doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com W. Greener 10 ga.

I thought I would post this here to get some thoughts. I picked this one up awhile back. I don't collect shotguns but I couldn't pass it up...even though I had no idea what it was when I got it. I could just tell that it was well made...English...old....and cool. According to my research W. Greener was a pretty amazing guy. I haven't bought any of his books because I don't collect these guns and they are all pretty expensive. I did e-mail the current Greener who was very polite in answering some of my questions. According to the serial # 5079 the gun was made in 1856.
Given W. Greeners history I am amazed that web searches provide very little information and almost no photos of his guns. Does anyone here own any of his guns? Is the lack of photos and information due to rarity? Did W.Greener sequentially order the serial #'s of all of his guns? I'm asking...is this the 5079th gun that he made?
I recently brought this gun into the shop of an antique gun dealer. I offered to trade it for an overpriced musket that he had. He also had quite a few double barrels and other shotguns. He had no idea who W.Greener was. So...he tried to look him up in his handy price guide and there was nothing in there either. Okay...this has been a little bit of a rant. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on this gun.

There is lots of history on Greeners who were one of the foremost Gunmakers in Britain. Best book for research is Graham Greener's own book called 'The Greener Story'. Your gun is by William Greener but his son William Wellington Greener was a prolofic inventor and writer. Strange that you failed to find much information. You will find a lot of Greener gun owners on this site; I for one. They are still in business but now down to just three people when I last visited a couple of years ago. They will still make a gun to order but mostly concentrate on repair and renovation of exsisting guns. Nice gun by the way. Wish I could just blunder into an antique shop and find one just like it; especially if the owner doesn't know what it is exactly. Lagopus.....

I need someone to buy me a lottery ticket and you seem to have the right luck for the job, Vt.

Thanks guys...it is a cool gun. As I said...I don't collect double guns...but I do collect muskets and longrifles....and I would be willing to make a trade if someone was interested. This really should be in the hands of someone who appreciates it.

Have it inspected by a knowledgeable gunsmith. If he says it's okay to shoot, take it out shooting, then maybe you'll appreciate it more . Just be aware, interest in old SXS's can put you on a slippery slope, or maybe I should say "Abandon hope all ye who enter here!" Sometimes there's no turning back!
Steve

Rarity is not a factor in your not finding much information. Your gun is either fairly well preserved or has been freshened up. Many of the readers on this site own Greeners but mostly breechloaders.

Not much to add. Your gun is a W. Greener. Most of the time when folks talk about owning a "Greener" they are refering to WW Greener, his son, a Birmingham maker of some note. Your "antique gun guy" must not be in to English doubles.

I have no idea what the value would be. You will see a ton of WW Greeners on the second hand market, but no so many muzzle loading W Greeners.

I second the motion! There is nothing quite as addicting as shooting SxS doubles and this observation goes double for "the front feeding kind". Your only problem might be that your rifles and muskets might start to feel neglected.

There is very little "muzzle-loading work" that a good 10-gauge double can't do at least adequately. It can be loaded "up or down" for most wing shooting or clay target applications and it can "do wild work" with buck shot and round ball loads. I suggest that you look up V. M. Starr's little book that is now available on various sites on the net.

W. Greener wrote "The Gun" in 1835 and it is one of the better works on shotguns ever written (Not to be confused with his son, W.W. Greener). Had a knowledge of metalurgy and interior ballistics that is surprising considering the early date. Paperback copies available from Amazon.

No offense...but you must be referring to WW Greener guns which seem to be plentiful....I challenge you to do a web search right now and tell me how many W.Greener guns you find. If you find a bunch...please let me know where so I can take a look. There are a fair amount of references to William Greener himself and his various methods of gunmaking and inventions...but very few actual guns and images...etc. I do think it is cool that when this gun was made in 1856...it was during this period that he was also making guns for Prince Albert. I can inspect it myself and tell that it is safe to shoot....though I never have....I told you doubleguns just aren't my thing....but, I have thought about it...I may just put a light load through it at some point...It would be cool to take a ruffed grouse with it. Oh well....if nobody wants to trade for it....I don't mind hanging onto it. I have heard that Greeners book is good...but figured that it was mostly his thoughts on gun manufacturing and very little about his guns in general. I've thought about buying "the Greener Story" but I figured it was mostly about WW Greener guns and beyond....which I don't really care about. Thanks for all your comments....if you have any more thoughts please let me know. Even better...if you own a W. Greener...I'd love to see some pics.