doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Kirkwood-Cashmore?

Kirkwood(Boston) imported William Cashmore Guns. Anyone familiar with
these guns? Quality? I am interested in 12 sidelock,engraved,
moderate case color, nice damascus-marked Kirkwood with late
Kirkwood serial Number.No Cashmore marking but this is no Kirkwood sidelock. Any Info greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Bill

Bill, I have one of these. It is a good gun with fit and finish. Not a "best" gun, but like a medium grade British gun. Marked Kirkwood Bros. Boston, Mass., it is a back action, 40% scroll engraved, beaded fences,disc strikers, with Damascus barrels, semi pistol grip, snap on forend. I would say it is Cashmore quality, with a serial no. of 1407 on the triggerguard tang and standing breech, but no serial no. on the rest of the gun. W.P.J. lightly stamped on the barrel flats, so I assumed mine was by William Palmer Jones. Very deeply stamped , but unreadable mark on the underside of each tube, which I assume is the British provisional proof.

Daryl, Thanks this helps alot
Bill

Was the "Kirkwood" still in the shop at the time of this gun, or was the brand suffering from lack of a gunmaker after Mr. Kirkwood's passing. Names that establish high brand value usually linger for some time.

Bill,
You've probably seen my Kirkwood Bros gun but here it is again.
Ross

Rocketman, I think David Kirkwood was not active at the time of these sidelock imports. The Kirkwood shop stayed open for some time after they quit making the signature boxlock Kirkwoods and some imported guns were marked with other Kirkwood names such as Margaret Kirkwood and others, if I remember correctly. The ones of these I have seen were hammer guns of lower quality than Reb's sidelock.

David Kirkwood born 1840 in England, died 1897, Boston.

He apprenticed for Mortimer and Sons in Edinbugh. David Kirkwood was recorded as working at Court, 3 Whittall Street, Birmingham. Together with Charles Pryse, Birmingham, in 1863 they patented a hinged breech action No. 750.

He immigrated in 1873 from England. When he arrived he worked for American Arms Co. Left them in 1874. He set up his own shop at 24 Elm St in Boston.

He went into business with Henry Mortimer, also from England. The firm was known as Mortimer & Kirkwood. They dissolved the partnership in 1880.

Kirkwood is best known for his Three Barrel gun. Shades of Hollenbeck? He is also supposed to have produced a FW gun, 12ga at 5lbs 2oz and a 20ga at 4.5lbs. It is assumed that all his barrels were imported. Later his sons advertised the barrels were all from Whitworth.

American Patents held by David Kirkwood.
169710 lock with Henry Mortimer
191862
233256
233733
240147
289273
318001

Kirkwood Brothers, David's sons, started in 1888. They were around in the 1920's and perhaps later. In 1913 they announced they were agents for William Cashmore, and stopped making doubles. As late as 1900 they were still making breech loaders.

Pete

Pete , thanks. Good stuff.

Thanks, Pete. That is what I imagined. Probably, we should not be surprised to find any level of quality from this era, then. They would have retailed anything they could make money on. You might find a farmer grade BLNE or a best work SLE. For sure Birmingham would have supplied anything they cared to order --- and pay for.

The Kirkwood Gunshop lasted 99 years, when it was bought by Bob Smith Sporting Good Company in 1973.