I'll start
Heiser Satchel.
Wanted one for a very long time.

Chicago made, top quality Red Head. 32" barrel length, two barrel set capability, solid brass furniture. Home to my Parker DHE 16/20 (32").

I have restored many cases over the years though there was one I just could not afford to purchase at the time I squired the gun in my early twenties. It took nearly fifty years to come across another for sale though it would have been better scraped, but I ignored all the voices in my head saying no and donning a pair of Rose tinted glasses I spent a ludicrous amount of cash on this case disaster. In short the Leather and Oak case was built sometime around the 1850's and slowly destroyed from then. The not so common thing about the case was firstly it was black leather not the usual brown, not at all common the oak case its self was exceedingly thick making it very heavy without a gun inside. They do say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I have posted some from beginning to end of its restoration.

Damascus;

Your case restoration craftsmanship is spectacular ----Thank you for showing us this beauty. But of course such a special hammer gun needs a resting place worth of it.

Would you please give us the details of it and it's history. Did you restock it?

Stephen Howell

I had one like that. Embossed with Abercrombie and Fitch and serial numbered as well. But I didn’t have the right gun fir it so I sold it. Now have the right gun. Always the way.

There was a Purdey single gun motor case on Ebay earlier this year, looked like recent production. Didn't need any work, fit my gun. Lost out at a ridiculously low price, under $1K if memory serves.

Maybe just get one of Jeff's and a label...

Bushveld. I did write the guns history for a sporting magazine here in the UK, though it is rather long due to the first owner's many episodes some good some scandalous, all mixed up with Victorian upper class goings on, horse racing the Epsom Derby vast amounts of money well the guns first owner did have Purdey build him a set of 4 this being the number 1 from the vast amount of winnings.Oh I nearly forgot the politics and the Book with all the juicy details was banned here though I did get a copy from your side of the pond. The first owner was a commoner becoming a Viscount being involved in the largest Victorian scandle ever. All extremely interesting including the US winning horse connection but a little to long for here I feel, not telling the whole story would not do it justice.

Damascus,
Would I be correct in assuming you are referring to Viscount Chaplin and the horse Hermit?

If so, I have the 1859 Lang 16 bore hammer gun that belonged to the Marquis of Hastings who was the ‘guilty party’ on the other side of that scandal!

Small world.

Best Lond

Damascus and Lond;

You gentlemen gave me enough information to search the web and find the story of this horse racing and lovers scandal (if indeed, this is the "Victorian scandal you speak of). You cannot make such an episode up even if you were a Hemmingway or a Tennessee Williams.

I do not know how many USA dollars today would be equal to the loss of UK Pounds 100,000 at a horse race in that day, but it would be millions.

Kindest Regards;

Stephen Howell

I have a Westly Richards two gun case in about the same condition as Damascus before picture it's very heavy even empty

Hey Bob, that Heiser satchel case is pretty nice. Not very common.

Here's a pretty neat gun case I have.

I got the gun without a case about 8 years ago.

The gun is a H & H 12 gauge hammer gun with straight grip and 30 inch nitro steel barrels. Gun is serial numbered 21796.

I got the empty case a couple years ago here in the classified's. And luckily, made for a H&H straight grip hammer gun with 30 inch barrels. Case is for gun serial numbered earlier, 10501.

Perfect fit and they look great together.









[b][/b]

.

And Stephen this is why it's not good for your parents to be brother and sister.

Lond you are quite correct I was talking about the guns owner Henry Chaplin as he was then. I did a lot of research about the 1867 Derby held on May 22nd in a large hail storm, with the odds of 1000 to fifteen approximately 66 to 1 against Hermit winning which he did. As far as can be ascertained the betting was as follows :- Hastings £120.000 against hermit winning today about three Million. Henry Chaplin bet for the hermit to win £100 . 000 today about 2 . 85 Million. I found not all of the information was on the net I had to search a lot of newspapers and archives here and abroad. I have posted some pictures of the main characters in the saga and Hermit. At the start of my research I was set very much against against Hastings but then softened because of that very old quote "all is fair in love and war" and his final words before he died "Hermit broke my heart but I did not let it show did I?"






Hastings




Florence Paget known as the "Pocket Venus"




Hastings and new wife at home




Hermit oil painting

I think those trousers where a fashion item in the 1850 s, also the newspaper photos are rather poor I did not realized until after I posted please put it down to eye site problem. I do wish this site would get with the current times and do its own image hosting.

My Purdey double case is way too heavy to be practical and was made for a pair of his and her 28" guns. It is a very elegant case, and in high condition. I purchased this case, which held a pair of new Model 21s, 12 and 20, for $1000 in 1965. I thought it was a reasonable buy, even in 1965. The seller placed an ad in the Washington Post classifieds, and my dad and I drove about 20 miles to look at the guns. We had them home about three hours after we read the ad. I guess this is my favorite case.

I like cases and holsters made be Heiser in CO. hands down top shelf goods-from another era.

A most curious mahogany case, full of original accessories. The top gun is a Joseph Manton with it's original barrels. The lower gun is by John Krider, made to fit the Manton barrels. It is difficult to figure out why two sets of stocks and receivers and one set of barrels which perfectly fit each receiver. The case contained Krider sourced accessories including a powder flask marked with the name of a Mr. Duncan and dated in the late 1870s as I recall. The case is also marked in brass with Mr. Duncan's name.



