I have one and like it but it is a best quality Alex. Henry sidelock double rifle. What is not to like on one of those?
What patent are you looking at? The actions can be built very slim due to the lack of space required for cocking dogs and be made up quite nice.
They are old.
Few repair experts, which you'll eventually need.
They show up at auctions worn to the point of sanity.
Many have had their barrels lapped to vapor.
All of which because they are old.
They are old.
Few repair experts, which you'll eventually need.
They show up at auctions worn to the point of sanity.
Many have had their barrels lapped to vapor.
All of which because they are old.
When I see a gun worm as you describe I think of two things. That was a gun the owner truly loved to shoot and one which lasted a very long time under a steady stream of use. Consider if the gun was not one he liked, it would be a closet queen, with little or no wear. Same if it did not work well. I hate using any gun which I don’t have total confidence in its function.
Myself, I want a pair of MacNaughton's for shooting red grouse.
They are hard to come by used in any reasonable shooting condition.
Auction after auction they rise from someone's cellar.
1 in 4 is ready to go shooting.
It's a balance when evaluating old, well used, well cared for, guns.
I just live by the tape. I might be interested in their story, but I don't want any more old guns with expensive problems.
There's a leap of faith necessary when you can't be there to evaluate them. Dig wisely cautioned me off several.
So, circling back to the pop's question,
They are old, and it might take a bit for your loader to get familiar with one.
I have two. One a Macnaughton skeleton and the other a Sumner built around a Scott back action Both are elegant guns to shoot and well balanced. Mechanically both are fine. I had the lever spring replaced in the Sumner and it was no problem for the smith. As for those who are shying away because they are old ... all my sxs are over a 100 years old. I’d certainly buy another if I found one but these are the only 2 I’ve seen in W Canada
Not A SXS but a lever cocker nevertheless is the Swedish Flodman.
You just have to push the lever a long way across .