Antique Whaling Gun by Grudchos & Eggers of New Bedford

A rare rifle barreled whaling shoulder gun made by Grudchos & Eggers of New Bedford. Listed on the Robert Hellman whaling collection website #REH216. Detailed description as follows:

Muzzle-loading shoulder gun made by Grudchos & Eggers of New Bedford. This is a rifled-barrel whaling gun – the only design of that type known to me. It has an all wooden stock probably of walnut. Also pictured: bomb lance for the gun.

OA length of gun: 38 1/4 in. Weight of gun is 17 lbs. Barrel is steel – octagonal for the hindmost 7 1/2 in, then becomes round and tapering for the remaining 13 7/8 in. Total barrel length: 21-1/2 in. Round part of barrel is about 1 3/4 in. in diameter near the octagonal transition and tapers to 1 7/16 in. at the muzzle. The “half stock” is about 25 1/2 in. long and covers the lower half of the entire octagonal part of the barrel and about 1 1/4 in. of the round barrel. The bore is 7/8 in. in diameter with six 5/32 in. wide longitudinal grooves cut within.

This gun has several brass fittings, namely: butt plate; trigger guard; finishing cap at forward end of stock; 1/8 in. diameter by 1/8 in. high brass dowel forward sight on top of barrel 3/4 in. behind muzzle; brass washer (?) encircles steel screw which fastens stock to breech on left side above forward end of trigger guard; and oval brass plates 1 1/2 in. long x 11/16 in. maximum width located on either side surrounding the steel connecting key which locks the wood stock to the barrel.

The steel parts include the aforementioned “key” which has an 1 1/8 in. long elongated “mushroom” head on one side; original handsomely fashioned hammer; percussion cap nipple; delicately shaped trigger; heavy lanyard attachment ring which is screwed into the underside of the stock about 5 inches behind the trigger; and rear narrow top extension which is screwed to the top of the stock, as well as a steel lock plate 7 1/4 in. long which begins below the percussion nipple on the right side and within which the hammer is articulated. There is a prominent raised steel V-slot rear sight located on the octagonal barrel about 1 3/8 in. behind the transition to round. The firing mechanism appears to be in excellent condition.

The gun is signed in two places: on the upper octagonal flat about 2 in. behind rear sight it is stamped GRUDCHOS & EGGERS N. BEDFORD, MASS. CAST STEEL. It is also signed again on the lock plate behind the hammer GRUDCHOS & EGGERS N. BEDFORD MASS. On the left side of the octagonal barrel are stamped the numbers 122, possibly the serial number of this gun. The stock is in very good condition with original finish and only two very minor splits on the upper left side where stock meets barrel.