I know there were thousands of gunmakers in Great Britain, but it's the first time the Google doesn't come up with any positive information about someone who was called William Ford and supposedly made guns (see link http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/000962/962903.jpg ) Gentlemen, what can you say about this gun and its maker? Thanks in advance!

Very well known Birmingham gunmaker, lots of recorded history.If you don't get any posted I'll look up my data.Busy at the moment out shooting.Very little spare time.
He was a superb barrel maker.

Ford was a heavy duty gunmaker - pigeon 'n fowl.

It looks like a Scott action with the crystal cocking indicators...but that's definitly not my field of expertise

Here are a pair of William Ford boxlocks in a Westley Richards case.

Hello from England I have a Liege side plated side by side with spare pair of barrels by William Ford someone must have loved the old gun.

I have a Turner with a spare set of barrels by Ford. He is known primarily for his barrels but did make/sell guns.

He was indeed primarily a barrel maker working for WW Greener in Birmingham. He was involved in some of Greeners winning guns in the trials set up by the Field magazine in 1875 (in Gt. Britain) and later for Lincoln Jeffries' guns. It seems I have seen a very limited number of complete guns by Wm. Ford. I have serial numbers and addresses if you want it (courtesy of N. Brown)

Thank you very much, gentlemen

gil russel - that's a very kind offer, I might abuse your generosity some time later

the william ford is an antique gun . there are only 6 pieces in the world and i have one of them.
If any one interested can contact me
narsa_bhabha@yahoo.com [img]http://talks.guns.ru/forums/icons/forum_pictures/000962/962903.jpg )[/img]

narsa

W.M. Scott and T. Baker’s patent No. 761/1878 produced by W. & C. Scott, you can try and pull up US patent No. 210,436 on google patents. Take note of fig. I and II as they were the first version of four or five versions.


I have seen atleast 5 other gunmakers use this action as well.

Vintage doubles has an early John Rigby built on this action.
Willam golden as seen in Boothroyds "shotguns and Gunsmiths"
Cogswell and Harrison
John blanch
Holland and Holland "Climax safety hammerless"

If you can, dis assemble the gun and see if there are any Scott trademarks present on the flats. the engraving style is reminiscent of the best quality back action Scott Premier Imperial.

see this
http://www.gunsinternational.com/W-C-Scott-Premier-Extra-Special-12-ga-.cfm?gun_id=100107841

H&H

I saw pair of the Best heavy waterfowlers by Ford the other say, nice guns. But engraving was a bit simple to my taste.

Huh?

I believe Ford was a serious proponent of heavy chamberless 12's
that were overbored to 11 gauge and used long thin brass cases and serious loads of heavy shot. The golden age of big bore guns. The man knew his stuff.....

It is not known when or where William Ford established his business. He came to prominence in 1875 and 1879 as a barrel maker when he won awards at the "Field" gun trials (he bored barrels for W W Greener in 1875 and Lincoln Jeffries in 1879).

There are reports that the firm occupied premises at 14 Whittall Street in about 1879, but this has not been confirmed.

Reportedly, it was in 1883 that William Ford introduced his "Eclipse" light weight shotgun (some say this was introduced in 1887 and this date may be correct). This gun weighed 4lbs and used 1oz of shot (some say it weighed 5lbs).

In 1884 the firm was recorded at 4a (or 4 1/2) Weaman Row, St Mary's, Birmingham. In 1885 they moved to the "Eclipse Works", 23 Loveday Street. In 1885 the firm widened their sphere of activities into the manufacture of barrelled actions.

In 1887 the firm was granted patent No. 8841 for a cocking and ejector mechanism, this was followed by two further patents for similar mechanisms in 1888 (Nos. 2622 and 9348). This was when they commenced trading as gunmakers, selling retail as well as to the trade.

In 1889 the firm moved to 15 St Mary's Row, which they also called the Eclipse Gun Works. In about 1900 a company named Birmingham Gun & Cycle Co occupied part of 15 St Mary's Row, this may have been formed by William Ford to use spare capacity in his gun manufacturing business, it appears to have been replaced in about 1920 by Birmingham Gun Co. From 1906, workshops at the back of 15 St Mary's Row were occupied by Charles Chambers who did work for William Ford, an association that was to last until after the Second World War.

In 1890 William Ford patented his Try-Gun, the first of its kind. By this time the firm had opened shooting grounds at Small Heath in Birmingham and at Clayton in Manchester, and advertised their proficiency in gun fitting.

In 1898 the firm moved to 4 Price Street but they retained the 15 St Mary's Row premises. The Price Street premises appear to have been used up to 1948 amongst other things, for cartridge manufacture, they were retained until 1953.

In 1909 William Ford died and his son, A F Ford took over the business.

A F Ford died in 1946.

Reportedly, the firm changed its name to William Ford & Co but this has not been confirmed.

In 1951 the firm moved its principal office back to 15 St Mary's Row.

In 1953 the firm amalgamated with James Carr & Sons, and in 1954 they became a limited company, William Ford Ltd, but James Carr & Sons appears to have continued trading under their own name. In 1955 William Ford Ltd moved to Carr's premises at 10 & 11 St Mary's Row. These premises were also occupied by Thomas Yates, William Woodward and Henry Morris.

In 1964 re-development of St Mary's Row caused a move to 96 Potters Hill, Aston, Birmingham. A further move in 1972 to 352 Moseley Road was caused by development.

In February 1991 the company, then managed by Alan Thornton who wanted to retire, was taken over by Bailons Gunmakers Ltd which was owned by Sir Malcolm Guthrie Bt. Both firms closed in 1993.

B J Horton Corcoran was employed by the firm when Alan Thornton managed it, he went on to buy the firm of Daniel Fraser and establish a business under the name of B J Horton in Cromarty, Scotland.

The firm sold cartridges under the names the "Pheasant", the "Eclipse", the "Fleet" and the "Ignition Tube".

From about 1885 the firm often used a trade-mark of a solar eclipse.

Pete

William Ford guns appear regularly. As a barrel specialist he also re-barrelled a lot of guns. I had a Westley Richards with and interesting extra set of barrels by Ford, which were 24 1/4 inches long, with a humped rib.

There is a William Ford hammer gun in Holt's next sale in 32 bore, cased and beautiful and very tiny. I don't know how to post photos here so I'll put one on the Auction News page of my website.

The back action sidelock in the original photo looks very worn and soft but was clearly a very good quality gun in its day. Engraving is very unusual and could have been made for an overseas order.

As with Smallbore I see quite a few Ford guns and have a W.Richards; formerly a double .450 rifle, that has been rebored to 20 bore shotgun by William Ford.

Smallbore, that 32 bore would be interesting but my gun fund is a bit low at the moment. Question that you might know the answer to; Holts recently sold the name and rights to the gunmaker G.E.Lewis. Any idea who now has them? Only I have a double 24 bore Lewis that I would like to know a bit more about. Lagopus.....