doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Buying the gun not the name

Hi all I was wondering the often good advice given on this board is to buy the gun not the name but what are the things to look for when looking at obscure English makers guns? what sets them apart from other cheaper guns? apart from the obvious better engraving nicer Walnut better wood to metal fit
what mechanical styles do you look for concealed third bites that kind of thing? action style (like fences) some photos of the different style and what to look for would be fantastic
I am looking at a gun hope to see it this week just would like some ideas as to what I should look for

First it takes an eye for quality...and that only comes from experience.

Interesting point. One thing to note is that most of the obscure English 'Makers' weren't Makers at all but buyers from the gun trade so that you could find guns of all qualities with the same name on the rib. They would just order and finish to the customer's requirement. There is a knack of spotting who actually made the gun from small trade marks to other even more obscure initials on the barrels or even just the general look of the gun. I have seen an obscure provincial name on a gun that was indistinguishable from a 'C' grade Purdey sidelock ejector; even down to the engraving style. As 'C'grade Purdeys were made in the trade in Birmingham chances are all the same craftsmen worked on this gun too. The only real difference; apart from the name, would be the fact that the Purdey would be at least three times the price. As Joe says; it needs an experienced eye for the quality. You can get a first class gun without going for one of the big names and big name prices. But, come to sell it and the same system applies. Lagopus.....

It depends on your expectations.

If you want a trusty shooting companion, buy the gun. If you want bragging rights and appreciation, buy the name.

A case in point is a Belgian guild gun in my cabinet that was brought to this country as a WW II souvenir. It is wonderfully finished, inside and out. I bought it cheap because, as I honestly told the owner, it had no name, no cache. It serves well and draws admiring comments. but someday I will sell it for a relative song and it will be someone else's bargain.

That's not what that phrase means. Any shotgun regardless of pedigree can be horribly abused by a previous owner or in other words even a James Purdey or a Thomas Boss can be used as a boat oar when needed. The gun has to looked over as Joe said by an experienced eye to ensure that it hasn't been previously abused regardless of the name that sits on top of the barrels.

Birmingham boxlocks with J. Smith, Brighton on the barrels only come in a fairly narrow range of "good, good, and better". I'd believe anything of the remuddled and scoured out sidelocks which float from owner to owner on the strength of a maker stamp and an O&L case.

Best advice: buy the gun you can afford even if it betrays your spot appraisal and hope for the best. You can't dig as deep a hole for 7C as you can for 5K.

jack

In previous threads on this question the two indicators of higher quality in Birmingham boxlocks most often cited are:
1. Replaceable hinge pins, and 2. Scott spindles, as opposed to Greener style toplevers.
Hopefully, some of the more knowledgeable contributors here can explain the differences better than I could.