This discussion is seeming to have devolved into a back and forth as to whether a boxlock can be a best or must it be a sidelock. A good chunk has been a discussion of workmanship, as it should be.
But quality of material and workmanship aside, what inherent characteristics of either type make them better or worse for what they are designed to do...fire a load of shot down a barrel. I'm thinking reliability, trigger feel, weight distribution as it may affect handling, anything about the design, not the specific execution on a specific gun.
It strikes me, neophyte that I am, that the sidelock/boxlock discussion is very much like the London/other discussion. While London may have been the centre of the universe for high quality guns and their use of the sidelock to denote best gun status has been widely acknowledged, these seem to be issues of branding and marketing, not of fundamentally superior design or levels of workmanship that could not have been done elsewhere.
Dig, I would say you accomplished your intent...those guns are interesting and I suspect most of us are glad you posted the photos.
