doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Holland & Holland. Direction of signs on barrels.

I see H&H used both directions FROM breech end and TO breech end of signs on barrels. Is there any rules or dates when they changed the directions of signs from breech end to opposite?

Geno:
I doubt if even Donald Dallas could give you a precise date/rationale for this one. Why not email Holland's if it means much to you?

Best, Kensal

Various gunmakers generally go for one direction and others go for the other and a few chop and change.
An engraver I use who does a lot of restoration work in between new guns says that MOST Northern gunmakers go for one and MOST Southern go for the other but I jiggered if I can remember which way round it is.....hang on....lets take a look...
In my gun store the following: (from the breech = left hander, to the breech = right hander)
Purdey hammergun: left
James Lang SLE: left
Joseph Lang SLE: left
Joseph Lang BLE: right
Greener BLE: left
Alex Henry HGun: right
Boss HGun: left
AJ Parker BLE: right
C&H BLE: left
Linsley BLE: right
Blanch SLE: left
Blanch SLE: right
Blanch HGun: left
etc etc etc
Draw from that what conclusion you may!
The only reason I can think of is that 'from the breech' reads better for a lefty and easier for his friend as a right paw and visa versa.

it seems too simplistic BUT perhaps the right-to-left ones were done by a left-handed worker and the left-to-right ones done by a righty?