doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Proof date help

Hope I can pin down a date for these proofs, also anyone ever hear of him?

Hi. looks like it was proofed under the Rules of 1925, used until 1954. The left barrel is choked, the right cylinder, or just a touch of choke. The 13 is the bore diameter. If the gun was a true 12b of .729 then it would have been stamped 12. The gun was proofed at the Birmingham Proof House

Alfred Davis had at one time been the manager for J. Blanch shop, thus the "From J. Blanch & Son" Looks like he was in business from 1933 to 1941

As to the date there should be a crossed sword mark. That will give you the date the gun was viewed, i.e. made. For your gun, there should be a letter on top and a number on the bottom of the crossed swords.

Best,

Greg

See crossed sword dating at the bottom of this site
This started in 1921

http://www.shotguns.se/html/uk.html

Good reading

https://www.cornellpubs.com/old-guns/item_desc.php?item_id=3343

Yeah that�s part of my dilemma there are no crossed swords. The 1925 date makes since as he was still in Ilford at that time.

Mike, thanks for those great links! Something to save for future reference. In Browns book, he has him active from 1933 to 41, nice to know he was active prior to then.

Take care!

Greg

Yeah I have a catalog dated 1925 from Ilford and contacted John at IGC and updated his info on the site. I�m going to assume roughly late 20�s as the date as by 1930 he was already started in London proper. Thanks guys!