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Hi

I am new to the board but not to doubles. I still am learning about the world of fine shooting and have come across a little know Scottish maker that I am told by a dealer in Glasgow is the most under rated maker for great prices. He said the quality is above Mortimer and comparbale to Dickson but not as collectible because few guns were made.

The makers name is McCRIRICK & SONS from Ayr maybe Kilamok later who according to this dealer was the foundation for future Scottish gun making with many his worker moving to Dickson and MacNaughton. I have located a fine stocked to the fences SLE in Glasgow for a great price but would love to fine a hammer gun, an underlever in particular. It seems Scottish underlevers are as rare as "hens teeth. Any info on why this is so and who is McCRIRICK & SONS is appreciated and and experience with this maker would be relished

Thanks Erin

I almost bought a McCririck SxS about two years ago, here from a dealer in VA. A beautiful gun to my unpracticed eye, light, balanced and jeweled screws. Great price. i think the S/N below 10. there was a letter with it. i think the town was Kilmarnock, Scotland. i hesititated and it was lost to a smarter collector/shooter. if i can locate the info i had on it, i will pm, or post the info here.

I have never seen a gun from Scotland that wasn't really good. Here's the info from Internet Gun Club.

William McCririck established his business as a gunsmith in 1800 in the coastal town of Irvine in Ayrshire, Scotland, not far from the towns of Ayr and Kilmarnock. There is no known record of William other than the knowledge that he was credited with the invention of the screw propeller for boats and ships but in fact, in about 1816 he made the models for James Steadman (Steedman) a cabinet maker and carpenter (1790-1865) who, amongst many others before and after him, claimed the invention. One of the models was taken to London in 1830 where, allegedly, the idea was patented but not in James Steadman's name.
James McCririck, his son, was born in 1813 in Galston, a village near Kilmarnock and Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland, which was probably where his mother came from. James probably worked for his father but was first recorded trading as a gun maker in Sandgate Street, Ayr, in 1841. His business had been established a few years earlier.

James married Margaret (b.1816 in Irvine) in about 1837, and they had a daughter, Margaret (b.1838), and a son, James (James (II)) (b.1840 became a gun maker).

James McCririck specialised in making percussion rifles from about 1830 onwards. Bell's Life in London published the following on 7 July 1839: "A rifle match came off on Saturday week, on the shooting grounds of Mr Crawford of Doonside, for a cutter yacht, the Reynard, valued at 25 gns., the stakes 10s. 6d. each and the subscribers 50 in number." One of the competitors was Mr McCririck, gunmaker of Ayr, and another was Mr Kennedy, gunmaker of Kilmarnock. "The prize was won by Mr McCririck".

In 1845 the same magazine published "Reports of the annual shooting match at Dalmellington, Ayrshire, in which James McCririck, gunmaker, Ayr 'who is considered non-pareil of the rifle in this quarter' distinguished himself".

In the 1851 census James (I)'s address was given as 13 Sandgate Street. By this date they had another three sons, Alexander (b.1843 became a writer), John (b.1845 no further record found) and William (b.1849 became a gun maker). They also had a daughter, Margaret (b.1847) which implies that their previous daughter named Margaret had died.

It is likely that when William McCririck retired or died, James (I) took over the business. If this is so, it seems that the Irvine business did not stay open for long, and when William died is not known.

In about 1878 the firm was re-named James McCririck & Sons, by this time James (II) was 37 years old and in line to inherit the Ayr business, and William was 29 years old. James (II), if he ever went to Irvine to run the business there, was probably living in Ayr, and William would have been seeking independence and security. Consequently, a branch was opened at 24 Clark Street in Kilmarnock. William moved there with his wife, Isabella (b.1850 in Perthshire), and their son, James (James (III)) (b.1880).

By about 1880 the business in Ayr had moved to 70 Sandgate Street, and in the 1881 census James (I) was recorded living at 16 Academy Street with Margaret, Alexander and a fifth son, Homer (b.1852 became a chemist).

