WW GREENER 12-GAUGE "ROYAL GRADE" FACILE PRINCEPS

SERIAL NUMBER: 45860. BARREL: 27: GAUGE: 12 GA. CHOKE: MOD (LEFT), CYL (RIGHT). CHAMBER: 2?. LOP: 14 ?". DAC: 2". DAH: 2 ?". MANUFACTURED: LATE1898 / EARLY 1899 (Late Victorian Era). This is a magnificent, investment-grade British side-by-side hammerless sporting shotgun manufactured by the prestigious firm of W.W. Greener at their historic St. Mary's Works in Birmingham, England. Completed in 1898 under serial number 45860, this bespoke firearm represents the absolute pinnacle of Victorian firearms art and luxury. Ordered with extensive fine scrollwork, masterfully executed wildlife game scenes, and premier solid-gold inlays, it showcases the uncompromised hand-craftsmanship of the British Golden Age of gunmaking. The ornamentation on the receiver is exquisitely detailed, featuring hand-engraved panel vignettes reserved exclusively for Greener's top-tier luxury presentations. The left side exhibits a lifelike scene of a hunting bird dog on point flushing two ducks in a marshland setting, while the right side features a mirrored panel depicting a dog working a field to flush two ruffed grouse or partridges out of heavy brush. The surrounding steel features near full-coverage classic fine English bouquet and miniature scroll engraving framing the "W.W. GREENER" maker signatures. Most notably, the top opening lever is elaborately hand-engraved and hand-inlaid with a solid gold Crown and Scepter motif, the ultimate visual insignia reserved strictly for Greener's exhibition-grade and premier luxury catalog tiers. Mechanically, the gun is built on the hammerless Facile Princeps Grade ("F") action body. This represents Greener's ultra-strong, proprietary internal boxlock mechanism that famously outperformed the industry-standard Anson & Deeley design. The shotgun is equipped with Greener's Self-Acting Ejector mechanism under British Patent No. 2003, which was officially issued on May 9, 1881. Factory records reveal that this specific firearm was the 2,879th action finished by the company with this highly complex, selective shell-ejection upgrade. The barrels were built using premium fluid-pressed steel tubes sourced directly from Fried. Krupp A.G. in Essen, Germany, a material highly prized during the late 19th century for its superior tensile strength over traditional Damascus tubes. The top rib is hand-engraved with the prestigious dual location address: "W W GREENER 68 HAYMARKET LONDON & ST MARY'S SQUARE BIRMINGHAM". The geometry and markings of the gun tell a classic story of an untouched Victorian build that was later physically altered for utility. The barrel flats bear only the original 1898 inspection marks of the Birmingham Proof House-including the Crown over Crossed Scepters, the Crown over "B" inspector stamps, the iconic registered W.W. Greener Elephant trademark, and the word "CHOKE". It features with what appears to be the original "12 over C" inside a diamond, alongside a "13" bore stamp, reflecting the original late-19th-century factory build consisting of 2?-inch chambers and tight-bored internal barrel tubes to optimize gas seals with period paper wads. Because there are no official, stamped modern chamber lengths, physical measurement with a chamber length gauge reveals that the chambers have been manually lengthened by a private gunsmith to 2? inches (70mm) at some point. Because this historic firearm's chambers were modified without undergoing official re-proof testing, modern safety protocols are more critical than ever. High-velocity modern hunting loads, heavy magnum ammunition, and steel shot must never be fired in this gun. Modern high-pressure shells can strain the modified action, crack the fragile 128-year-old walnut wood stock, and cause catastrophic failure in the vintage Krupp steel barrel walls. As a highly valuable family heirloom and historical artifact, the metal surfaces should be preserved with microcrystalline wax to prevent corrosion. Before attempting to fire it, the shotgun must be evaluated by a specialized gunsmith using digital wall-thickness calipers to ensure the private lengthening of the chambers did not leave the forcing cones dangerously thin. CONDITION: Excellent. The bores are smooth and bright. The aftermarket recoil pad is showing a little wear. Operates normally. C&R 27-169