Hey, I guess my original question was do you guys see any difference in quality, engraving, fit, finish in pre-war guns versus ones made between the two wars.
All I have heard is that was the best years for English gunmaking.
I am told English Best Guns are all judged by those made during that time.
I have owned two pre WW1 Purdeys, one made 1902 and the other early 1880's, a Hussey made 1915, a Grant made in 1911.
I know have an Atkinmade in 1924 and a Purdey made in 1929.
As far as I can tell I can not see any better quality in the newer guns than the older guns. In fact I have see many guns made pre WW1 that were engraved more ornately and looked fantastic.
I think someone mentioned better steel available, generally speaking, between the wars. That's something you would not see.
Re PH's in Africa and the guns they used . . . most of the places in Africa where sporting safaris became fairly big business were former British colonies, or ones that had been German and became British after WWI (like Tanganyika). And many of the PH's were Brits. Hence, the dangerous game double rifles were provided by British gunmakers. You also had a lot of British military officers and civil servants in the colonial govts serving in those colonies, and many of them were hunters. Safaris in Africa weren't all that popular with Americans, for example, until Teddy Roosevelt went and wrote books about his experiences. Similarly, if you were to ask what's the best rifle for dangerous game in Alaska (brown and polar bears), the answer would almost certainly be something American-made, because most of the guides who work there and their clients are Americans.
All that being said about dangerous game rifles . . . Jim Corbett and "Karamojo" Bell did quite well shooting man-eating tigers and leopards, and elephants (respectively), using rifles of less than .300 caliber.
