Over the years I have owned several guns engraved, Fredrick Williams, they were as follows:
#5552 a 12 G boxlock,Engraved on the rib, Fredr,k Williams, Weaman Street, Birmingham.Both barrels cylinder.
#115919 a 12g Bar action Hammer,with Greener cross bolt. Cylinder and f/choke barrels.[Made after 1887]. Engraved on the rib; Fredrick Williams London and Birmingham, England.
#114153 a 12G ,B.L.N.E. Steel barrels by B.S.A.Profuse Engraving. Regret address not recorded.
The booklet"The gun trade of Birmingham"'published by the Birmingham City Museum, page 21 shows the,"F.Williams Gun Works,Weaman Street,printed from an old advertisement block.The picture depicts;A three storey factory with"F.Williams",in a mantel over the front entrance and on a plaque at the the building roof line ,"American Gun and Cycle Works".This building was still standing in Weaman Street in the 1960,s.[Adjacent to Webley and Scott]
The gun illustrated in this post is typical of the F.Williams guns that I have seen.Clearly Mr Williams was proud to announce that he was using the latest machinery to make guns and cycles; likely with the objective of reducing cost. This combination suggests that the date of this illustration was circa 1895.[ie; Fred Greener was in the cycle business at this time].
