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.
