Researching further into Scott Patents has opened a bewildering array of use numbers and discordant gun SN's dates all over the place (including Pat 617 Gas Check, Pat 761 triplex, etc). Of course Toby warned me about this. H&H bought out Scott so they may be the repository of Scott patent info; but I don't feel like writing them again.

(Interesting question...if Scott sold a block of Patent Use #'s to a gun maker, how would Scott check to see the action or fore-arm or whatever came up to snuff?
-- Daryl said that Westley-Richards required the maker of the patented action bring the gun over to be checked out for quality.
-- Does this mean by definition that the owner of the block of Scott Patent use numbers made the patent gun/action/fore-arm/ejector himself - or sub-contracted for same himself? (pretty obviously, "of course").
-- And by the way, once the patent is on the market...making it was not beyond the abilities of any competent gunsmith at the time - See UK court cases

In any event, in the search for a "holy grail," a UK gun patent that remained consistent in its use numbers over the life of the patent, which could be used to confirm date of manufacture of a gun, I'll look elsewhere than Scott.

. . . -- Perhaps 1860, 15 Nov - Henry patent 2802 - 7 groove shallow rifling might be next? Except at some point A&T began marketing the patent in the early 1870's..Have to figure that one out.

. . . -- And based on a very knowledgeable UK site, this is probably an early example of what we're looking for:
-- H Walker patent for barrel bolting and safety for drop-down actions patent No 455 of 12 February 1872 (stamped on Reilly SN 19286 use #1098, dated very early 1875)

. . .-- Or this one which Scott himself claimed to have limited his ability to market Perkes patent ejector 1968-78 which he bought in 1880 until the Needham patent expired - Greener bought Needham but continued to use the name on patents - Greener vs Scott was a heavy-weight contest:
1874 - Needham patent ejector system


When you see the possibilities of using this data..it is just frustrating that patent use numbers have not been communicated as a matter of course in gun advertisements.

Last edited by Argo44; 03/14/20 10:59 PM.
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