doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com WW Greener Grade FH25 Info req?

Hey all
New to the forum so hello everyone.
Got this from my dad who said keep it or sell it and pay for our moose hunt in the fall. so just on a fact finding to start!
So I know it's a W W Greener Grade FH25. It is in great shape, The bluing on the barrels is 95% with a few blemishes. The case color on the action is still very good. Widows Peak forend.

30" barrels 12 Gauge 2 3/4. Both bores are excellent. Action is tight and the ejectors work just fine.

So, there is very little on WW Greener. Do you think they would be receptive to a letter, to find out its history etc....
so any info on history and value would help!
Here are the pics. Thanks in advance for any info.
Ser #58075
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00957.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00956.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00955.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00954.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00953.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00952.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00951.jpg
http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00958.jpg

Your gun was made in 1910.

Being an FH25 it would have been built as a lower level of the medium grade guns.

From the pics the gun looks very nice, original and in good shape. Nice gun.

Hello scjordan, welcome on your first post !!

I did the first three by putting [img] in the front of the string and [/img] in the rear of the string. Each picture requites this treatment
Mike





To show how it should look, I have left the / out of the last [/img]
[img]http://i594.photobucket.com/albums/tt23/scjordan2322/DSC00955.jpg[img]

FH25 was NOT built as the low level of medium grade guns....it was the higher level of the "medium" grade, 25 guineas was not a small amount of money in the late 1890's early 1900's. A Greener built on the FP action with ejectors is a fine gun indeed.

Your Greener is VERY nice.

Dustin

scjordan, the information I provided you in my original post was taken from Graham Greener's book, "The Greener Story."

Page 199 contains the serial numbers that gives the date of your gun being manufactured in 1910. Thru the years Greener used various grading systems. Found on page 195 is the 4th system for guns manufactured from 1902 to 1965. The highest of these grades goes all the way to 150, these are presentation guns and are truly beautiful.

Best guns are graded from 150 down to a G60.

Medium grade guns are listed for an FH70 all the way down to an F20. FH25's are listed as you can imagine, just above the F20.
Inexpensive models start at the A16 or F16.

For further information you can try contacting Graham Greener thru his website:
www.wwgreener.com

Graham is a great guy and I am sure that once he can get to it he wwould try to answer any questions you might have.

Greener's is still making guns but only "Best" guns and just a handful each year.

LeFusil, I am curious as to where you are getting the information you are posting. Please share if you would.

Books. Experience. Knowledge of quality guns. All Facile Princeps guns are mid to high quality to start with. the low level FP guns would be FP guns built with extractors and very minimal engraving...these were still expensive guns when comparing them to the run of the mill plain box lock from Birmingham gun makers. A FH 25 has engraving, ejectors, stocks made from quality blanks, etc. It would not be considered the low end of the FP series. Like I said earlier....25 Guineas in 1910 was not a small amount of money, look through some Birmingham makers catalogs from that time frame and see what kind of guns 25 guineas could get you.

Anyway....very nice gun, I owned one just like it, from the same mfg. year, if you have a chance to see what the insides of the gun look like, you will be very impressed. The guns guts are polished to mirrors, the internal finish is way above average. Greener made fantastic guns.

Dustin

Thanks so much for all the info so far! There is a bit of banter over the grade so I would imagine. Greater difference in it's value?
What say u on value, Canadian dollars!!
Jordy

I wouldn't let your gun go for any less than $2500 U.S. dollars, that'd be the low end, I think in the right market..with the right buyer, I think you'd be able to get low 3k's for it. Might be the pics...but the barrels look to be in need of re-blacking. If you are going to use the gun....I suggest sending it to Nick Mackinson for a strip, clean & lube and barrel blacking, etc. The pins on your FH25 look to be in fantastic shape, a very good sign.

Dustin

LeFusil, what "books" are you getting your grade information from ? It appears to me that 1cdog is correct according to Graham Greener's book on page 158. Is Greener's book incorrect ?

Graham Greener states for the period of 1910 for FH series guns--

Medium Grades in "upper" group are FH 45

Medium Grades in "medium" group are FH 35

Medium Grades in "lower" group FH 25

In 1919, Greener also listed the FH 35 being put into the "lower" group as prices increased.

Just the pic then cause the barrel bluing is near 90% just a few small blemishes.
Canadians are saying in the 1500 range!