doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Midland Gun Company a Short History.

New book out. Firstly I will state that I have no personal financial interest in this book although it does contain a number of illustrations of guns, cartridges and accessories from my personal collection. Midland Gun was a large concern making guns under its own name and for the gun trade but information is hard to come by due to the attentions of Herr Hitler and his gang of thugs reducing the company records to ashes. The Author; a friend of mine, now owns the company name and is trying to re-build some of the history. The book is a beginning of this aim. Cost in hardback is �19.99p. and will interest any Midland owners. He is creating a website at www.midlandgun.com where owners can register their guns to help in the rebuild of this history. Book can be obtained via Amazon or via the author Guy N Smith at guy@midlandgun.com 133 pages and well illustrated. A bit of a plug but not an expensive book and the first 50 are First Edition and will no doubt become collectable in time. If you don't like the book you can always blame me. Lagopus.....

Another great book to add to my collection.

I was recently looking at pictures of a Midland boxlock. Would anyone care to comment on the quality of Midland doubles? Thanks in advance.

They vary from the plain and functional to the high end comparable with any other. This is mine; a 12 bore boxlock with single trigger and is the one on the front cover of the above book. Lagopus.....

Beautiful gun Lagopus!!!

But one question, along with W.& C. Scott & Sons, AA Brown & Son and others including this firm, how can a firm that is considered one of the major suppliers to the British gun trade and its associated tangled web of anonymous action filers and whatnot, be described in a small book? Isn't Midland one of the top sources for other, more well known firms?

I know midland, or at least the midland name ended up being owned by parker hale. I had a midland mauser actioned rifle, it was a cheaper version of the PH rifles, but was excellent.

That's just the problem faced 'treblig' the records were lost and most of what we can find comes from old catalogues and anecdotes from a few past employees. I knew of an example previously owned by a famous author on shooting and fishing which I photographed and is included in the book. It is hoped that the book will drag out more information and when the website is up and running people can put details and information on about their Midland guns with the hope of bringing out a further expanded volume. Lagopus.....

The problem I have understanding the English gun trade is, how can just a few firms build so many guns to such a high standard of fit and finish inside and out? Its impossible. Unless we are looking at an enormous anonymous trade that is supply these 'bed rock' firms with basic finished parts. No?

Depends on your definition of "High Quality". There are English built guns which are not particularly High Grade but most are pretty well built. I have a J P Clabrough 12ga which is considered one of the lower grade guns but it is very well built & extremely serviceable. It does have a bit of game scene engraving, but is their entry level model. An I Hollis muzzle loader is a very plain gun but again well built. I also have a W&C Scott pinfire which I would refer to as a High Quality gun though it is actually not as "Sturdy" as the others. Breech loaders were still somewhat in their infancy when it was built.
Greener infers that there were a good many Shoddily built guns built in England, primarily for export to their colonies, of which we were not one of by this point in time so few of those show up in this country.

For quality we just can't look at the level of engraving or the premium grade of wood. We have to look at the fit and finish both outside and inside of the product. Polishing parts to a mirror finish takes time.

Have you ever seen an English built gun that didn't have their internal parts finished to that standard?

What I'm getting at is, people simply say that this gun or that gun was actually built by W & C Scott and Son or Midland Gun Company then furnished to the retailer, but aren't we saying that about to many guns? They could not have built that many guns to that standard of finish unless of course they employed all of Birmingham.

Did they?