Need help ID-ing a gun design(er)

[PeterF.]

I tried this inquiry on another board but didn't get any response.  It isn't single-shot, but you guys tend to know the older designs and maybe have the necessary reference works ... so here goes:
I saw an article several years ago (Gun Digest?) about a gun designer who developed a repeating action for a rifle that was actuated by sliding the pistol grip back & forth ... sort of like a pump action, but the whole pistol grip (and trigger guard?) slid front-to-back. This would probably have been in the late-1800s/early-1900s. Wasn't JM Browning, Winchester or Henry.  The article was about this well-regarded, innovative, but somewhat lesser-known designer. Anyone here recall what that gun (or designer) was? Thanks, PeterF.

[fe352v8]

Spencer developed a slide or pump action around 1852 or so, and before him, a man named Alexander Bain had one in England.

Would seem that if the trigger assembly moved, then it was stock fed, ala Spencer, although I have not seen a Spencer of this configuration where the trigger moved, or it is a bull pup design, which would probably make it later than the early 1900s.

life is no joke but funny things happen

jon

[marlinman93]

Your refering to the Burgess rifle, which should not be confused with the Colt Burgess lever action.
 The Burgess Rifle Co. was in business from 1892-1899. Total production of these unique rifles and shotguns was unknown. The pump handle was a sort of iron sleeve that was fitted to what would be the pistol grip area of other guns. There was also a unique takedown action, as the forearm assembly folded underneath the receiver and buttstock. The action looked a lot like a Winchester selfloader, which came along later.
 Andrew Burgess was one of the earliest designers of lever action rifles, and most companies (including Winchester, Marlin, and Colt) paid royalties to Burgess for using parts of his design in their early lever guns.
 Hope this helps!

[PeterF.]

Yep, Marlinman, that's the one.  With that info, I was able to find a pretty good description, with diagrams [see http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?coll=moa&root=/moa/manu/manu0026/&tif=00124.TIF&view=50&frames=1].  Thanks a bunch.  PeterF.

[marlinman93]

You're welcome Peter, but your link isn't working. Glad I could assist.

[PeterF.]

Marlinman:  Sorry about that.  I copied it right off the "address" line of my web browser.  It may be because I added the brackets in my text and the "system" picked up the "close bracket" at the end as part of the URL  I'll try again; here's 2:
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?coll=moa&root=/moa/manu/manu0025/&tif=00210.TIF&view=50&frames=1
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?coll=moa&root=/moa/manu/manu0026/&tif=00124.TIF&view=50&frames=1
Thanks again. PeterF.

[marlinman93]

Thanks for the info! Very interesting reading, and much more info than my source, Flayderman's.

[fe352v8]

PeterF / Marlinman

Thank you both, I'd never heard or seen this before, excepte for the Colt varrient.

Thanks again

jon

[Dai.S.Loe]

If you go to the following URL

http://www.micksguns.com/shotguns.htm

This dealer in the UK has two of these shotguns for sale

A first model and a second. Then are about 90% down the page which takes a while to load.

Both are take down models

Both are POA

They have a gun I have never heard of before
EISENWERKE GAGGENAU  Circa 1887 16 Bore pump action shotgun

Which if correct predates both the Burgess and the Winchester 97 by 10 years.

Have a look.

Dai