About double guns or is he just a salesman? After viewing this clip and the mish-mash muddled "history" of Reilly related disinformation (go to 40min 25 seconds) (probably distilled and half-remembered from our article published by Diggory 8 years ago) no he doesn't. And that opinion seems to be held by some UK experts. He seems to read other's articles then regurgitates what he vaguely recalls.
He’s an “influencer.” He’s paid to influence a certain segment of the shooting population, sell guns, destinations and other kit. Some of his stuff is entertaining, but I don’t take him too seriously.
I really don't expect him to know the often complex history of gunmakers and their various models and designs. I'm a Greener guy and I see people muck up the various models and grades all the time, here and elsewhere, but I let it go.
What I do like is that he seems to really appreciate the old guns and the incredible craftsmanship of the gunmakers. If that helps Holt's sell a few guns I'm good with that. His videos are entertaining and I enjoy them.
TGS allows me to see and hear about places and things I can’t afford and will never go to. It’s that other part of the world beyond my reach. If I need researched data about a British maker I turn to Boothroyd. If I want a modern expression of traditional shooting I turn to Carter. He doesn’t appear elitist or pontificating. He looks as if he is enjoying what he does. I envy his youth and vitality and celebrate his entrepreneurial abilities.
You spent a lot of time and effort on Reilly history. Johnny and Simon use available information to them to discuss the guns coming up at the auction. For the main sale they had a 3-4 minute on Charles Gordon’s guns. They just used the information from Donald Dallas’s book on Charles Gordon. It is interesting to see some of the guns up for sale in a video. The videos provide something you may not get from looking at the online catalog.
I watch his Holt's videos. Usually after the auction. But I skip through most of the video just watching the firearms that I'm interested in. SXS mostly. Simon seems to know his stuff. If you think about it there's just too many maker's, models and other stuff to know everything about British gunmaking and to be knowledgeable enough to not use other's work to pass on some knowledge. JMO but I think he used to cover more SXS's than O/U's, his latest videos seem to be going the other way now. And of the O/Us that he's covering by far the most aren't even British made. But, as other's have mentioned he's really trying to sell firearms for Holt's not delve deeply into the history of British firearm maker's unfortunately.
Unless his videos are heavily edited, he seems to know which end the shot comes out. Of course, we know the shooting sequences are heavily edited. His picks off the Holt's gun racks aren't the same as mine, but interesting. By the way, his name is Jonny, not Johnny. Misspelling a person's name is the worst form of disrepect.
The Holt's videos I feel like he is being swayed to comment on the guns he highlights in the video. He does guns that particular will be more of a hard sell. He commented video before last he feels he does not have to feature Purdey's, Holland's and Boss guns as they speak for themselves. So (my opinion) he highlights guns that Nick Holt wants him to as they are ones that are less condition, well known. You may find it hard to believe that some people listen to his sell pitch and maybe bid on that gun because Jonny made so much fuss over it.
Having imported Darne guns for two decades, I can assure you this is, at most, low level “not knowing of that which you speak”, with little to no fraud or malice intended.
There is a Darne on GunsInternational and Gunbroker at the moment that is advertised as higher grade than it is, and, the seller has had that rubbed in his face, by me, as well. His response? Removing the photo of the flats that would document that from his ad.
That right there, is malice, I don’t care who you are.
The thing that struck me about the video, is just how over the whole sport shooting thing really is in the UK. All those doubles, selling for pence instead of pounds, had an owner, and now, they don’t. Some of them won’t sell, and will end up in a scrap metal bin.
I meant no disrespect to Jonny by misspelling his name; I no longer insult people online but if I did, it would be more articulate.
The Reilly box lock featured in the above Simon/Jonny publicity is in fact SN 136527. This was subject of a previous Simon/Jonny video about 5 years ago where they took it out and compared it to one of the London best-makers. Can't find the link for the moment. It is for sale at the upcoming sealed bid auction (below link). https://www.holtsauctioneers.com/as...++7103+&refno=++246065&saletype=
However, the key here is this SN'd gun is not a "Reilly." It is a Rigss production post 1922 made for the trade in Birmingham. Holt's and Simon know this - the dating chart was sent several times. (And I do appreciate Jonny's enthusiasm - he is fun and his talk about guns is infectious if not particularly educational - that is the mark of a good salesman).
