doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Winchester engraver- William Gough

Does anyone know when William Gough was an engraver at Winchester? I would think it was after the early 1900s and before 1933. Can anyone be more specific with the years? Thanks.

Billy Gough apprenticed at Parker Bros. under his Father Harry Gough. Circa 1912 he went to the A.H. Fox Gun Co. and redesigned their engraving patterns and headed their engraving department. However, he only worked on the very highest grade Ansley H. Fox guns, most of the day to day engraving was done by his workers, while he did high grade commission work for Winchester, Colt and others. After the sale of the A.H. Fox Gun Co. to Savage, he made the move to Utica, but apparently the story goes that Savage officials didn't like his doing commission work for others in their factory. So, Billy opened his own engraving shop which operated into the 1950s. As far as I know he never worked at New Haven as a Winchester employee.

Thanks Researcher. One of the guys at the club mentioned him and I didn't recall his name. Ned Schwing mentions him in the 21 book, but it also says from 1933 to 1963 Ulrich and the Kusmits were the only engravers. So, I figured he had to be before the Model 21 came out. Schwing quotes," Inspired by a tradition of great Winchester engravers such as Conrad, Herman, John Ulrich; William Gough; and Angelo Stokes............etc. But Schwing doesn't really say if Gough was an "in house" engraver.

Was John Gough, engraver, Wm. H. Gough's brother? I recall seeing a Win. factory photo in one of the reference books of an engraved receiver with a handwritten note on it 'John Gough'. It might be in Geo. Midas book on Winchesters.

John Gough was in an Ayn Rand novel.

Was John Gough John Galt's brother? Or was it spelled John Gault?

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An Ayn Rand novel??,,must be full of facts and leads.
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I did some looking through my books for the picture and did find 2 factory pics with orig notations of 'John Gough' as the engraver. Also a reference that a John Gough-engraver, worked and lived in Meriden, CT.
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Enjoy the late summer read..

I think John Gough was John Galts 1st cousin once removed but he was never in a Ayn Rand novel. Neither of them was worth a preachers padoody when it came to gun engraving so the only place you'll find examples of their work is under the table at Cheap Willies Flea Market but you'll have to ask.
Jim

It was morning. I hadn't had my second cup of M.E. Swing's coffee. Who is John Galt?

Don- In a job interview, a prospective employer asked me about my politics. I told him that to understand my politics he had to be able to answer one question. Who is John Galt? He had no idea so I got up and left without another word.