Original Rare U.S. Roper Repeating Rifle Co. 16 Gauge Rotary Magazine Hammer Action Shotgun - circa 1868

Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is something we have not had before! A Roper Repeating Rifle Co. Shotgun in 16 Gauge! Sylvester Roper is not a well known name in firearms history today, but he made a number of notable contributions to the field – in addition to his work with motorcycles and automobiles where he is much better remembered.

The Roper revolving shotgun was an early cartridge-firing repeating shotgun that could carry and fire four rounds without reloading. It was based around a "rotary magazine" made from a cylinder with a rotating follower in side, much like a Mannlicher–Schönauer rifle. It was offered in both 12ga and 16ga chamberings, and used a rather unusual open-bolt mechanism. Cocking the hammer fully would bring a shell into position between the bolt and chamber, and firing the gun would cause the bolt to drop forward, chamber the cartridge, lock in place, and immediately fire. Re-cocking the hammer would extract the fired case but leave it in the rotary magazine, and then bring a new shell into position to be fired. As a result, one could fire four rounds and then would have to unload the 4 empty shells from the magazine carousel before reloading.

Unfortunately the shotgun never really caught on, so a rifle version was made, but it also failed to perform as expected. Still, Roper continued to innovate in firearms before moving mostly into the motorcycle and automobile industry. He would share the patents for the first pump action shotgun with Christopher Spencer, better known for his lever action rifle used in the Civil War, before his death in 1896 riding on a steam-powered velocipede as part of his work in the early automotive industry.

This example of a Roper Repeating Shotgun is in the smaller 16 gauge chambering, and really looks the business, with a highly figured walnut fore stock, and what looks to be a custom butt stock that also shows a good amount of figuring. The gun is complete, though it is unfortunately missing the dust cover / loading gate and spring, which is where all the markings for these were placed. The dust cover would have read as follows:-

ROPER REPEATING RIFLE CO.
AMHERST. MASS.
PATENTED. APRIL. 10. 1866.

The shotgun is in very good cosmetic condition, though it definitely looks to have had the metalwork refinished at some point in the past, probably long ago now, and the stock wood was also varnished as well. Additionally, the butt stock does not look like any other example we have seen, so it it may have been customized or replaced outright.

Functionally, the action cycles well and can dry fire, though the magazine follower unfortunately overshoots a bit, so it needs to be moved back a bit by hand so that the "bolt" can properly seat in the rear in preparation for a trigger pull.

A lovely example of a very hard to find early repeating shotgun design, ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1868
Caliber: 16 Gauge - about 0.65"
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 26 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 44 3/4 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.