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Forums10
Topics39,884
Posts567,994
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
Boxlock
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OP
Boxlock
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2 |
I'm looking for any information that I can get on William Read and Sons from Boston, MA. I know that they operated at the end of the 1800s into the early 1900s.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,540 Likes: 391
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,540 Likes: 391 |
Retailer of both American and European guns and other sporting goods. Usually high quality products, much like the old Abercrombie and Fitch, but probably on a bit lesser scale.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,598
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,598 |
William Read and Sons were around from 1826 to 1910
From 1826 until 1883 they were located at 13 Faneuil Hall Square.
After that at 107 Washington.
In 1908 they became part of the Winchester store.
From 1870 to 1908 they were an agent for WC Scott.
They were called the "old gun house" and used that in their advertisements.
They sold WC Scott, Purdey, Greener and Fox to name a few. They also had their own house brand of William Read guns that included some 3 barrel guns.
As Daryl stated, they were a full line sporting's goods merchant.
Pete
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 105
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 105 |
Cornell Publications offers reprints of the William Read catalogs. Great reading. Here's a link: http://www.cornellpubs.com/old-guns/catalog-reprints/
John McCain is my war hero.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,875 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,875 Likes: 16 |
They were one of the biggest W & C Scott dealers in the US for a while.
OWD
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,884 Likes: 521
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,884 Likes: 521 |
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 356 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 356 Likes: 4 |
I just found this older thread using a Google search for "William Read & Sons." I can say that the firm was in business after 1910 and certainly into 1917; how long after that, I don't know. Recently I bought a relatively early 1911 Government Model that came with a factory letter. The pistol was one of a shipment of 50 sent to William Read & Sons in April 1917.  Anybody have any further information? Curl
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 707
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 707 |
If anyone has any literature on William Read & Son, circa 1891, dealing with W.C. Scott Premier grade guns I'd really appreciate a link or reference.
I have a premier provided by Read and I believe it was the finest premier they ever offered but I can't 100% verify that. (in 1891 they offered no Imperial Premier so it appears this year's Premier was "best of best grade")
Thanks for any additional references or literature. I'd love to know the engraver or any additional record details. I heard verbally that a fire took all their records but cannot verify.
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![[Linked Image from rbsiii.com]](http://www.rbsiii.com/Guns/Purdey_500_top_360.jpg)