doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Woodward Restoration

A friend of mine just decided to take the two Woodwards.

Full do-up for both guns.

If we can't rescue the barrels on the top-lever gun, we will sleeve it to 29". Not a cheap option but he'll never see another Woodward with engraving quite like that and the side-lever gun is also very unusual.

I'll slap up some photos when the work is done and look forward to something of a transformation.

Setter or pointer?

Good for you Dig. I knew all the discussions on these boards would bring you good karma.

Now, how about some pics of that Westley you previously mentioned?

p.s. Posting pics on here is a snap when you get the hang of it, but if you want to email 'em to me - I'll put 'em up.

hello krakow kid,
"smile to my face" is a perfect description of my feeling re these trigger guard dogs.i didnt realise they occurred so often.yes, i would be delighted to see the westley dog!
cheers
mrwmartin

I read your letters and note the comments about "Sleeving"the Vintage Guns...I like the term "New Barrels by the Sleeving Method. I had a "Go Round" with my Old (Now deceased writing partner')about that term, I insisted that once the old tubes had been cut off at aprox 4", the stubs bored out to take the NEW turned-down barrels then fitted to the 'Stubs, the Breech-Ends of the barrels were "Blacked-Down' to the action face,so the NEW-Tubes were in fact touching the Action just the same as if they were a complete new set of Barrels. We,(Technicana Twins) wrote an artical in SSMag with Photos and Tech.Info.from Foster & Co.(From the "Not so merrie anymore Island") When the work was done to the high standards we aimed to achieve, we often had to take the barrels from the action to show that the tubes had been "Added". I always had the LONDON Proof house do the Proofing, (Just made them 'tast'better) I have recently finished Restocking back to original'specs' & totally filing-out all the original engraving from the Action,Trigger-plate,Trigger-Guard.but left the Lock-plates as the engraving was still Good. I was just part of the "Restoration Team".The Barrels had been 'Sleeved" in Brum by Westley Richards back,in the late 1960s. The weight was incredible, I had Team Member Kirk Merrington "Strike off close to 3 ozs". Then Ron Collins engraved, Name, Address, and original Small-scroll at the Barrel Breeches, Abe Chaber Polished and Rust Blacked the Barrels,They now look "NEW". I hope to write up the whole story for one of the Glossies' How a team of 'Dirty-Handed Gunsmiths. Hundreds of miles apart managed to save a Fred Beesley 12b, 2nd mod,Self-Opener that had been "Junked" somewhere in MO. and now can pass as a "Minty" aprox c.1892 Restored "Classic". Julias auction March 4th sold an all Original. CC.

David,
I would most humbley agree that anyone unfortunate enough to have a gun sleeved by Westley in the '60's did indeed inherit a dumbell.
No-one at that time really understood the job apart from Christian Ashthorpe, but once he had got it going they all wanted to have a go. Gough Thomas shows the Westley process in one of his books and you can see from the photograph that you are witnessing a piece of agricultural bodging. Thankfully times have moved on for the better in engineering and there are now many fine 'sleevers'.

Spot on observation.

The process we do now is a total transformation form the quick-fix cheap bodge that sleeving once was. You do see some horrors!

Aha!....The ashes of history have been 'Stirred'.....I have been asked to post some Photos of Fred Beesley Gun No 1177,#2 of a Matched Pair. I have Bullers Letter from 1996 with ('Nice Letterhead,) Guns # 1177 & 1178, Made for A.Sykes in 1892.("Thats it!!)The gun that sold at Julias last Mon,was No.1190. Some of the'Sleevers' that are'OUT There' have fooled'Even the Most discriminating & well read owners, DEALERS',and "Fine Firearm Experts!!!!I have always said "If a Good Gunmaker could make it in the First place, A good Gunmaker can make it "In the 2nd Place" Theres not many"So Called Ex-Spurts" still standing that can tell if something is Original, or has been,Re-Built/Re-Furbished. Note to Eric who has asked to see a photo of the"Re-Bult/ Re-furbished Fred Beesley. If you send me your email, I will send a couple of photos. Thanks to Mr Webber for the use of his Space. c/c/DT

I have been privileged to learn a great deal from following this forum, but that just may be the most interesting and valuable advice yet . . . .

When the market is paying a very large premium for high quality original condition guns, it is a small wonder that there are people out there willing to break the rules to meet that demand.

Dig,

Were the comparative costs for barrels, sleeving, etc. the price to the trade or retail to a "punter"?