In the mid-1880s the address in Kilmarnock changed to 16 1/2 Bank Street.

When James (I) retired or died is not known.

In the late 1890s the firm in Ayr moved to 72 Sandgate Street.

In the 1901 census James (II) was recorded aged 60, living at 54 Fort Street with his wife Annie (b.1843 in Dublin) and their daughters, Iza (b.1874 in Ayr) and Chrissie (b.1881 in Ayr), and their son, James W McCririck (b.1884 in Ayr became a gunmaker).

In about 1909 the the firm in Ayr moved to 12 Union Buildings, and the firm in Kilmarnock moved to 6 John Finnie Street. This appears to indicate that by this date both James (I) and his wife, Margaret, had died, and that James (II) owned the business in Ayr and William owned the business in Kilmarnock.

The Ayr business closed in about 1913, but William and his son, James W, continued at 6 John Finnie Street in Kilmarnock.

When William retired is not known but James W moved the business to 38 John Finnie Street in 1939 and back to 6 John Finnie Street in 1942. It moved back to 38 John Finnie Street in about 1967.

Who took over the business when James W retired is not known, but it continued to trade until 1992.

The records of the Ayr business have not survived.

Other Info
James McCririck of Ayr sold cartridges under his own name.

Gitano - welcome to this board. A good question for openers.

One thing I have discovered in a good many years of Brit gun trade research is that quality can't be tied to brand names. Quality is much more closely associated with the original retail price. Shops were run by masters of the trade. All masters knew well how to get out a best work gun. "Best work" implies that all work on the gun was as good as can be done. Keeping in mind that shops neeeded to return a profit to stay in business, each master knew what work to do in-house, what to send out, and who to send it to. Finding best work craftsmen, materials, and design was much less an issue than was attracting best work commissions for bespoke. Note that the term "best" is only loosely defined and is more often misapplied than applied correctly. Nobody anywhere at any time delivered bargain basement best work guns.

You will do yourself a world of good if you will divide gun values into three factors: brand name value level, original quality grade, and current condition level. This system recognizes that the market has ascribed differing values to guns of the same original quality grade and current condition level. Similar original quality grade guns sold for pretty much the same amount of money at original sale. That is to say anybody's best work gun sold for about 20X the price of a colonial/farmer grade of gun. Current condition also ranges about 20X from a pristine gun (the best condition gun of 50 similar guns) to wall hanger condition. Brand value rns about 8X from a no-name continental gun to a top brand (Boss, H&H, Purdey, or J. Woodward) value Brit gun.

So, if a McCririck gun is found to be of high quality, that will be because the custome ordered a high quality gun, not because McCririck had better designs, materials, or craftsmanship than did others. Sorry, no magic, mostly straight forward economics.

Thanks especially to Daryl for the bio. Very interesting to see how trades and craftsmanship were passed on. I have yet to find an under lever Scottish hammer gun smooth bore so I wonder why as they made excellent rifled under levers but no shoties... this is a quest. The SLE locks in Glasgow are gold washed unusual for a Scottish SL.

As to value, I think makers had their ebb and flows, so era is the a most important factor. I agree with Daryl, Scottish weapons were best quality and rarely second/third son or colonial guns excepting Mortimer. Trying to ascribe algorithms to value is era dependent, ergo knowing a quality maker value may not reflected in today's price so one can acquire great weapons if you know the era and are a bit contrary. I do agree that initial selling/cost reflected quality.

Daryl,excellent write up on McCririck. The only McCririck That I have owned was a 12G back action hammer gun #21904, engraved on the barrels only. The action was Jones under lever.The gun was border engraved. The address on the rib was;J.McCririck & Son Ayr & Kilmarnock. This gun was of Birmingham origin. As is the case with many Scottish gun makers,Birmingham was the source for most of their less expensive guns; and in some cases their high end guns.