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Old September 20, 2002, 07:43 PM   #1
illuminatus99
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What the heck is it?

I bought a SXS 12ga from my old boss who moved to australia. I've been looking on the net all day but can't figure out what it is or what it's worth, here's a description.


it's a side by side 12 ga breechloader, it's got hammers like on a caplock and two very light triggers. there's scrollwork all over it and the finish looks like it's browned instead of blued, the wood has lots of crosshatching. the only identifying marks are right by the left hammer it says "prospero donadio" it also says the same thing in gold inlay on the top of each barrel, on the left barrel it says "full-choke" in gold inlay and between the barrels it says "cockerill smokeless" also in gold inlay.
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Old September 20, 2002, 11:00 PM   #2
Mike Irwin
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The only Prospero Donadio I've come up with had some connection apparently to Iver Johnson and possibly Mossberg.

He may have been a gun designer.

The page was in Italian, and the "universal translator" made a mash of it.

http://translate.google.com/translat...8%26oe%3DUTF-8
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Old September 20, 2002, 11:02 PM   #3
Mike Irwin
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Ah!

From this page it looks like cockerill smokeless was actually a grade of gun steel made in Britain.

http://oldguns.net/cgi-bin/f2f/f2f.p...et/q&a1_97.htm
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Old September 20, 2002, 11:04 PM   #4
illuminatus99
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I almost missed a couple of other markings, there's what looks like a shield on the underside of the stock, not sure what it's made out of, and on the metal part that runs down the bottom of the stock it says "belgium".

I try and borrow a digital camer and take some pics.
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Old September 21, 2002, 11:58 AM   #5
Mike Irwin
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Natus,

If you take the forearm off, you may find some more markings on the barrels. The thing should be proofed somewhere, and those proof marks will give you a rought idea as to when it was made.
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Old September 21, 2002, 03:31 PM   #6
illuminatus99
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oh yeah, all kinds of marks.

S.P.I. 14353
207 C D
A wierd symbol with the word "choke" under it.
17.4/18.3
3 *s between the barrels

I've also got the case that came with it, it's a tan canvas bag with leather binding on the seams, and is closed by a flap with a leather strap and a buckle instead of a zipper. dunno if that helps any.
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Old September 21, 2002, 10:09 PM   #7
Mike Irwin
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I THINK the 17.4 and the 18.3 are the barrel chokings in metric.

The other stuff, I simply don't know.

You need to have a gunsmith take a look at it before you fire it. It may be old enough that it's for the old shorter metric shells.
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