doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Wm. Moore & Grey

Hello everyone, I�m a new member, and I�ve recently just picked up a vintage Wm. Moore & Grey at a local rural gun shop. I don�t have a ton of expertise with doubles (my first gun as a boy, which I still have and now my son shoots, was a .410 Boito Brazilian SxS, marked �Kmart� on the barrel, but I suppose that hardly counts, lol.), and I couldn�t really determine a value for the Moore, I just couldn�t pass it up.

It was the first English double I had actually seen in person and handled, though from boyhood I have admired them in magazines, etc., and the lines/aesthetics appeal strongly to me. I build a few flintlock longrifles, so I especially appreciated the hand engraving and unbelievable wood/metal fit (especially in the forearm, it looks like the metal was melted and poured into the mortise...). The gun has obviously seen a lot of use, but I was most interested in it as a hunter, anyway.

So, I offloaded a plastic-stocked .308 I didn�t need anymore, added some cash, and took the Wm. Moore & Grey home.

According to my research, this gun was made between 1904 and 1917. It has the Craven St., London address on the rib. It has London proof marks, but also a later (post-1954) Birmingham proof. I assume therefore it was reproofed. I can�t make out the letter in the crossed-swords Birmingham date code. It is nitro proofed for 2-1/2�, 1-1/8 oz, 3 ton. Only the left barrel was marked �Choke.� Based purely on measuring the muzzle diameter vs. the bore diameter proof marks, I think it�s choked roughly IC/Mod. Barrels are 29-7/8�.

It locks up the tight as a drum, and the solder appears to be good (the barrels ring like a bell when flicked). It does fire/function fine.

But, there are several scuffs/dings, especially in the buttstock, most or all of which are filled by a coat of finish. All of the screw heads have been marred, and there is some erosion around the striker holes. I was told that the barrels looked like they had been reblacked, but I do not know what to look for to confirm this. The trigger guard tang has a fingernail joint in it (which is unbelievably well-fit), which leads me to believe that it perhaps may have been broken at one time, and so perhaps this isn�t the original buttstock.

More importantly, it fits me like a glove and points like my index finger.

Now for my questions, for those who have hung in this long...

Does my research seem correct?

And, of course, what is it worth? And I mean very approximately.

I was feeling very good about the purchase, until I took it to a dealer with some alleged expertise for an appraisal. He contradicted some of my research, and said that given the condition, it was worth about $450.

I�m trying to tell myself that even if he is correct it doesn�t matter because I am happy with the gun for my own use, and it was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity for a piece of functional art that had a soul and story. But, I would feel better if I knew it was worth at least somewhat more than that.

I will attempt to post some pics in the comments.

Thanks!
Jonathan

It is hard for us to say much about it without pictures of the gun...Geo

Welcome to the doublegunshop forum.

Remember, John- when you have a dealer "appraise" your used gun, they will usually give you a "lo-ball" price, as they tend to be greedy and want to be able to buy it from you at a deep discount- such is the gun biz- "welcome to 'the big league' of gun trading.

Old bit of wisdom- if you want to determine the true value of an item, ask three different and un-related men who have zero interest in buying it from you. RWTF

I will hopefully get the pics uploaded a bit later today; I have bandwidth issues right now.

Thanks!

Jonathan,
Welcome to the double gun brotherhood!
Karl

Your first English gun. I say that as I suspect it may not be your last. Wm. Moore & Grey good makers with lots of information to go on. You don't mention what type; boxlock or sidelock, ejector or non-ejector as these will affect value as will condition engraving etc. As others ay it is difficult without a photo which you say you may be able to show soon. I won't try to access value as British values and U.S. values can be very different. Use it and enjoy it. Lagopus�..

this gun sounds like a great place to start with English sxs. If it locks up soundley and the barrels aren't too thin, it will be fine for upland hunting but you should be using low pressure loads in 2 1/2" length if at all possible. For a newbie to doubles your research seems pretty well based.
Keep in mind the doubles market is fairly thin and many dealers don't even deal in them, so their valuations are way off. The pitting around the striker holes and reproofing might indicate it started life as a blackpowder proofed gun.

There are always several "values" to a gun.
Wholesale to a dealer, retail in gun shows, retail in a specialist's stock.
Then there is the value to you - fits right, shoot it well, fell in love and had to have it.
Don't let naysayers take away from your enjoyment.

https://ibb.co/0jGF07V
https://ibb.co/PtjvPR6
https://ibb.co/sycy85B
https://ibb.co/dkRd8by
https://ibb.co/qMhxP37
https://ibb.co/hVzG49F

I have some more, including proof marks, close ups of defects, etc., that I�ll post later today. I�ll also mess around until I figure out how to properly post pics a bit later.

[img]https://ibb.co/52KbPQb[/img]