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

I will be glad to do that...I am anxious to give it the once over and see what else I can find on the barrels and elsewhere...I will also look at the locks and see what I can find on those on the inside....I will also take much better pictures since the engraving looks blurred in the cabelas pictures.

Condor, I have never noted a barrel set I believed to be Woodward fabricated that was not marked "J.W&S" immediately in front of the barrel flats on each tube. This includes a JUL steel barreled rifle ca. 1879, a steel barreleled top lever hammer gun ca. 1884, and 3 "The Automatic" SLE's through 1898. Excluded would be guns made for JW in Birmingham. Your barrels appear to have a Birmingham mark similar to the one on a JW marked and retailed Webley & Scott Proprietary BLE of ca. 1911 manufacture.

Your gun could have had damascus barrels, but I very much doubt it. 'Ole JW was quick to convert to steel barrels.

DDA

Interesting about Dig's speculation re striking the barrel flats smooth prior to reproof. If they're original, that's what would have had to happen. Proof laws changed in 1887, and the original proof would have required a 12 as bore size (in addition to the 12 over C in a diamond) on the flats.

Rocket...I agree.....I have just looked at a similar gun on the archives of James Julia.....the barrels do indeed have the J.W& S on each barrel and small type Whitworth steel beneath. The serial numbers are larger type and on both barrels. as I indicated, I will provide as much info once I see the gun to get to the bottom, if possible about the genesis of the barrels....anxious to shoot it anyway.

Just to do some further research , it appears that the dates if the order of the Gun put it more in line with the 12th Earl....who probably went broke because he was into horse racing...I have looked in several books on Driven shooting and his name does not come up except a female party goer at that time.

Old gun re- barrelled , Birmingham proof . I would suggest that at the time the work was done, a lot of people did not bother which Proof House it was sent to so it could have been done in Birmingham or by some one out side in the so called provinces.
As it appears to be a non ejector it would not have been worth sending back to the makers [Purdey]and had it been so they would have marked the barrels as having been made by Purdey of which I have seen several examples .

Condor,
As previously stated I see no sign of any London Proof marks on the Barrels.Another significant factor is that the " Wheat Sheaf "trade mark on barrels made by Sir J. Whitworth process are absent.[IE; buyers paid a significant premium for Whitworth barrels and expected to see evidence that they got what they paid for]. I believe the barrels are replacement made and fitted in Birmingham. This is most likely the reason that some enterprising gun maker did not at some time in the past, purchase the gun and convert it to ejectors; net result financial gain!
This said, the barrels should perform well,unfortunately the collector value is reduced because of the replacement barrels.

The gun will arrive on Wednesday and I will post some pictures or any close ups...I am not a collector so I am getting the drift that having talked Cabelas down to $7,000......that the gun is not worth that price from the last two posts. I am seeing sleeved guns selling at about 2 or 3 grand more. I have a 3 day inspection so can send it back, but is there anything more negative about it and what are the positive attributes if any...thanks for your candor. It is very helpful.

New barrels fitted to the gun are worth more than sleeved. If I recall correctly, I paid close to $7,000 several years back for a sleeved Purdey 16ga B Quality extractor gun. It still had the original maker's case. Didn't lose any money when I sold it. Just by way of comparison.

I have followed this discussion with interest mainly because I have a nice back lock, under lever double by T. Woodward that has newer replacement barrels.
So not being very "what it costs conscious" What would be the cost of new barrels v sleeved - approximately that is? No doubt by who would also influence the costs.
Just for interest sake it has Nitro Proof Shot 1oz Max M with a stroke under it. Have a few pics. if someone wants to see - need your Email. --- John

I'd not worry about the new barrels, if they are decent quality, if they look right on the gun and the whole thing feels and looks like you want to shoot it and own it. Have a proper look at the gun when it is in your hands, photos are very unreliable. $7,000 is not a lot of money for a best quality sidelock in decent shootable condition - even with new barrels by someone else. See how sharp the action angles and edges are, if the engraving is well defined and the wood fits well and looks comfortable.