Hi. I need some info and help please. T & H King, side by side shotgun. It's made in England. 2.5" choke, nitro proof. Also a crown simbol with BP underneath it. Could someone please help me with a time period and the quality of such a shotgun.
From Brown:
Thomas King traded as T&H King from 1933 to 1938 at 14 New Buildings, Birmingham; at 12 New Buildings from 1939 to 1941; from 13/14 New Buildings in 1942; from 2 Lower Loveday Street from 1943 to 1951 and from 56 Summer Row from 1952 until 1959. It is thought the H in the name is that of Harold King, who at one stage was Manager of the Midland Gun Co. He worked under his own name from 1964 until 1978.
See also this thread:
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=294413Tim
Thanks for the help. Would you consider it a colectors item or not? I live in South Africa and have the oppertunity to buy one. But don't know anything about this shotgun or the quality.
Not possible to comment on the quality of the gun in question without a lot more detail and a few photos .
Had the pleasure of knowing Mr King as all us young'uns called him ,I even did a little work for him .He was highly regarded in the Birmingham trade and his opinions were taken seriously .
It was my understanding that the majority of guns produced under the King name were exported to Africa through contacts gained in his days with the Midland gun Co who traded in many goods from places like Africa in the colonial days .
I have three T&H King guns they are very much like the Midland box locks and seem to be well made. I visited and stayed at his house three times and spent one Christmas with Harold and his wife. He told me that most of his guns were sent to Australia and New Zealand. Two of mine came from Australia and one from the UK. He had the records in his garage but said they were water damaged and useless. I wish I had tried to get them to have copies made. Most of his guns were done by trading work for work as well as by work for hire. He also told me the last lot sent to Australia was engraved by him as his engraver quit and he needed to get them finished. He gave up on the building of guns after that.
I still look hoping to find another but they are not very common. I am sure they are not collector guns but having spent some time with him in both home and shop enjoy using them.
Cheers,
Laurie