Does anyone know of a reference showing when a patent-use-number might have been assigned to an Anson & Deeley boxlock?
I'm referring to the number stamped on the action flats under the left barrel and marked "Anson & Deeley's Patent XXXX" I'm looking to know if I can tell when a particular gun with made using this PUN marking.
Were ranges assigned in blocks to different makers, of did they all work with Westley Richards to have a number assigned to their specific gun in question?
For reference, I'm looking at a piece with a patent use number of 58XX. I've seen some other guns with higher numbers suggesting the gun I'm researching was pre-1893, if the numbers were done sequentially across all makers. Proofs on the gun are pre-nitro.
Thank you,
Chris
