J.D. Dougall Glasgow SxS 12 ga

Fine condition - shotgun - 30" Damascus, solid rib barrel - hand checkered dark walnut splinter forearm with engraved furniture & a hand checkered dark walnut straight grip stock equipped with a blank oval silver escutcheon underneath stock and a serrated butt plate - forearm shows moderate wear with a 2" crack running from rear to mid forearm, stock remains in very good sound condition with few handling bruises to underside of stock - retains traces of case in protected areas only on receiver balance to soft grey patina - Damascus barrels retain about 70%+ finish - Markings: legible- solid rib marked "J.D. DOUGALL, GLASGOW", receiver lightly engraved & "J.D. DOUGALL" marking on each side plate - Sights: front silver bead - John Dougal (Dougall) (John (I))established his business in 1760, possibly at 88 Trongate, but it was not until 1808 that he became a hammerman and purchased his admission as a burgess and guild brother. In 1816 he was recorded at this address as a fishing rod maker. In 1818, he described himself as a needle and fish hook maker. In 1819 his son, James Dalziel Dougal (James (I)), was born. In 1819 John (I) was admitted to the Incorporation as a fish-hook maker and his "essay" was to make "a small steel opener". In 1826 he moved to 177 Trongate, and in 1828 he opened an additional shop at 9 Argyll Arcade where he described himself as a fishing tackle maker. By 1848 the firm had acquired additional premises at 51 Argyll Arcade and James (I) described himself as a fishing tackle maker and practical gunmaker. An advertisement at this time stated that the firm had been established in 1760 and offered "an extensive assortment of Fowling pieces" and "in the workshop department every care is taken in the manufacturing of guns, the best material only being used and superior workmen only employed"; "Guns restocked and bored to shoot close and strong". From 1850 the firm occupied 23 Gordon Street and traded as gun maker and fishing tackle manufacturer. An advertisement at this date stated "Fowling pieces. Rifles etc. made to order to any style or pattern. and their shooting warranted, being bored and tested on an unerring principle." In the 1851 census James and Janet were recorded living at 3 Cathcart Street. James (I) was described as a fishing tackle maker employing 8 men, Janet was described (probably an error which actually referred to James) as a gun maker employing 6 men. They were living with both sons and their daughter, Margaret. In 1854 James (II) described himself as a gunsmith and fishing tackle manufacturer. James (I) was one of the first English gun makers to recognize the potential of the breech loading guns exhibited by Lefaucheux at the Great Exhibition in 1851, and much of the later success of his business was to come from them. In 1857 "The Field" published an advertisement which read "BREECH-LOADING GUNS.-In addition to the manufacture of the very superior Fowling-Pieces which have gained the Advertiser so great celebrity as a gunsmith, he has now respectively to state that he is preparing to take Orders for BREECH-LOADING FOWLING PIECES. A few Excellent light Double guns on hand, of best quality, will be sold at a very moderate price, as he is now working entirely to order against next season.-J. D. Dougall, 23 Gordon-street, Glasgow. Established 1760." On 3 March 1859 J D Dougall registered patent No. 566 for a muzzle-loading breech action with recoiling chambers and a long nipple vent which ignited the front of the powder charge. In 1869 James(I) and Janet had a third son, Norman W, who later joined the business. On 7 May 1860 James (I) registered patent No. 1128 for his famous "Lockfast" action, where the barrels, rotating on the hinge pin which turned by means of a downward moving lever also acted as a cam, sliding the barrels forward before dropping down, and lock into bosses on the action face when closing. The first version of this was a double barrel pin-fire gun with an upward moving lever, the improved version was a centre-fire with a downward moving lever. Both shotguns and rifles were made on the principle, the rifle being a capping breech-loader using a combustible cartridge. There were several variations to parts of the mechanism. Twelve or so years later, Dougall introduced a snap action version. The patent was the most successful of all the slide and drop action and was used by Holland & Holland amongst others. The Lockfast was made over a period of about 25 years. In the 1861 census James (I) and Janet were not recorded anywhere in the UK, they may have been on an extended visit to London. However, the rest of the Dougall family were living with the Colquhoun family at 124 Pitt Street. Peter Colquhoun was a commission merchant, it may be that he was a relative, perhaps Janet's brother. John (II) was aged 19 and described as a gunsmith, James (II) was 11 years old and a scholar, Norman was only 2 years old. In 1861 James (I) went to Belgium and licensed several