Hi guys. I was not feeling very well but I bought myself a first class train ticket and someone picked me up the other end (Mike, my checkering mate) and I got to the proof house.

I had been invited for the work I'd done on behalf of the gun quarter (setting up the petition and facebook sites and liasing with the council etc) so it was a really nice gesture to be invited for a VIP visit.

It was an amazing trip. I had to sit and ask for water mid way through but I got there and I learnt so much! Here are some pictures and a bit of dialogue about what they are about. Hope it is of interest for people!

Cheers
Tony

This is a set of photos of the proof masters since 1813.


Here we all are discussing and preparing for our trip around starting in the Guardians room.


The old testing room. Amazing. The barrels would be lined up on the right of the pictures, powder run along the back of the barrels and ignited..Each gun would then fire, boom, boom, boom...into the sand on the other side.


The modern day trap now in use.


The other side, where the barrels are place to fire.


One of the prep rooms. Here, a bunch of Turkish guns (Hatsen autos) are being built ready for new proof for sale into the UK market.


Outside the firing rooms.


Special loaded proof loads for 12 gauge!


More of them.


An amazing piece of art made from bayonets, hammers, ramrods etc!

An amazing, tiny cartridge made for a king, our king. The next picture is the text explaining why it was made!




The Guardian room again.
http://www.vintageshotgun.com/-content/gallery/proof-house-visit/dsc05962.jpg

An old Chronograph, now superseded.

Thank you for sharing Tony........

God Bless,

Great stuff, Tony. Thanks so much for sharing these pics of a place that most of us will never have the opportunity to see.

Phil

P.S. Hope you're feeling better soon.

Great post and more interesting pictures of the Proof House. Keep them coming and we will keep you in our prayers. Jon

Fascinating.

Be well...

Thanks Tony,very interesting. I'm fighting the same battle as you are.So keep at it.Prayers are with you. rr

What a wonderful opportunity, not to mention the honor of being invited there. I know it took a lot to make the trip - you showed 'em what it takes to be a REAL V.I.P!

Many Thanks for sharing the trip with us; the photos really captured the history oozing from all that old wood and brick. Fantastic stuff. Even loved the High-Tech "modern day trap" set-up!

Your strength is testimony of your spirit. Thinking about you every day. Well, maybe not EVERY day, but a lot of them. I mean, we've both got wives for Godssake!

Keep on fighting, Champ.

Thanks Tony. I bet the tour was fascinating. Did you happen to get a pic of the assembly as they rig it to fire?

Thanks for those pics Tony, very interesting, get well soon, best, Mike

Tony, great photos. Nice to see where my Ilsley visited more than 80 years ago. Best, Gil

Very nice, Tony. Thanks much for the post!

Good photos. A place well worth the visit. They will take around parties of up to 10 and it is not expensive to visit. Each time they will be doing different things so don't just stop at the one visit. Lagopus.....

Tony,
this is a wonderful post, as are all yours, thanks a lot! I wish you all the best.

Awesome, what a great insight!

Good to see you out and about! Great photos.


Jim

Great call, GLS. I was enjoying looking at the pictures so much I never even gave a thought about all the guns reposed in the corner of the room.

Going through the pictures again after reading your post gave a whole other dimension to the experience, being aware of the guns that were indeed tested there in the past.