Gene Williams
Edit: Jonny has a video about French guns - it's for "members only" but would like to see what he has to say about them - doubt it has merit;
Misspelling a person's name is the worst form of disrepect.
Until this happens to you, you do not understand the truth in Bill's statement. I would add "intentionally", misspelling one's name. There have been several on here who have practiced this when taking exception to my posts, one of which has been noticeably absent for a few weeks.
Even if some of the historical details are wrong Gene, what is wrong with advocating for the shooting sports and double guns. We should thank him, not piss on him because he’s not an expert that meets your standards.
What’s wrong with a little salesmanship.
The world cries out for such: he is needed & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia
Nothing wrong with salesmanship. Selling the history to reinforce the product is an excellent tactic. And his enthusiasm is infectious. Just buy the gun, not the "story." (Unless you are buying a specific historical gun for historical reasons which I have done). And make sure the "story" actually holds water.
[quote=eightbore]Unless his videos are heavily edited, he seems to know which end the shot comes out. Of course, we know the shooting sequences are heavily edited. His picks off the Holt's gun racks aren't the same as mine, but interesting. By the way, his name is Jonny, not Johnny. Misspelling a person's name is the worst form of disrepect.[/quote
With all due respect, if you are going to highlight/correct every spelling mistake or grammatical error on the internet, you are going to be a very busy person. I'm sure the misspelling was not intentionally disrespectful and could have been clarified in a better manner by yourself. I find the videos interesting. Regards
His enthusiasm and broad based knowledge and the desire to learn more sets him apart from those who have neither on YouTube. He is a gunsmith from what I gather. What attracted me to his videos was one of the first I watched wherein he extolled the quality of the Beretta 680 series and its not requiring fitted parts and having readily available replacement parts. He expertly stripped down a 680 series shotgun using a Leatherman tool, removing ejectors, trunnions, trigger, springs--the kitchen sink-- all points of wear--and putting it back together. HIs recent tour of the Blazer rifle factory was informative and entertaining. His personality opens the doors of both American and European gun manufacturers for viewing by all in the comfort of our TV rooms. Gil
His videos are entertaining. I like to look through Holt’s list and hope he shows some of what I like. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he shows something of interest and then I go back to Holt’s and check it out if I missed it the first browse
My perspective is Jonny came along at the right time and is doing the shotgun world a great service.
As the boomers are fading away, so is some aspects of the double gun world. Then along comes a young guy with good looks, a great personality and a fine grasp on producing high quality video productions on just about all aspects of shotguns from manufacturing, competition shooting, hunting, collecting, maintenance of them & so-on.
In this ever-connected video world we're living in, it's refreshing to have & see a guy like Jonny come along. Watching his productions sure beats seeing crazy cat lady's, silly dance videos or AI generated crap.
Jonny is not presenting himself as an expert but rather as an enthusiast with access to great historic guns, modern makers and expert shooters. Criticizing him for not perfectly presenting every historical detail from books and articles that he has read seems pointless and petty.
Jonny's videos are enjoyable and informative, and that is why he has so many viewers.
If the quality and/or standards of a series fails to meet one's expectations perhaps one might be happier not expending the time and energy watching it.
Dr.WtS Mysteries of the Cosmos Unlocked available by subscription Facisti Va Fan Culo
Jonny's videos are fun, interesting and easy to digest and no doubt work for a lot of people. I enjoy them. And actually what he is doing is very much traditional auctioneering advertising. But if he is going to insert a 90 second clip into a video with the history of a maker, then he has the time and resources to get it correct.
In this case Simon and He are discussing SN 136527 with 30 1/4" steel barrels by a "no-name" maker; the video cuts away for 90 seconds of Reilly history where is states "Reilly was not a "no name." All well and good. But if he were going to spend the editing time to do a historical insert, a couple of emails would have made it more understandable.
Here is his Reilly "genealogy" from the video, clearly inaccurate and impossible;; somebody - some editor - made that chart in antiqued faded parchment style with fake photos - Two minutes of emails could have fixed it.
Enjoy the videos - I do - Grateful for a least a mention of Reilly history - a never before seen occurrence; but as I said before, The videos will stir up interest but do your own research.
