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Hello this is my first post.

I recently got my first double; I think a very interesting one.

It is a hammer underlever made in May of 1884. The underlever and trigger guard have about 90% bluing while the rest of the action and side plates are just a clean steel patina. It has the normal small ivory bead front sight and a larger fold up ivory bead night sight, with one standing and two folding rear sights marked 200 and 250. The barrels have about 90% faded bluing.

It is marked on the side of the action just below the barrels “Charge 5 drams, case 3 ¼ inches. The left and right sideplates are marked “Holland & Holland”. The top of the left barrel is marked “Winner of all the field rifle trials, London 1883”. The top of the right barrel is marked “Holland & Holland 98 New Bond Street, London.

The action is marked, on the inside right and left flats below the barrels with the serial number 8XXX, along with a Crown over V.

Each barrel is marked on the round portion of the barrel with the serial number 8XXX. On the flat underside of the barrels they are marked with a Crown over an interlocked CP, a large S, the number 40, a Crown over V, and a Lion over what appears to be a fancy cursive G. Any experts on proof marks that can interpret those marks for me?

The stock has a cheekpiece for a left handed shooter (which I am), and a leather covered recoil pad that is hard as a rock!

The bore in the right barrel is almost like new, while the left barrel shows considerable wear.

Now the mysteries of the gun. The markings on the left side of the action indicate 5 drams of powder and a 3 ¼” case. The 5 dram load (136 grains) was standard for a 3” case, with the 3 ¼” case normally being loaded with 5.2 drams. (142 grains). Why a 5 dram load in a 3 ¼” case?

The gun as it sits today does not have 3 ¼” chambers. The chambers are 3” long. During the last 135 years has it had a second set of barrels made for it?

Why is the left barrel so much more worn than the right? Most shooters tended to fire the front trigger first, so normally the right barrel suffered more wear. Why is this gun different?

I shot it with the 3” cases, and 440 gr Woodleigh bullets loaded to ~1750 fps and at 60 yards it made a group of four shots (2 right, 2 left) about 1”x 3.5”, about 1” above the point of aim. I’m thrilled to death with that group.