doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Best English shotgun companies

I am sure that this has been discussed several times here, but I did the search and didn�t fine what I am looking for.

I was wandering which English shotgun companies had the best reputation for making high-end shotguns. Let�s say pre-WW2.

I would think that H&H, Purdey, and Boss would be toward, or at the top, but where do you go from there?

Buck2

You'll probably need to narrow the field by the mechanics @ Birmingham or London, then further narrow the lot by A&D Body Action or Sidelock, etc.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

I would add "David McKay Brown"

Yeah, then add Rigby for their unique offerings and different founding location of Dublin, Ireland.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Send a pm to Rocketman. He has worked out a brand name, condition and quality or grade algorithm. At the top there are three to five makers. Then each lower name maker is slotted into it with grades and condition of the gun to help determine market value. Very neat way to give a buyer perspective.

To be honest, most gun makers were capable of producing as high a grade gun as their clients were willing to pay for. A few tried to only produce the top grades if possible. Most sold lower grades to keep the doors open, even if they just finished or shot and regulated them before putting their names on them. When in doubt buy the gun not the name or as one friend says buy the action. Everything else can be made right if the action is good. Worn, sorry guns, with actions which are about done should not be bought according to him.

Rocketman's data separates the vintage makers by the relative value their wares bring today, which probably answers the OP's question as well as anything as he asks about "reputation"

The top category consists of four makers, Boss, Woodward, Purdey and H &H.

The next group consists of Westley Richards, Dickson, Rigby, Grant, Beesley, Powell, Atkin, Churchill, Henry, Lancaster, Evans, Watson, Wilkes, Greener, Boswell, Gibbs and Lang.

After that it's the rest of the British trade.

According to his data, everything else being equal, if the British trade product is worth $4, the WR, Dickson etc group would be worth $6 and the Purdey group would be worth $8.

To be fair, I'd still break it down between A&D Body Action & Sidelock, etc.

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Atkin, Grant are Best Gun makers

Oh and Woodward would be #4

You are correct Raimey. I neglected to mention Rocketman's data that I put here refers to the relative value of sidelocks from them. A 1st quality boxlock from any given maker is worth approximately the same as a border engraved sidelock.

But if we are ranking based solely on the value of a makers name, whether it's a sidelock or boxlock is immaterial.