Identifying a Percussion Cap

[hawkbern]

Greetings. I'm new here and will apologize in advance if I post in the wrong location.

I have a percussion capshotgun (I think) and I was told that the folks here may be able to help me identify it. From what I found in other locations, it may be British. It has a proof mark on the top of an oval with L E G over a star. On the underside, it has a 154, a large A, a small crown over a v, a large 3 and an HK.

I found this top mark online as refering to rifle from the early to mid 1900s. I was told on another forum that the crown over a v is British as well.

It is a smooth-bore firearm, I would assume originally a shotgun. It starts as an octagon barrel and is round starting about 9 inches past the cap.

Any assistance identifying this firearm would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

(I would post pics but it only seems I am not able to Upload vs linking)

 

[bingo1952]

Well how about a link?

 

[Trot]

The ELG and star in an oval is a Belgian mark.

 

[Dave K]

Exactly right on Belgium. I know someplace, somewhere, I have a chart that tells me when it was made. The * with the ELG would give a time frame. But, if we had pictures, the style of the various parts would help us as well.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Claude has published a Chart on Proof marks up under Member Resources on this site. Go to the top of the index page.

 

[Dave K]

I can find the replica chart there, but not the one for original guns. Is there another place I should be looking?

 

[Tumblernotch]

The ELG over a star (within an oval) mark replaced the "Perron" mark as the sole proof mark in 1810. In 1853, it became the mark for definitive proof. Since 1893 it has been used on muzzleloaders only. There were two other marks used for the same purpose. One was simply an E and the other was ELG without the star or the oval.

ELG over a star was also used from 1846 to 1924 on barrels exported in a rough state and since 1925 has been reserved for muzzleloading pistols only.

I'm afraid this probably won't help a lot in narrowing down your gun's age.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

The crown over a V is a British Proof mark.
The LEG is a Belgian proof mark.

This suggests that the gun has origins in both countries. It could, for example, be a British manufacturer that sourced barrels from Belgium, a not uncommon practice.

Good luck.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Dave: There is another chart someplace, but I can't seem to find it. I googled Proof Marks, and then looked at Belgium Proof marks, and you can pull up all the details there. Only a few European countries at went to the bother of Proofing guns, and they include Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Italy. Others did not do so, or at least they didn't require proofing of privately made firearms for civilian, rather than military use.If you get a clue from a gun's construction, or any legible writing as to what the country of origin may be, its a simple matter to search for that country's firearm proof marks. If they didn't have proofing, you won't find information on the internet, nor on the gun parts. If marks exist, you have guessed the wrong country.

I own a "hardware store" DB shotgun with Belgium Proof marks on the barrels.

 

[Zonie]

The double proof marks also could indicate that the gun was built in Belgium and then imported into Great Britten.

In many European countries the gun must be reproofed before it can be used.

Welcome to the Forum hawkbern!
A photo of your gun may help our members identify your gun for you.