Peter:
Disheartening about the missed opportunity. More than likely held more pieces to the puzzle. I've seen the acronym APUN and phrase Action Patent Use Number tossed about, which may have just been used in Britian or it may have been applied across the continent. I was hoping you had seen the term, or a similar term, in the Belgian gunmaking circles. Did Auguste Francotte have any boxlocks destined for the U.S. of A. during the 1880-1890 period with any similar Action Patent Use Number? He like Daly had worldwide connections and yes Daly knew the law so well that he bent it where ever he could because it was all about the Benjamins and he never dreamed that some small pool of doublegun nuts would try to scrutinize every minute detail of his business model. I think Charles Daly's son, Charles Howard Daly, Yale grad, business, attorney??, and was more than likely an attempt by Charles Daly to keep abreast of the every changing import laws. The 1890s cross-examination may have been a factor. But Daly had been to England and around the gunmaking circles attempting to get someone to put his ideas into practice. Early on he had imported examples from Tolley and others so he was aware of British sporting weapons advances and their laws but they were most unaccommodating so he turned to Suhl, probably biased by August Heindrick Schoverling, for his Daly brainchild.

I believe in British gunmaking circles that the stamp "Anson & Deeley's Patent" was used for the Action Patent Use Number or to attribute design ownership.

I think it was H&R, and possibly others, that wore the stamp "Anson & Deeley's Pat. Feb 1. 1876" during the 1876-1890 period. Anyone have any ideas on how the royalty was paid?

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse