Bertram Brass

[ken s]

Hi Bruce.
Here is the full story on the 74's chamber.
It is factory lettered as a 40 70, and is so marked. When I bought it , 30 years ago, it had been rechambered by S H and G to 40 90 SBN (It is listed in the book Arming the West by serial number.
BUT, while that is historically correct, the chamber was not right and split cases. I had a choice....leave a $6000 gun on the wall, or do a
and here it comes....RESTORATION....
It is right and proper to do a restoration, So I had it rechambered, not the bore, that is very clean and untouched, but to the original case size.
It cost a boatload, (that is an actual amount) to do it properly and it took 7 months while the gunsmith worked with R and D for the correct size cutter.
He is located on Cape Cod and has a 50 year history and dozens of articles written about him, including some Smithsonian work, he's that good.
While I'm trying to get it to shoot as well as can be, I know it will never be a tackdriver.
I am also a past Antique Gunsmith, but don't do it anymore. Through my 20 years of working on guns,including some from the RI Historical Society, I had one rule, and ONLY ONE rule. NEVER REPLACE...ALWAYS REPAIR/RESTORE. So we are in full agreement about the history aspect.
Turnbull does a nice job at this too, and I'm sure none of his restorations decrease in value from the original.
Too bad we're not close, I'd love to have this conversation over a beer or two...MY Treat! Ken