William P.Marston Toronto combination gun

[arcor1]

Can anyone tell me a little about this gun? It belonged to my great grandfather, I'm guessing it was made around 1850-1882. It's a hexagon barrel around 7/16" across the flats over a round shotgun? barrel around 5/8" diameter.

Any idea of the calibers? It seems like it would still work, the hammers respond quite nicely to the trigger pulls. Would it be safe to shoot? I don't intend to attempt to shoot it, but would like to know if it could be done.

It has a rear fold up sight, then another sight about 4" if front of the hammers plus a front sight. I guess the choice of what sights to use depends on which barrel was going to be fired, but that's just a guess

There doesn't seem to be much information on line, so if you could point me in the right direction to dig out some data on the gun,I would really appreciate it.

Can't see how to post pictures her, but can send them to anyone who thinks they might be helpful.

Ralph Smith
O'Fallon,MO
[email protected]

 

[Claude Mathis]

Can't see how to post pictures here,....

This may help.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/255033/

 

[arcor1]

THANKS, GOT 2 PICS UPLOADED BUT CAN'T FIND THEM! I'LL KEEP TRYING

 

[arw22lr]

I think what you have is a combination rifle/buck & ball gun, so called because the barrel looks to be thicker walled than a shot-only barrel. Apparently made for hunters who wanted to use a round ball, ball & buckshot, or heavy buckshot in the smooth-bored barrel. Combination rifle/shotgun arms have a thinner walled smooth-bored barrel. Very similar firearms were made in western New York in about the same time period.

Perhaps the book "The Canadian Gunsmiths" by James Gooding, which I've never seen, may have some information on Marston.

 

[Zonie]

I'm not saying this gun is the same but I've pointed out before that Wyatt Earp said that his first gun was a combination rifle/shotgun. It was a muzzle loader.
Who knows? It may have been this style?

 

[hawk]

I have "The Canadian Gunsmiths" by James Gooding.

This is all that is said of this man,"This is undoubtedly Canada's most productive marker of muzzle-loading rifles,He came to Canada in 1851,Toronto,Ontario. b.1820-d.1901".


This book is a "Check list of Tradesman" nothing more than name ,address and dates.

...on the cover of this book is a rifle that looks like yours ,same stock stlye and patch box ,triggers and trigger gaurd ,longer barrels maybe.

 

[James Kelly]

The Canadian Gunsmiths 1608 to 1900 is a more complete book by S. James Gooding. It has two pages of info on Marston, no rifle photos but a photo of Marston himself. You might want to look on abebooks.com for a copy.

 

[nkbj]

Gad zooks. Is that a fast twist hexagonal bore?