Gene
And Wanko - I speak Italian. Once up in the "Black" area of Roma (black does not mean race there - it's a shirt color) on Via Cassia, I was standing at a bus stop reading graffiti. One person had written in Italian , "E l'ottavo giorno Dio creò Lazio" (And on the eighth day God created Lazio) (Lazio - football club founded by Mussolini); the response from a Roma fan was "Perché anche Dio deve merde e scoreggiare" (Because even God has to shit and fart).
And if you want to know how italia finally got to throttle the Red-Brigades (Brigate Rosse) i.e. your guys, I'll give you a summary of events after the murder of Aldo Moro in 1978. Ask. Americans were kidnapped and shot down in their cars.
I can see why that would be frustrating. When it comes to details on double guns accuracy really matters and it is easy to spot when something feels off or second-hand. Sometimes people mean well. They end up repeating bits about double guns without fully understanding the context of double guns. It is always worth going to original sources or well-regarded research on double guns when it is possible.
Healthy skepticism is a thing when people are talking about double guns especially when strong opinions about double guns are presented without solid backing, about double guns.
One feels the presence of a Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) aka Split-Personality or Bi-polar disorder in this Ed doppelgänger post. This is the good Ed.
Jonny's videos are fun, interesting and easy to digest and no doubt work for a lot of people. I enjoy them. And actually what he is doing is very much traditional auctioneering advertising. But if he is going to insert a 90 second clip into a video with the history of a maker, then he has the time and resources to get it correct.
I don't disagree with any of that, and perhaps I was being overly critical of the criticism. I was probably reacting to the title of the thread (and the content of some of the posts), which do seem petty and unnecessarily insulting. There is a large gap between seasoned expert and ignorant dumbass who does not 'know anything'. But yes he should have made sure he had his facts straight especially before making a fancy chart.
I may be naive, but I watched the video as an opportunity to see the inside of Holts from a few thousand miles away and didn't really see it primarily as a sales pitch. On the other hand, I did immediately and compulsively bid on every gun they looked at...
His videos are entertaining and He does not pretend to be an expert on SXS shotguns. he gets invites to different gunmakers and attends shoots around the world all because of utube. A pretty good gig if you can get it. I like to see him shoot at places that I could never get in without a truck full of lawnmowers.
I am 84 and no longer into British double guns in any meaningful way, but have had British double guns since the mid '80's. I have followed him for some years and allowing for his omitting some of the mundane details of the trade, really like his videos. Recently I meet him at several shoots in the US and found him to be very approachable and pleasant. In my opinion we need every positive mention of our interest.
I have followed him for some years and allowing for his omitting some of the mundane details of the trade, really like his videos. In my opinion we need every positive mention of our interest.
I enjoyed his video on the 688. I know the gun is a slicked up, modern version of a shotgun that has draw attention to the younger crowd I see on some of the other sights. But showing a new gun on the market is great to me. As is the guns going up for auctions. I always wonder how many times he has to take a shot at a target in his videos to break it- like Bob Munden shooting an aspirin. But like CastnBlast3 said, we need to draw future shooters to the game. I always donated money to the youth groups at my club when I can. But I enjoy watching his videos. I do find myself hollering at him on the TV and telling him to put on some gloves or to stop handling the metal on every gun he picks up by the barrel. He's no Philip Schreier when it comes to that. But all in all I think his videos are entertaining and advertise the guns okay. That is the purpose. 😊
Having imported Darne guns for two decades, I can assure you this is, at most, low level “not knowing of that which you speak”, with little to no fraud or malice intended.
There is a Darne on GunsInternational and Gunbroker at the moment that is advertised as higher grade than it is, and, the seller has had that rubbed in his face, by me, as well. His response? Removing the photo of the flats that would document that from his ad.
That right there, is malice, I don’t care who you are.
The thing that struck me about the video, is just how over the whole sport shooting thing really is in the UK. All those doubles, selling for pence instead of pounds, had an owner, and now, they don’t. Some of them won’t sell, and will end up in a scrap metal bin.
We aren’t there yet. But, it is still concerning.
Best, Ted
It's easy to understand how it came about when you watch a modern British police drama and watch policemen repond to violent crime scenes and then have to call for a "trusted" police team to bring a gun to protect them (and this reflects the reality of the situation). Regular policemen are not even trusted to carry a firearm or protect themselves. That coupled with almost impossible game laws, environmental laws and game access shows, I believe, that sport shooting in the UK, except on private estates, is gone for all practical purposes.
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