Joe;
I have not learned how to search for British patents. If someone can clue us in on this would be most oblidged. The patent Mr Crawford gave me for Matthews is # 2441 of 1863. I simply had no reason to doubt either the date or the patentee. I had sent Mr Crawford pictures of the gun, so he knew what the lever looked like when he said it was a Matthews patent. This gun also has the customers name engraved upon the rib & Louisville KY. I purchased it from a Louisville collector who had tried to research the name in Louisville. All he was ever able to find was he had a buisness license for a jewlery store within the time frame this gun was built. Nothing about it rings a "Wrong Bell". I am pure & simply convinced Purdey "Did Not" build the first double to utilize a top lever with a sliding underbolt. Who did I do not know, but have seen nothing to indicate Purdey was using a top lever as early as this gun.
