doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Lesser known makers

What are some of your favorite lesser known English, Irish, Scottish makers who you feel deserve more recognition than they have gotten. Thanks, Mark

Docter, Minox, both German....oh I suppose you mean guns don't you??......

Charles Smith Newark upon Trent
Thomas Horsley York
W. Griffiths Manchester
C.S. Rosson

These are a few of my favorites

Pape, William Richards, Durs Egg.

Best,
Ted

I think you have to define 'lesser-known'! One could say that Purdey, Boss, H&H and Woodward are the best known, that the likes of Beesley, Westley Richards, Hussey, Atkin, Lancaster, Churchill etc are well known. So we are perhaps looking more at the provincial makers as being lesser known. In fact, this reflects Rocketman's grading system to a large extent.

My personal favourites would include:

John Harper
John Ross
Edwinson Green
Henry Clarke

Tim

I have been interested in the lesser known British names for some time as I believe that in quality for the money they represent the best value on the double gun market today - Holloway & Naughton, C. S. Rosson, Adsett, Gow, etc. It is difficult to determine which were actually gunmakers and which marketed guns under their name but made by others. Is there any definitive publication that answers this question? I have Boothroyd's book on British gunmakers but his descriptions are generally limited to location and years in business.

James Calderwood Dublin Ireland.

I have a fantastic percussion gun by James Calderwood and its just a beautiful gun in its balance, handling and finish, i have only seen one other gun by the maker and it was much later period gun but equally beautiful in every respect to which we pass judgement on beautiful guns.

If anyone knows of any other guns by the maker i would love to hear about them if they exist they do so in collections or museums where they are not easily examined.

Some book i read years ago suggested he was a maker on a similar level to manton in terms of what he did to transform guns from functional military hardware somewhat adapted for sport to items of real beauty and craftsmanship.

I may be completely wrong in all of this but its just what i have picked up over time.

Lot number 641 here
http://www.scotarms.co.uk/catalogues/684.htm

and the later one in the pantiles gun room Calderwood and son.



which if i had it i would happy part with the wanted sum for.

Not to be confused with the other calderwood operating in the US? possible relation? I don't know - Some US William Calderwood long rifles have Warrented Manton locks and have styling and engraving more like we would see on British guns as apposed to the carvings of a fine american maker, probably just nicely finished guns from the trade in the UK i don't know.. i am not an expert on by any stretch. Just my thoughts.

Harkom

Mortimer, Alex Martin

Skimin & Wood, Thomas Turner