doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com T. Wild of Birmingham Need Information

This is something you don't run across very often. I just picked up my first ever small bore hammergun in 16 gauge.

A T. Wild of Birmingham 2.5 inch nitro proved 16 gauge SXS. 28 inch barrels with straight grip. It weighs about 5lbs and has double trigers.

The length of pull is only about 13.5 inchesIt does not fit me very well so I need to decide what to do with it but it was too cool to pass up.

I'd like to know what the English proof marks mean and try to narrow down the year it was made. Anybody know anything about T. Wild? I tried to do a lookup here but Wild is not a very good search word.

I could do with information on this maker too. Anyone ever seen a trade label?

I have a BLNE with like new colour by this maker thats seen very little use which needs restocking to do.

T. Wild is a well recorded Birmingham maker. One of the guys will be along with the internet gun club info shortly, I'm sure.

DDA

I Found some information. This looks it might be one of their lower offerings at about 7-9 British Pounds when made prior to the Great War.

Still a cool gun.

For starters:
Thomas Wild Gunmaker
Birmingham England

Well regarded maker

Established 1857,through the years listed at various addresses in Birmingham. Boothroyd gives a Price Street address circa 1989.

See these links for some more info;

Dogs & Doubles article

Roland Watson site

your friendly google search

Again I will wait for someone with access to Internet gun club data to cut and paste it in. Thomas Wild was a very prolific maker of guns of all grades. Your gun is post 1925 nitro proof and looks in good condition. The little bit of information that may date the actual year it went through the Proof House is not clear in the photo. If you look at the picture of the barrel flats that you posted there is a small mark in the upper left of the picture. This is the crossed sceptre mark and should have one or two letters in the cross. If you can read these and post it I can give you the date. The serial number looks like 19797, if this is so then it dates to 1938/9.

Don't worry about the length of stock as you can either have it lengthened or use a slip on pad. Use and enjoy but note the 2 1/2" chambers and use the correct ammo. Lagopus.....

Thomas Wild lable:

These old eyes can't make out the letters, sorry. Not even with a magnifying glass.

Also, I've got a veritable lifetime supply of Gamebore and RST 2.5 inch shells. I even have a full case of roll crimped black powder 2.5 inch 16's which are a lot of fun to shoot but not so much fun to clean up after.

Cheers for that lagopus mine is similar to the one pictured but just a non ejector and the case colours are a bit fresher.

Just started heading up the stock today along with three others i am doing!

Got a nice canvas case i am restoring for it as well.

If you do decide to shoot the BP, make sure you get all of the petroleum based oils and lubricants out of the barrel. I just learned that lesson the hard way and am still scrubbing fouling out.

For BP, hot, soapy water works well and equal parts Murphy's oil soap, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide works even better. Usually I can clean the shotgun after BP shooting in about 15 minutes.