Very few people in the 1960s had knowledge of how many top line maker guns where treated as valueless and scraped by the gun trade here in Brit land. Well the reasoning was simple Spanish guns where so cheap, guns with Damascus barrels and hammers where given a bad reputation over safety falsely, by many of the gun trade members. Also there where fewer people who could repair a gun than simply sell one and make a good profit. In my late teens and early twenties I at one time or another owned practically every first line London makers Damascus barrelled hammer gun all valued as more or less worthless. I did keep the Purdey bar in wood and had it restored, though I was told many times I had more money than sense. Finally on one early morning Pigeon shoot in the 1960s myself and friends between us had under our arms hammer guns made by Adams, Holland & Holland, Purdey. Churchill, and most of the good makers in between because they where cheap to purchase, though eventually being scrapped for the false delights of no Damascus no hammers though having fancy ejectors.
