British and European hardware stores and provincial gun shops were also supplied with low grade guns in set dimensions and with minimal finish or engraving, to be used by farmers as tools. A variety of grades fulfilled this need - old gun factory catalogues illustrate them well and price them too.
Small bore: I own a 12b Charles Hellis, 'The Reliable'. This gun is a boxlock with only border engraving. Is this piece an example of a farmer grade or hardware store gun that England would have produced? How can one tell a farmer or hardware grade from a gamekeeper's grade, if indeed there is such distinction? This particular Hellis gun is very well made and the internals are robust and finished to a high level. If this gun is a farmer grade, in my opinion it far surpasses the hardware/farmer grade produced in America, such as a Stevens SxS. (addendum: I just looked at this gun and it actually has NO engraving....I was mistaken when I said it was border engraved).
