doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com English Boxlock Receiver Question.

This is in regard to the shape of the rear side of the receiver. Typically, in guns such as W&S and most others, the rear is a straight perpendicular line. Others feature a scalloped edge, with a "point", or "hump" in the metal. I'm specifically referring to pre-WWI Vintage doubles. Here's the question:

Anyone familiar with an English Maker who used a receiver with a half-moon crescent at the rear? Similar to the shape of the German post-WWII guns such as those that came out of the Ernst Thalmann Works?

Thanks
Ken

Jeffery sold a model that they sold with the half moon crescent. The thing about the English trade is that actions, barrels etc could be bought in just about any state of finish you wished from fully finished guns to raw forgings. The crescent shape is a very easy feature to add to an action at any point before it is hardened. Any pictures of the gun you are working on Ken?

Thanks, but I don't have a gun, it's a general research question as I've seen a gun with that feature.

Would you say that is was a common shape available within the Trade? I just haven't seen English guns I can recall with that shape, but my knowledge is obviously limited.

Regards
Ken

I would not really call it common in my experience. I did re-stock one with that shape several years ago(still have the pattern). I have seen many more with the typical fancy back style you mentioned in your first post. This is another style that I have only seen Jeffery market.

http://www.willoughbymccabe.com/imagesDB/WJ%20JEFFERY%20010609%20001_1.jpg

Thanks for the info. WJ Jeffrey pics appear to be a match.

Regards
Ken

was n't it Leonard? thought they made for jeffrey
franc

Although most W&S boxlocks had straight-backed receivers, both the Reliance and the Model 500 had the half moon crescent you describe.

Thanks Larry,

The W&S Model 500 pic I found was a match. This makes more sense to me than WJ Jeffery actually making the gun, they may even have bought it "in the white" and finished it.

Thanks Franc,

Happen to know of any pics of H Leonard & Co guns? I've also found references of D Leonard & Sons making rifles for Jeffrey.

I've also found a citation stating John Saunders made shotguns for Jeffrey.

There's opinions out there that Jeffrey made few, if any, of his own guns.

From all this, it seems apparent that the crescent-shaped action was, at least at one time, available "from the trade", possibly from one of the forging companies serving the Wolverhampton area firms. It doesn't look like it was limited to only one manufacturer. However, W&S seems the most likely.

Sound reasonable?

Regards
Ken

I would say that at one time or another most British Gunmakers produced guns with scalloped backs usually a single but some double scalloped as well as scroll backs .Webley did both to order ,Westley ,it was known as Westley scroll, did many of theirs as did Greener .There were variations and house styles but these tended to be on earlier guns in my experience .

I'm probably mistaken, but I think Steve was showing the link of a uniquely Jeffery gun, and not one of the trade guns that they outsourced. The side clips and the shape around the fences extending to the top lever may be an in house look.