It would be nice to find a set of barrels from a 2-barrel set that someone would be ok with parting with. However, I’ve heard they just won’t fit any old Dickson and fitting them can be a big task, at least that’s what Dan Morgan told me. He also told me good Dickson RB guns with lots of case color are only worth about $15,000 in todays market….that statement shocked me. If that’s true, I wouldn’t go overboard with a new set of barrels unless you want to keep her forever cuz it sounds like you’d never be able to recoup your money???
It is true.
I do not know why anyone would buy a clunker today and expect to turn in to a silk purse by having new barrels built. Just look at this Dickson round action jewel at the current Holt's sale (27Nov2023) that has replacement chopper lump barrels with bores of .727"/ .728" and wall thickness of .032"/.031. Plus look at the stock--it could have a 3/4" leather covered recoil pad on it and make it more than 15 inches LOP. Dan Morgan is straight on about the price range of complete round bodies--even though guns by Scot makers are in high vogue today. Look at the estimated auction hammer price of this gun. Even if the gun brought £2,000.00 more and you added buyers premium and $1,500.00 to get it here the price for a complete gun with like new chopper lump barrels would only be $13,600.00 (£8,000.00 x 1.25 premium x 1.21 exchange rate + $1.500.00 = $13,600.00 ) One of my grouse shooting friends has purchased 4 spectacular guns( Hollands, A.A. Brown and others) from the UK in the last 2 years with Dan Morgan bringing them in for him and the cost was less than $1.500.00 per gun. Novices think it cost an arm and leg to import guns but they are wrong.
I decided today to ask my colleague friend gunmaker in the UK what a new set of chopper lump barrels cost to be made (he has 40 years in the trade as a gunmaker starting at Holland & Holland and later working for others such as Purdey, and Westley Richards, even building for Peter Nelson). What I learned is that Pudey's currently charge £29,000.00 for a set of barrels. Therefore he believes that a set of barrels from a UK barrel maker will cost $20,000.00 made and fitted. However there are only 2-3 barrel makers and you can count on the wait being years.
https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/as...++1400+&refno=++206599&saletype=
