I have been buying examples of odd fastening systems used on doubles like under lever, side lever both right an left side, forward and rear wards facing side levers, thumb openers both under and tang types. I am interested in researching the original British patents for these. Is there one or more sources of information for them? Figure it would be nice to have the patent information for them to pass on to the next owner. Heck I just like reading about this kind of stuff.

My current favorite is a 20 bore Pape thumb under lever hammer gun. One sweet gun, which is a pleasure to shoot. 30" nitro proofed Mod and Full barrels. Also a neat Joseph Smith forward facing bar in wood 12 bore hammer gun. Missed high eight with it last weekend for a 25 straight. I understand why that design failed.

The Crudgington Baker 3 book series is a great place to start:

https://www.amazon.com/British-Shotgun-Vol-1-1850-1870/dp/1846891167

Thanks. All three ordered and they do look to be a good start. Has GB put their old patent records in line? If so that would be another source.

Another much larger book series exists on British gun patents and others, I need to add this one to the library:

https://gunandswordcollector.com/product/patents-for-inventions-small-arms/

Great Britain Patent Office
https://books.google.com/books?id=hc46AQAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Other issues are listed

"Patents for Inventions Class 119, Small Arms. Published by Armory , is a group of several books and an index for British Small Arms Patents. Wonderful resource.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Volume-Complete-Set-Patents-For-Inventions-Class-119-Small-Arms-1855-1930/303501880701?epid=118516134&hash=item46aa1f2d7d:g:6QAAAOSwGt9bbtx1

Another reference is Illustrated British Firearms Patents 1714-1853 published by the Winchester Press in 1969.
My copy is available if anyone is interested.
Bill

Daryl, thanks for the suggestion. They accepted my buy it now lower offer and the set is on the way. I also added the first two volumes of The British Shotgun as SKB suggested. Ends up that I already had the third volume on hand. Must have been in a large lot of books I bought out of an estate a few years ago or one I just bought off EBay and not needing it now, just put it into the gun book library.

Most of my interest for now I guess would be in the 1870-1890 era. There seems to have been a never ending stream of alterations, improvement and schemes trying to get around other patents. Most failed, some just were not desired, some were quickly replaced by other new improvements to the design. Trying to sell the latest and greatest, to a limited clientele, year after year must have been one driving force. If you want your regular customer to buy another gun you need to show him how the newer model has improved or addressed some detail lacking in his current gun. If you made perfect light bulbs, which never burned out and were for ever state of the art, you would soon go out of business. But if you had an new and improved version to sell every time your last one burned out or if you had a brighter bulb than the last one you would be around for a long time.

Early British hammerless sidelocks really intrigued me for a long time, some very elegant designs to say the least and a very interesting time frame.

I agree with SKB and find the early developmental actions really interesting. Crudgington and Baker are "must haves". KY John your book series will be wonderful help. It did come with an Index. I hope your set included the index, which is necessary for easy use.