doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Unusual Boxlock for Smallbore.

Following the book on boxlocks that I think many now have I thought that both Smallbore and others might be interested in this one:



It seems to exhibit various features common to other earlier makers. The name on the gun is Samuel Allport. It has a standard Anson & Deeley action, Purdey 'thumbhole' fastener and Greener side safety. It has Southgate ejectors and damascus barrels. It also has one of the longest forends I have ever seen and which has not one but two fasteners; one being a Deeley & Edge and the other a simple snap fastener.

It does have a graceful profile when viewed from the side but doesn't seem quite sure what it should be. Just an odd looking gun at first glance. Lagopus.....

Maybe a gun designed by most of the leading makers of the time? Kind of like an animal designed by committee.

Reminds me a bit of that Johnny Cash song, One Piece at a Time I think it was where he smuggled out the Cadilac bit by bit over a number of years. Lagopus.....

Was Samuel allport also known as blackemore and even blackmore ?
I was looking at an old blakemore hammergun recently and checked up on the name. If it is the same man, I think he was the proofmaster at Birmingham in his later years. The information I could find was sketchy in parts but I believe his sons were also involved in the gun trade.
Not much help I know but the name Allport caught my eye.

Quick edit, I've just checked up and there is a lot more correct information on this site, I've got it jumbled up I think.
I've got stuff stored in my head, not necessarily in the right order though.

I think you are on the right track in I believe that he was a Proofmaster at some time in the past. Lagopus.....

Have seen a Churchill with similar action but with a side lever configuration rather than the thumb lever . It also had a top safe that was a nightmare . Some early guns did not have safes fitted ,so it is possible that , as this gun has been restocked that the side safe is a later addition ? Samuel Blackmore Allport was Proof Master 1882 till his death in 1889 . He also held a 1881 patent for a "underlever action and safty"

That is a good looking lever compared to the abomination that Purdey made. They would both have been improved if the trigger guard had not been pierced and the tip of the lever had just been a bit more prominent.

Very odd contraption. A few interesting boxlocks have come to light post publication, including a sidelever Midland Gun Co, which I saw last week.

I thought it may raise an eyebrow. It just looks odd because nothing is conventional when viewed together. A side lever Midland Gun would be odd but they would make what the customer ordered and not just catalogued items. Lagopus.....