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Laurona Model 802 Eagle Grade 20ga sxs (Sears) photos added

3K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Kyrie 
#1 ·
Anyone familiar with this gun? Beautiful piece, 28inch m/f barrels, tapered rib, side plates with deep chisel engraving, high grade wood, articulated trigger, ejectors, teardrops, full coverage engraving. Will post photos soon. I think this model is pretty rare but not certain.
 
#2 ·
Here are the photos, I'm really a browning collector, bought this from a motivated seller, I love the gun, my first spanish sidelock, the depth of the engraving, balance, details and fit and finish are superb. I think this a chrome bores, tapered rib, lever carved like a rabbit, locks up like a bank vault. Automatic ejectors, articulated trigger, beautiful checkering and blonde wood. I can look at this gun for hours. I can't imagine that Sears sold many of these?













 
#6 ·
Fisher,

I remember your 801 discovery and still consider it one of the finest buys ever discussed in this forum. It simply proves time and again that the best of any maker is something special to be preserved.

When one buys a gun at a fair price, they only trade high opinion for high opinion. But when a person buys a sleeper, they rescue a gun on the brink of being lost to disregard. They bring it back to being shot and appreciated.
 
#7 ·
That engraving pattern, executed in deep relief, fell out of favor and pretty much disappeared about fifty years ago. The reason for the fall from favor was economic; it was so expensive to do any gun with it had to sell at a price point where there were few buyers.

Bottom line, there are few guns like yours here in the US.

At this point in time I know of only one up for sale:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-f ... =100785161

You have a rare and outstanding shotgun.
 
#9 ·
volleyfire said:
Kyrie,

Don't you have a gun with this game scene?

JSC
Yes sir, over the years I've been lucky enough to find a few in Spain and get them back here into the USA.

There were a number of different deep relief game scene patterns, and of these patterns the one we see on the Laurona is probably the most common encountered. I have two guns with an execution of that pattern:

Francisco Arizaga Model 69:

http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Kyrie_ ... 069?sort=9

Martin Ugarteburu Model 125

http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Kyrie_ ... 125?sort=9

And here is a side by side shot of the FA and MU guns:



I think just about all the Spanish artisanal gun makers offered a (usually high price point) gun with this pattern executed in deep relief.

For variety here is another, less commonly found, deep relief game scene pattern, as executed on a Victor Sarasqueta Model Hispania:

http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Kyrie_ ... nia?sort=9

This VS gun was made back in the day when a customer could choose which kind of locks he wanted on his new shotgun, and the fellow who commissioned this gun chose Purdey type locks over the more commonly used H&H type locks:



Walking into the world of Spanish shotguns has a lot in common with stumbling into wonderland.
 
#10 ·
Wow, I did not realize that the deep engraving pattern (hounds and stag, rabbit lever, ect) was replicated by several makers. Those guns are beautiful. I'm hesitant to take off the plates (just because I afraid something will go wrong), do you think my gun is turn jeweled also?

The other thing I notice on the laurona is the barrel finish is a matte blue, I have never seen this finish before, however it compliments the gun as the wood is high gloss, so you have different finishes coming together. Also to crown or the muzzle are tapered and polished. I have never seen this on any other shotgun ever. They are very interesting guns.

 
#11 ·
amg said:
Wow, I did not realize that the deep engraving pattern (hounds and stag, rabbit lever, ect) was replicated by several makers. Those guns are beautiful. I'm hesitant to take off the plates (just because I afraid something will go wrong), do you think my gun is turn jeweled also
Could be; there is no way to tell without looking. Each gun is a world onto itself. You may find the original case color left by the surface carbonization done to the lock plate is still present:



Or you may find the case colors and tool marks have been polished off:



Or the inside of the lock and the lock parts may be engine turned (as here) or even engraved:



Or the lock plates may be buffed clean and the lock parts gold plated:



The determining factors are what the customer ordered and what the maker felt like doing with each individual gun. Ultimately every gun is a law onto itself. Did you notice that the two guns I posted earlier with the same basic game scene deep relief engravings are very different executions of the same basic pattern? Different engravers with different ideas concerning how the same pattern should be executed.

Each gun is built as the customer directs, and as the maker feels the individual gun should be built. That's what "artisanal shotgun" means.
 
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