Belgian Try Gun 12 Gauge – 1924, RARE GUNMAKER’S FITTING GUN, IC/XF

This is not a shotgun made for a sportsman. It is the gun that was used to create a sportsman!

Offered here is an extraordinarily interesting Belgian 12 Gauge TRY GUN, serial number 667, proofed at Liège in 1924. Before a client ordered an expensive bespoke shotgun, a skilled gun fitter or salesman would use a Try Gun such as this one to establish the precise stock dimensions required for that individual shooter. The adjustable gun could be altered for length of pull, drop, cast, pitch, and other dimensions, then actually fired to confirm the fit before those measurements were recorded and sent to the gunmaker to build the client’s permanent stock.

Try Guns were working tools of the bespoke gun trade and were never intended for ordinary retail sale. They were expensive, complicated instruments made in very small numbers and used for years by gunmakers, dealers, and their traveling salesmen. Few survive today, and even fewer remain as complete and attractive as this example.

The ingenuity of the stock is fascinating. Multiple finely made adjustment mechanisms allow the fitter to alter the relationship of the butt, comb, and grip to the action while maintaining a functional shotgun that could be mounted and fired by the prospective buyer. The two adjustment keys remain with the gun, an important part of the original fitting apparatus. Examine the photographs closely—the engineering involved in producing this adjustable stock nearly a century ago is remarkable.

The gun itself is a well-made Belgian boxlock double with double triggers, fluid-steel barrels, and 2-1/2″ chambers. The action retains strong, vivid case colors, the barrels retain excellent blue, and the wood and adjustment mechanism remain in remarkably fine condition considering the purpose for which the gun was built. An ancient repair is visible at the butt. Belgian proof marks date the gun to 1924, making it now more than 100 years old; imagine how many sportsmen and sportswomen this gun has helped achieve their full potential!

For the serious double-gun collector, gunmaker, stocker, or student of the great bespoke gun trade, this is an opportunity to own something quite different from another fine sporting gun. This was the tool used to turn measurements, observation, and live-fire testing into the perfectly fitted custom shotgun. A fascinating piece of gunmaking history and a tremendous conversation piece for any advanced collection.