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AlanD Offline OP
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I have been researching the shotguns made by Vickers and Vickers Armstrong for a number of years.
I am keen to locate a copy of an article on these guns published in the DGJ, Volume 1 Series 2, its on page 93 or 95.
If anyone has a copy they could forward me please send me a PM. Many thanks.

Regards

AlanD

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I would guess that you are aware that Geoffrey Boothroyd wrote about Vickers shotguns in his two books “The British Over and Under Shotgun” and “Sidelocks and Boxlocks” just thought I’d mention just in case you aren’t.I could look out the relevant Doublegun Journal and email a photograph of the article if that would be of any use to you.

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Alan:

Back issues of DGJ are available from the publisher. If you go to their web site, you can get the contact information.

Rem

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Many years ago I had a client who had a couple of Vickers sidelocks. They were serviceable shotguns and were reasonably well made. What was unusual, as I recall, was that they had coil mainspring locks. Perhaps the first coil mainspring I had ever seen in an older gun.

J

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Originally Posted By: James Flynn
Many years ago I had a client who had a couple of Vickers sidelocks. They were serviceable shotguns and were reasonably well made. What was unusual, as I recall, was that they had coil mainspring locks. Perhaps the first coil mainspring I had ever seen in an older gun.

The coil mainspring locks were attributed to William Bakers patent of 1920. A Birmingham gunsmith.The Vickers sidelock gun with coil sprinted locks was the Vickers Imperial . Baker sold a gun built with the same locking mechanism and action under the name of Direct Cocking Gun. Whether Baker built the Vickers Imperial or it was built under license using Bakers patents by Vickers Boothroyd was unable to say. Perhaps the DJG article clarifies this.
Edit to add I looked through the DGJ Volume 1 issue 2 but didn’t see any reference to Vickers shotguns Pages 93 and 95 relate to an article on double rifles
Details of Baker’s patents 167050 and 167117 used in the construction of the Vickers Imperial can be found in The British Shotgun Volume 3 by Crudgington and Baker as can a picture of the Baker Direct Cocking Gun on page 204.
The Vickers Imperial was considered a mid range gun. Boothroyd proposed that Vickers had four shotguns in their range ,a single barrelled Vanguard, the Vickers Imperial sidelock, a best grade sidelock ,and an over and under. The last two guns also built on Baker patents and perhaps by Baker.
J

Last edited by Konor3inch; 12/29/20 08:05 PM. Reason: Addition
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Just looked through the DGJ index and readers and see there are only two listings for Vickers. Vol 1 iss. 2 pg 93, and vol 12 iss. 2 pg 149. Unfortunately I don't own either of those issues to look through them.

However, I am fortunate enough to own a 16 ga Vickers boxlock, which has become my favorite partridge and woodcock gun for many years now.


“I left long before daylight, alone but not lonely.”~Gordon Macquarrie
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Originally Posted By: Flintfan
Just looked through the DGJ index and readers and see there are only two listings for Vickers. Vol 1 iss. 2 pg 93, and vol 12 iss. 2 pg 149. Unfortunately I don't own either of those issues to look through them.

However, I am fortunate enough to own a 16 ga Vickers boxlock, which has become my favorite partridge and woodcock gun for many years now.


I managed to find the reference to Vickers on page 93 . I was expecting an article on the Vickers range of shotguns but in the article “The Trouble With Lions “ A .470 Nitro Express Double Rifle on page 93 the Vickers firm is credited with the production of “ many of the barrels that were used during this time” The article concerns a .470 Double rifle.

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Originally Posted By: AlanD
I have been researching the shotguns made by Vickers and Vickers Armstrong for a number of years.
I am keen to locate a copy of an article on these guns published in the DGJ, Volume 1 Series 2, its on page 93 or 95.
If anyone has a copy they could forward me please send me a PM. Many thanks.

Regards

AlanD

Was the article on the .470 Nitro Express covering pages 93 and 95 of DGJ Volume 1 Issue 2 the article you were interested in for your research into Vickers and Vickers and Armstrong ?

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AlanD Offline OP
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Boxlock Vickers made shotguns all have serial numbers in the 5000 range. So far I about 15 recorded and this includes 2 20 bores and 2 16 bores, the rest are all twelves. The lowest number is 5030 and the highest is 5833. So it looks like Vickers production of boxlocks was around 1,000 guns from 1921 to 1927. Once the amalgamation with Armstrong's occurred, the serial numbers changed to 90000. Sales for Vickers Armstrong boxlocks slowed. I have recorded under a dozen examples with the lowest being 90631 and the highest 90687, so perhaps only 100 guns, unless my sample is badly skewed.
Within each serial number range there are distinctly different styles of gun, as if they were made by a completely different manufacturer. I believe Vickers outsourced all double barrel shotgun manufacture. Weather they had two manufactures, one each for the two serial number ranges or a number of makers I don't know. If it was the latter Vickers would have had to allocate serial number blocks to each maker. so I need to do more anasiys of the examples with photos that I have to see if there is a pattern.

As for the sidelocks, Vickers almost certainly started at 1001. The lowest serial number I have is 1049, the highest is 1621. The same serial number range rolled through Vickers to Vickers Armstrong without interruption. I have about 30 serial numbers recorded, so the survival rate of the sidelocks would appear to be better than the boxlocks. Of these only one is a 16 bore and the second is one of a pair, 20 bore, with what appears to be engraving by none other than Kell.
Again within the sidelock range there are variations as to weather the gun used the Baker pattern with coil spring or a more traditional leaf spring lock. I think it is almost certain that Baker made the guns with his own patent, I am unsure as to who made the rest of the sidelocks. Unfortunately, Bakers records do not seem to exist - pity!

By far and away Vickers biggest selling shotgun gun which I am confident they did make themselves is the Vickers Vanguard single barrel. Again they started at 1001 and I have recorded serial number in a gun-makers ledger just under 7000, being sold to the Ministry of Supply in 1940. No doubt these would have been used by the RAF for training aerial gunnery. All the guns I have recorded are 12 bore.

Perhaps Vickers and Vickers Armstrong's biggest seller was the range of single shot .22 Martini rifles, both in target and sporting guise. A survey is under way on the Rifleman.org.uk site into these rifles. For the sake of completeness Vickers also did a .300 Rook calibre sporting rifle version using their Martini action. I have never seen one of these.

Konor 3inch, thanks for posting your photo of a handsome Vickers.

It looks like the article in Volume 1 Series 2 that covers the .470 will not be of much help but I would still like to get a copy of the article in Volume 12 Issue 2, if anyone has it.

Regards

AlanD
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Hello AlanD, do you have any thoughts on the Vickers 9 bolt action rifles and who may have made them? Best regards,
Steve


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