doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Greener--what grade is this one (new photo)?

Kerryman: Right you are. FH stood for Facile Princips Hammerless
25,35.50,60,70,etc. stood for the cost in English Guineas. These were often called "The Crown Model". Ejectors were extra. A good reference is Nigel Brown's "English Gunmakers Volume II". Pgs, 100-107.

Best Regards, George

Crown model was FH50 according to cathalog.
If H stands for Hammerless, what F25 hamerless model means in this case?
Looks like H stands for ejector option.

Kerry..I believe it was Guineas too!
Franc

Fellas:

Actually both are correct as it depends on which catalogue you view. In the version for the Chicago Exhibition of 1893, the price is in units of Guineas( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_(British_coin) ). But in the Double Rifle catalogue of 1921 the price is listed as "Price (pound sign)131 5 0", as pounds, schillings and pence??? But the origin of the price in the grade probably defaults to the Guineas.

F is for "Facile Princeps", but Greener notes "This pattern ejector adds from 6 to 8 ozs. to the weight for the F.P. Hammerless Rifles." So is H for "Hammerless" or "Ejector". From this I would say "Hammerless". Also, "Grade R.G.T. 125." is the Greener "Unique" system of ejector. But how does D equate to "Box-lock"?

Would R.F.H.T. be Rifle, Facile Princeps, Hammerless, T??

Falling block actions(Webley & Farquharson) are "Grade U. 40".

Martini actions are "Grade M.V.12."

Then again in the back of the 9th Edition all "Grade F.H. #" are "Fore-end Ejector.


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Kerryman, right you are on the guineas. I'm pretty sure I have D and F nailed as being Deeley and Facile Princeps. The grade is essentially the number (equates to price). Higher the number, higher the price (grade).

I'm still guessing hammerless for H, but I'm not positive. I find reference to an F35, but I also find separate reference to the same gun with ejectors--although it isn't noted as an FH35. Then I also find reference to several grades of DH guns, all of which have auto ejectors. So from that it would appear unclear, hammerless or ejectors.

I'm still not sure about the stock. Check out the checkering pattern on this straight-gripped FH50 @ Griffin & Howe:

http://www.griffinhowe.com/gunpics/Greener%2067156.jpg

The wood on this FH30 looks far more like Juglans Regia:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=95242785

So maybe the Greener @ Cabelas is Juglans Nigra. I'm not sure.

Those sidepanels do look odd, though.

OWD

I have a Greener FH 35 with plain extractors. I have had one with just the "F" prefix (I think 50) that had ejectors. So I really don't know exactly how William Wellington lettered his guns as to ejector & extractor.

Best Regards, George

I'm reluctant to correct anyone (particularly L. Brown!) without "The Book" but I'll stick to the H being for ejector .... Should get it back next week. D is definitely grade, as is F and Greener's top grade is the G.
Raimey, the £131-5-0 is 125 guineas. (£125 + 125 shillings = 125 + 6-5-0 = 131-5-0.) Quaint, old way for professionals to get more for their fees. This side of the pond guineas were last used by lawyers, doctors, etc. I had a student job when decimalisation was introduced (1971)when a co-worker, old guy, used to say "Dem dam demicals has me ruined!"
K.

Kerryman:

Thanks for the great insight. I see that there is a factor of approx. 1.05. But would you oblige me and go thru that funny/fuzzy math again.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Kerryman, your contradiction on D and F could be correct. However, I just went over to Guns International, and every F gun they show is built on the Facile Princeps action--which, fortunately, is very easy to spot. Unfortunately, they don't show any D Greeners. But my DH25 was most definitely an A&D gun, tang safety, auto ejectors. However, I don't have the Greener book and will be interested to see the answer to that one. G certainly denotes a higher grade. But then Greener made some models (Farkiller and Empire probably being the two most commonly seen) that weren't denoted by any letter.