This Belgian side-by-side is a 16 gauge pinfire double from the 1860s, filed under antique shotguns made before 1899 and sold as a used piece, stock number AS76. The twin Damascus barrels run 29 inches. A floral pattern is cut into the receiver, the trigger guard, both hammers and the side locks. The seller reports that the hammers cock and work as they should and rates the gun in good overall condition.

Because it is a pinfire, treat this as a collector's double rather than a field gun for the North Zone general season. What it offers is a complete, engraved Belgian hammer gun with its locks still working, a tidy example of mid-nineteenth-century shotgun making for a Texas gun room or a cased display. Look the Damascus tubes over as you would any gun of this age, and enjoy it for the engraving, the lines and the history in the metal rather than for what it can do on a dove field.

Key features

• 16 gauge side-by-side pinfire double, 1860s
• Damascus barrels, 29 inches
• Floral engraving on receiver, guard, hammers and locks
• Hammers cock and function properly
• Pre-1899 antique, good overall condition

Like every long gun we list, it goes to the licensed Texas dealer you choose, who completes the NICS check before you take it home; buyers must be 18 or older.