:
My guess is 1898-1910.

The crowned oval with ELG* vertically was adapted in 1893. If the oval has no crown it's older. The crowned oval is the definitive (final) black powder proof of that time.

The backwards 3 with the fancy L looks more like a fancy script E and the L. It's provisional proof and was first used in 1852. There's no point in finishing the gun if it's going to fail proof.

What you call the golf club is likely the "Perron". It looks like a lighthouse on a diamond shaped base. A very old (1672) mark. The diamond with the 12 over C is the gauge mark for black powder guns, used 1898-1924.

181 & 184 are the bore diameters in millimeters, so 18.1mm = .713" & 18.4mm = .724". Is the word "choke" near the 18s? If it has "choke", then 18.0/18.4 (approximate numbers, directly one above the other) it was made after 1910.

"laminated steel" usually isn't good enough for smokeless powder. Look for the nitro proof mark, which is a "lion rampant" over SCH, EC or PV. If it doesn't have it, don't shoot it. If it does have nitro proof and your friend absolutely has to shoot it, find some data for low pressure loads with IMR 7625 and proceed with exterme caution.

Gun Digest had a series of articles on European proof marks during the 1968-1978 period. The Belgian article is in the 1978 edition.

Bye
Jack

kmk678gc · February 14, 2002, 07:58 PM

Thank you for all the info Jack . I don't think my friend was going to shoot it . He got it from his mother when his dad died ,he wanted so history about it Thanks again Bob

February 12, 2002, 07:53 PM	#1
kmk678gc Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Cleveland , ohio Posts: 31	more jensen proof marks Jack I looked at the shotgun myself your right about circle with the E above the LG and a star under that ,and the diamond with the 12 over the C. Theres also a mark that looks like a golf club. one barrel has the # 184 the other 181, TST, and 40 61, And a #14 between the barrels, The forend has the # 7472 on it and on top of the barrels it has belgium laminated steel

February 13, 2002, 09:51 PM	#2
JackM Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2001 Location: Sask. Posts: 108	Hi, kmk: My guess is 1898-1910. The crowned oval with ELG* vertically was adapted in 1893. If the oval has no crown it's older. The crowned oval is the definitive (final) black powder proof of that time. The backwards 3 with the fancy L looks more like a fancy script E and the L. It's provisional proof and was first used in 1852. There's no point in finishing the gun if it's going to fail proof. What you call the golf club is likely the "Perron". It looks like a lighthouse on a diamond shaped base. A very old (1672) mark. The diamond with the 12 over C is the gauge mark for black powder guns, used 1898-1924. 181 & 184 are the bore diameters in millimeters, so 18.1mm = .713" & 18.4mm = .724". Is the word "choke" near the 18s? If it has "choke", then 18.0/18.4 (approximate numbers, directly one above the other) it was made after 1910. "laminated steel" usually isn't good enough for smokeless powder. Look for the nitro proof mark, which is a "lion rampant" over SCH, EC or PV. If it doesn't have it, don't shoot it. If it does have nitro proof and your friend absolutely has to shoot it, find some data for low pressure loads with IMR 7625 and proceed with exterme caution. Gun Digest had a series of articles on European proof marks during the 1968-1978 period. The Belgian article is in the 1978 edition. Bye Jack

February 14, 2002, 07:58 PM	#3
kmk678gc Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Cleveland , ohio Posts: 31	Thank you for all the info Jack . I don't think my friend was going to shoot it . He got it from his mother when his dad died ,he wanted so history about it Thanks again Bob