Designed and manufactured by machinist and gunsmith Harry McKay of Warrenton, Missouri. Blue steel barrels with a matte vent rib, dual white bead sights, 2 3/4 inch chambers, and full/extra full chokes. The upper barrel is inscribed "SPECIAL MADE FOR GRAVES GLADNEY/BY HARRY McKAY-WARRENTON, MO." on the right and "MODEL M. FINISHED AUG. 1973" on the left with light scroll engraving around the breech. The receiver features finely detailed, full coverage scroll engraving with scenes of gold inlaid quail on the right and pheasants on the left, and a single non-selective trigger. The underside is marked "Mc KAY/O/U NO. 1" at the joint, and "Engr. By N. HARTLIEP" just ahead of the trigger guard. Fancy figured, checkered and ventilated forearm with engraved fittings and pistol grip stock with a solid rubber recoil pad. Graves Gladney, a native of St. Louis, Missouri painted 70 covers for the popular pulp magazine "The Shadow" from 1939 to 1941, was a professor of fine art at Washington University in St. Louis, avid sport shooter, and was the son of the founder of the 7-UP soft drink company. Gladney's service during WWII is a storied as the publications he painted for, being drafted in 1942 and serving first as a gunnery instructor at Fort Sam Houston before being transferred to the 82nd Airborne where he was deployed in both the D-Day landing and Operation Market Garden via combat glider, and eventually as a First Lieutenant, leading his combat division into Berlin in 1945. Bore and stock measurements (U/O): chambers measured at 2 3/4 inches; bores 9 inches from the breech measuring at .731/.730; chokes measured .037/.052; minimum wall thickness .029/.036; drop at comb 1 5/16 inches; drop at heel 1 inches; length of pull 14 3/4 inches; cast-off; weight 8 lbs. 13 oz. From the John Ross collection, author of the bestselling novel "Unintended Consequences".

Excellent. 99% original blue finish remains with sharp engraving, scattered light handling marks, and complete gold inlays. The wood is also excellent with highly attractive figure, well defined checkering, and a few small dings. Mechanically fine.