doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Wm. Moore & Grey

According to a post on shotgunworld by user RPRNY, �In 1896 the firm moved to 165 Piccadilly and in 1902 to 8 Craven Street, Strand.

In 1908 Cogswell & Harrison took over the firm, and Robert yGrey joined them. This was probably when the Aldershot branch closed.

In 1917 Cogswell & Harrison moved the company to their own premises at 226 Strand and William Moore & Grey ceased to trade under their own name.�

I could swear that the above info had also been posted on this forum, but I couldn�t find it just now.

That�s what lead me to the 1917 date at the latest, given the Craven St. address on rib.

The picture put up by jstamper of the proof marks does not show a chamber length in the original London proofs. Thus this proof does indeed date back to 1904-1925. In 1925 the chamber length was added, otherwise, the same marks were used.

JS;
As you are setting the cut-off date on the makers address the dates of 1904-1917 may well indeed be correct. Going only by the proofs it would be 1904-1925 which includes your dates.

Very nice!

The way I read it is that the words Max or Maximum were only used between 1896 and 1904. It was originally nitro proofed then and later re-proofed between 1954 and 1984 as the marks are Imperial. Looking at the re-proof date code it looks like the letter V and B which would indicate re-proof in 1970. Well, that's how I read it. At $450 it looks like a good price with what I know of U.S. prices. Here in the U.K. it would fetch around �450 to �550 so a good buy either way. I doubt if Moore & Grey actually made it but rather more likely bought in a barrelled action from the Birmingham trade and finished it. Common practice here and even Purdey's did that at times. Striker hole pitting is more a result of use of early corrosive primers than black powder usage. Good find. Enjoy shooting it. Lagopus�..

lagopus, I think your reading of Max is correct. 1896-1904 The Internet Gun Club suggests the guns in that period were made for Moore and Grey by Cogswell and Harrison.

Just post them, one at a time between the [img][/img] codes

Yes, I believe the thought on Maximum is indeed correct. That was the one thing I failed to pick up on. Beginning in 1904 it read 1 1/8 oz Shot rather than Max. It is definitely not post 1925 but a bit earlier than JS had thought.

Hey Jonathan. do not read that as any loss of quality on your gun.

O.M

Thanks, I was wondering about that...

Would not the London proof marks indicate that this is not the case? I�m not disputing, just trying to learn.