William Ford ad from 1894 listing his try-gun
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ax9DAAAAIAAJ&pg=PT6&lpg
1895
https://books.google.com/books?id=TvRBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT1&lpg1901 "Ford's Patent Firing Try Gun"
https://books.google.com/books?id=qtZFAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA4-PR103&lpg I think Pete's source was the IGC
It is not known when or where William Ford established his business. He came to prominence in 1875 and 1879 as a barrel maker when he won awards at the "Field" gun trials (he bored barrels for W W Greener in 1875 and Lincoln Jeffries in 1879).
There are reports that the firm occupied premises at 14 Whittall Street in about 1879, but this has not been confirmed.
Reportedly, it was in 1883 that William Ford introduced his "Eclipse" light weight shotgun (some say this was introduced in 1887 and this date may be correct). This gun weighed 4lbs and used 1oz of shot (some say it weighed 5lbs).
In 1884 the firm was recorded at 4a (or 4 1/2) Weaman Row, St Mary's, Birmingham. In 1885 they moved to the "Eclipse Works", 23 Loveday Street. In 1885 the firm widened their sphere of activities into the manufacture of barrelled actions.
In 1887 the firm was granted patent No. 8841 for a cocking and ejector mechanism, this was followed by two further patents for similar mechanisms in 1888 (Nos. 2622 and 9348). This was when they commenced trading as gunmakers, selling retail as well as to the trade.
In 1889 the firm moved to 15 St Mary's Row, which they also called the Eclipse Gun Works. In about 1900 a company named Birmingham Gun & Cycle Co occupied part of 15 St Mary's Row, this may have been formed by William Ford to use spare capacity in his gun manufacturing business, it appears to have been replaced in about 1920 by Birmingham Gun Co. From 1906, workshops at the back of 15 St Mary's Row were occupied by Charles Chambers who did work for William Ford, an association that was to last until after the Second World War.
In 1890 William Ford patented his Try-Gun,
the first of its kind.
(Were previous try guns non-firing? Greener mentioned "a dummy try gun" in
The Breechloader and How to Use It, 1893
https://books.google.com/books?id=LdE1AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA94&vq )
By this time the firm had opened shooting grounds at Small Heath in Birmingham and at Clayton in Manchester, and advertised their proficiency in gun fitting.
In 1898 the firm moved to 4 Price Street but they retained the 15 St Mary's Row premises. The Price Street premises appear to have been used up to 1948 amongst other things, for cartridge manufacture, they were retained until 1953.
In 1909 William Ford died and his son, A F Ford took over the business.
The firm sold cartridges under the names the "Pheasant", the "Eclipse", the "Fleet" and the "Ignition Tube".
From about 1885 the firm often used a trade-mark of a solar eclipse.
