Could'nt get to the "Time Machine"after revdocdrew put the 2 photos up today....The 2 B&W Photos are c 1951 are of a "Gentleman of the Snare"Taught me some of the "Fine Art of Poaching" Elliot Goodman, Rabbits, Pheasants,Foxes,All sold at the "Back-Door of the Village Pub. I think More "Game" was killed by the "Lower Middle-Class" with such a variety of Shot-Guns, DB/ Single BBl.(I acquired my first shotgun,Harrington-Richardson, 12b S/B 30"x2.3/4"on my 16th B/D.Killed (Bushwacked)many Bunnies& Woodies'they were a "Cash-Crop" for us "Lads of the Gun"I think, at that time the "Proper Hunters"could'nt hold a candle to all the Quantity that the "Lads of the Village could bring in" I remember having to help count "SO many Pheasants that had been'Shot, Snared, We loaded them into a 1937 Ford Van. It collapsed the back-end!!This was Gloucestershire in the 1950s. I did'nt see a "Pump-Gun" untillPurdeys had a Client from the States,send in 2 Mod 12 Winch, They were restocked in"Best French", The 1st Semi-Auto that I personally saw, Handled, Shot"AT" Coypu,in Norfolk, on the Fens"was loaned to me by Norman Johnson,(Johnsons the "Best Barrel Blackers, Kilburn Lane, Kensal Rise,)after a short lesson on how to Load it,I was off th kill Coypu with Peter Finch,Apprentice Ejectorman at Purdeys,We met the locals in the Pub, