Heres a nice BLE I picked up recently.
I have not heard much about Allan or seen many of his guns, I presume he was more of a retailer than maker although I suspect he did stock and finish his guns.
I have come across one other slightly plainer Allan box lock here, and in both cases fit and finish seems a step up from most.
Interestingly it has a chunk of lumber on it that I would consider above the grade of the gun, it may have been requested.
Anyone have any further info/comments on this maker?
As an aside and for those that find such things interesting I do have the full history of the gun as told to me by the son of the original owner.
This chap was a doctor from Scotland, who received the gun on completing medical school very early 1900s.
He then emigrated to New Zealand where he set up business in a town an hours drive from me.
During WW1 this chap rode with our NZEF mounted rifles in Palestine as a medic.
Upon his return he continued with his practice before unfortunately succumbing to a disease caught off a patient in 1929.
His son inherited his dads gun and used it up until the outbreak of WW2.
He in turn served with the 2nd NZEF in Italy, and the gun was required by the home guard for the duration of the war.
After his return it was used lightly for ducks and upland game, pest control etc. on his farm until his retirement.
Now in his late nineties he handed in his firearms licence and the gun to the local arms officer for destruction.
Fortunately our arms officer is a good chap I know who put him on to me where a fair exchange took place.
I thought I would share the story as I would suspect it very unusual to find a gun of this age with only two owners.
I know some have no interest in such things, but to me a big part of collecting firearms is the history behind them, even if fairly straight forward and domestic.
Cheers,
GDU.
