One of my nicest shotguns is a William Evans sidelock originally sold in 1901. Beautiful 30" black & white Damascus barrels, quite a bit of original case colors, lovely figured wood, all furniture covered in attractive, meticulous engraving. With the famous Webley screw grip action, the gun locks up solid , fits me well and shoots wonderfully.
I've never handled an Evans boxlock but I can imagine some of those were crafted to the same high standard. The more time I spend on my vintage gun education the more amazement I have at the realization that there was a plethora of real craftsmen in "the trade" and these guys put their heart and soul in their work, the likes of which will never be seen again.
