I recently received this gun from a friend. Looking at it is similar to opening the back of a nice pocket watch and looking inside.

Sometimes they were sold with spare locks, probably so you didn’t have to work so hard by taking it apart to enjoy the view.

Best,
Ted

Ted, I remember seeing these guns with spare locks. Never had an opportunity to afford one at the time. Also, saw a very nice one with the locks missing. Taking the locks out is done in less than a minute with no tools.

I would think fairly reliable, stout parts, simple v spring.

It was sort of a joke, Daryl, goes along with the Purdey guy not caring how hard his gun was to close, as he didn’t close it.

Best,
Ted

I love drop locks and trigger plate actions.

Ted, I thought you were kidding, but some don’t know about these things. As I recall, most of the guns I have seen with spare locks were double rifles. They also used the droplock design in their Ovundo over/under.

I hope you have as much fun with that gun as I did Daryl! It’s a great gun that isn’t so nice you feel bad about taking it hunting.

Daryl: Thanks for sharing that. What a wonderful gun--and fantastic photos. Gil

It is identical to my Droplock built in 1911. Mine is missing the barrels. The price quoted to rebarrel it is more than a decent new car. So I keep it as a barrel-less curio.

Shotgunlover, I do wish that you can complete your gun someday. Someone felt my gun important enough to have the renowned gunsmith, I. M. Crudgington , rebarrel the gun . Mr. Crudgington, along with Mr. Baker, was an author of the valuable three volume set of British Shotgun. I enjoy looking at Mr. Crudgington's work as much as looking inside the gun.

Darryl,

The cost, around ten thou, is the primary inhibiting factor. I considered a high tech approach after seeing the capabilities of CAD and 3D scanning on Jay Lenno's garage. And using 3D printing to build a working SXS prototype of my own action.

I am pondering whether a 3D scan of the action body would yield sufficient data to build a monobloc and then into that fit Boehler Super Blitz tubes. I have visions of a ribless setup with a detachable sunken top rib in carbon fiber. Asking around I found that such a high tech approach is nowhere near as costly as a dovetail barrrel set made in England.

The approach is unorthodox, heretical to some. For me monobloc is fine, I do not mind the visible joint at all, and ribs, well my views on those have been often posted.

I suppose that soon your idea , or something similar, will be available. I think my barrels are from the 1960s. My gun is number 2 of 2. Maybe you have #1.

This is one of those that was just so nicely done, it was a shame, but I traded it off for something else I wanted and I don't even remember what that was. It is a Westley Richards 10 bore with massive barrels and frame, probably built on an 8 gauge frame. It weighed 12 1/2 pounds. It had Kilby barrels and Stanton sidelocks. The sidelocks were like the ones pictured earlier on this thread, jeweled, polished and all the screw heads were aligned.