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Joined: Apr 2010
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USHOOT2 Offline OP
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Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out info about such a gun. What I have found so far is it is a boxlock made in 1899. 12 ga 30" bbls #2 of a pair. Will have pics in the near future. Good gun ?????

Last edited by USHOOT2; 09/17/13 11:22 AM.

The best hunting is between now and dark.
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Sidelock
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I think you mean William Evans FROM Purdey. Probably a good gun, but almost certainly made in Birmingham for Evans. The Evans name means a higher price. It's like H&H putting their name on guns made by Scott: you pay a premium for the name.

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Yes, and once you have shouldered an English built gun I guarantee you’ll never forget it. How good that particular gun is depends on if any of its previous owners didn't beat it to death.

William Evans worked for James Purdey and when he left to establish his own business he stamped that ‘From” on his guns to attract business, which wasn’t well received by the James Purdey gang.

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Unless the order book that contains your gun has been lost, William Evans may be able to provide provenance on your gun. A great number of Evans shotguns were built on the Webley screw grip action, probably sourced from Webley. The serial number ranges available for research are listed in Nigel Brown's London Gunmakers. His indication is that the 1899 guns are generally available for research. A recent post by Diggory Hadoke, known as "smallbore" on this forum, indicates that William Evans generally did not build guns, only operated a gun shop.

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Originally Posted By: eightbore
A recent post by Diggory Hadoke, known as "smallbore" on this forum, indicates that William Evans generally did not build guns, only operated a gun shop.


That is still the case 100 years later:
Quote:
Building a Best Gun requires top craftsmanship and materials that cannot be bettered – by definition, these guns are the best a manufacturer can build. Historically, a William Evans Best Gun has always represented exceptional value for money, a fact that remains true today. We employ the skills of the country’s premier Master Gunsmiths, each being specialists in their individual craft. We are able to produce best quality guns at by far the keenest price in London by managing and monitoring the build process through every step. It is William Evans’s gunroom team that controls costs and timings, they who select each craftsman on merit and they who draw each element of the build, testing and quality supervision together - in short, we oversee the commission from start to final delivery. The savings made for our clients by working in this way are dramatic and the net result is a Best London gun that proudly bears the William Evans name.

Wm. Evans Best Gun


Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.
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USHOOT2 Offline OP
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The best hunting is between now and dark.
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Sidelock
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Too bad it has all the spacers and the really giant replacement forend wood. Metal looks fine. Maybe the forend wood could be reworked and something done with the buttstock. It depends how much wood is left and how much length you need.

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One of my nicest shotguns is a William Evans sidelock originally sold in 1901. Beautiful 30" black & white Damascus barrels, quite a bit of original case colors, lovely figured wood, all furniture covered in attractive, meticulous engraving. With the famous Webley screw grip action, the gun locks up solid , fits me well and shoots wonderfully.

I've never handled an Evans boxlock but I can imagine some of those were crafted to the same high standard. The more time I spend on my vintage gun education the more amazement I have at the realization that there was a plethora of real craftsmen in "the trade" and these guys put their heart and soul in their work, the likes of which will never be seen again.

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It appears to have interceptor sears and a Webley screw grip.


Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.
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USHOOT2 Offline OP
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Gun locks up like a vault. Can anyone interpret the proof marks ?


The best hunting is between now and dark.
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