The Krider made stocks and locks


The Manton stock and locks

Daryl,
It’s pretty obvious Mr. Krider knew what he was doing! Wow. It’s probably sacrilege to say this….but I prefer the Krider work to the Manton work on this gun! 😳. What a fantastic gun.

Me too, Dustin. The hammers are more elegant, the lock plate follows form of the panel beneath, rather than vice versa, the wrist checkering is finely done (I'd like to see all of it!), and the shape of the trigger guard is also much more elegant, IMHO.

The Manton stock and lock is very nice for its time, but the Krider addition is near new condition, even at near 150 years old.

My nicest, a Purdey 16 case with all the toys, my favorite, a Gunn fleece lined breakdown case, of which I have three and wish it were fourteen.

Regrets, that I am TDY right now and cannot take and post pictures.

Bob those old leather buggy cases are cOOl looking.....

(look at cOOl bOb with his clapped out buggy case)

When I think practical gun case I think Mulholland.

Stephen I did not restock the gun myself because at the time I did not have the skill set to tackle one of the most difficult wood bar guns to restock even at my best I feel that I would hesitate to take it on. It is another story in its self but to cut it short it took me approximately three years to save the cash for the work, it was done in Birmingham by a Purdey out worker due to retire. I handed him all the money for the work (naivety of youth) I did get a lot of doom and gloom from work colleagues with "that is the last you will see of that my son" nine months later I returned to Birmingham this time to his home to collect the gun. Over the years I have been told many times that it is the finest restock job on a Purdey they have ever seen, so that time faith in human nature paid off.

Those old cases are nice....just not practical for transport any more.

Back in the day Porters had respect for peoples property in this day and time they would relish destroying a wood n leather case.

They have no practical use for gun storage either....all they have going for them is gun club cOOl factor.

Here comes ol' cOOl bOb with his weird gun case.

Damascus;

That is a wonderful story of faith and confidence in a craftsman and the craftsman's goal and zeal to do what "he said he was going to do, when he said he was going to do it"---old school honesty and diligence. your photos did not show all the areas of the fit of the stock, but I could see enough to know it was beautiful work, and if said that you had stocked it, I wanted to know how you learned such skills.

Speaking of Birmingham based stockers, have you ever met the outstanding stocker in Birmingham's Price Street, Malcolm Cruxton? I first met him back in 2002 when he allowed me to come into his shop and talk about the Birmingham gun trade.

Stephen Howell

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." ----John Keats

Stephen Howell

jOe. You seem to be extremely dictatorial about the practical use of wood and leather or box cases in general, in fact you are wrong on a number of counts. you do not think that gun makers supplied guns in box cases so that they could fix their trade label's in no matter how fancy they are, the answer to this is NO! Box cases where and are a very practical deterrent to a guns worst enemy damp and the Brit Maritime climate in some coastal areas there can be more water in the air than in the local reservoir. It is still true if you keep guns standing in a cabinet without taking constant precautions to keep damp away from them, because every time you open the cabinet door they all get a drink of water. It is far easier to keep the inside of of a box case dry rather than a whole gun cabinet, just so you know the traditional gun case dryer was Rice this being a good moisture absorb er then it was put in a hot place to dry out and then re used of course today we use "Silica Gel" to do the same thing. So jOe all my guns a tucked up snugly and damp free in there individual box cases some with and others without their makers trade label and a goodly helping of "Silica Gel". The heavy stout cases where also made that way to protect the gun from poor handling porters of all trades have not changed their spots in the last hundred years they still drop things you know, the case my end up in not so good shape but with a little luck the gun will be un damaged that is why Victorian cases have large heavily cast Brass corner protectors, we drive mostly smaller cars on this side of the pond get rear ended with an expensive gun in your boot (trunk to you) you could be looking at an extremely expensive outcome to make things good again. As for what people think about the guns case and those at the club I do not give a sh1t !!!! My gun my my gun case my property to do with as I please. Finally not every person lives in a desert do they so box cases still have their uses and not being altogether eye candy.

My favorite case at the moment, Lancaster smooth rifle with some nice bits in the case.

I like this case but it seems to be a copy of the London best case like Damascus posted. Anyone know who made these? It’s real leather but inside isn’t as nice as a 1910 London case? I have one of those also but no proper gun for the London case.




Inside is much cheaper than these

This is one of my favorite cases. It fits a Horton 16 bore with 28 inch barrels Cyl/full weighing 5 lbs. 10 oz. Note the leather pouch with all accessories, essentially unused. Horton beautifully finished these guns. What a little time capsule!

The Horton label is a piece of art!

Ken

Bob. Thought I would also mention. You have closed that case incorrectly although by doing so you are showing clearly how all the flaps are.

Once you put the gun in, you fold in the two end flaps and then you close the top and bottom flap. A much neater closure and case results.

Sellers pictures.
I’ll have the case Monday.

It'll look good in your buggy.

Pretty much everything looks good in my buggy



By the way, I like your new hat

That buggy be looking good with some twinkie two rims.

That's a nice case if'n you be staying in an partment complex....that way the brOthers won't know what you be toting inside it specially if you be wearing yo pants low in azz.

I specially like the way you got it jAcked up on one side with the hydraulics...cOOl

Even Ted. If you tint those front windows.


____________________________
No one is going to mention the park job?

Window tint, twanky rims, fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view, a pair of cojones hangin from the back hitch, hydraulic lifts, and that fancy ass folding gun case….’ol Bob be riding high on the hog, for sure.

Living the High life.....