to read all about the Anson-Deeley action? Its origins?
Its inner workings?

Thanks. Robert D.

It is my opinion that there is not really a good article or book about this.
I do know that Douglas Tate has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, the men and the action. But unfortunately the subject doesn't really appeal to the majority of readers.
Unless of course readers of this board can convince publishers otherwise?

Salopian's suggestion is a good one. Doug Tate's "Birmingham Gunmakers" contains a lot of information on A&D boxlocks, as produced by various makers.

If I'm not mistaken, Dig has or is undertaking such a project?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Red:
A good foundation can be found in the "go-to" volume of all time: Greener's "The Gun and Its Development." Also, "Modern Sporting Gunnery" if you can find a copy. The latter classic was virtually a house publication of Westley Richards.

Check abebooks.com for both

And thank you for attempting to find the answers and knowledge on your own initiative!

I did try to do a search in this site for a good read on A&D actions before I posted above.

I then googled 'Anson and Deeley books' and came up with a few hits about a book entitled "The Modern Shotgun" by Burrard, but I was just looking to see what others might recommend before I went out and bought 4 or 5 books on the subject.

Thanks for all who have replied.

Do I recall that Burrard had a bit on A&D actions in his three-volume set?

Regards

Indeed he does.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Vol 3 of "British Gunmakers" has 2 pages on the original action as developed and retailed by Westley Richards. [with and without intercepting sears]. I'm not sure the early configurations are correctly worked out, as I have Pat. use number 14 by WR that has the heavy SQUARE pointed cocking lugs, not the round ones that most believe to be earliest.

Best,

Mal

I would second the recommendation of Douglas Tate's "Birmingham Gunmakers", and add Desmond Mills' and Mike Barnes' "Amateur Gunsmithing". The first covers a lot of the history of the A&D boxlock and and the second, inner workings and stripping and reassembly. The bad news is that both books are out of print and are pricey on the secondary market. As best I remember I paid $120 for "Birmingham Gunmakers" and $90+ for "Amateur Gunsmithing" But for the inner workings part you could watch Jack Rowe's five part series "Strip and Clean a Boxlock" on YouTube for free.
Best, D.P. Scurlock

For a look at the working parts see:
Lock in a Box

There is also a look Inside a Boxlock Stock of an A&D on my web site...

If you want to understand the boxlock's "inner workings," both of these are extremely helpful sources.

Gentlemen, indeed there are many references to the A&D action and yes hopefully Diggory will do his very best to expand on the subject in his forthcoming book which should see daylight in the Autumn ( Fall). But I do know that Douglas Tate would be the one to open up Pandora's box about Anson & Deeley as he has some very interesting history about the subject.

I emailed Doug Tate and asked if he was doing an article on A&D.
As usual I was late for the party, Doug has already done an article and it will be in the July edition of Shooting Sportsman.
I hope it sheds some light on William Anson, because there is plenty written about John Deeley, but very little about Anson can be found.

My boxlock book will hit the shelves in October. I hope I haven't missed out too much!

Douglas Tate has an article titled "Anson & Deeley, Then and Now" in the July/August, 1996 issue of Shooting Sportsman.

The first edition of my book on pheasant hunting came out about the same time as books on the same subject by Steve Grooms, Datus Proper, and Chris Dorsey. Always room for more players.

SDH, thanks for concise photos about the operation of the A&D, very clear to see the workings.
I think I remember reading once that had the A&D been developed before the sidelock, the sidelock never would have been invented.

The hammerless sidelock was a very natural progression from hammerguns: mostly just moving the hammers from the outside to the inside. The A&D was a much more radical departure in the development of the shotgun.

Red,

I have a copy of Vintage British Shotguns by Terry Wieland, publisheb by Shooting Sportsman (great magazine). I bought it on line at Amazon. It has a great chapter on Birmingham guns. It provides some good history on the action and some details of the inner works - along with many of the other various types of actions.

This was of course purely speculation on someones part. It could of course have been quite easily proven had the A&D shortly made the sidelock obsolete. This I think we all realize did not take place. There are in fact even at this late date many (Myself Included) who prefer a sidelock above an A&D.
There were also Boxlock muzzleloaders, though not strictly speaking A&D actions.

Flintlocks were sidelocks.

The moves to make guns with internal hammers were dominated by sidelock designs until A&D.

The A&D was developed before any sidelock designs that are still with us.

The sidelock was never 'invented'.

Hundreds of different patents exist which feature locks on sideplates.

The A&D was an invention, as it was radically different.

I guess a lot here depends on ones definition of "Invention". Thus while the A&D was likely the first self-cocking boxlock it certainly was not the first firearm to utilize a boxlock. Boxlock pistols & rifles date well back into the percussion era & I believe also into the flint era. If adding a self cocking mechanism to a sidelock does not constitute invention then neither would it for a boxlock. Both would thus simply seem to be Adaptions.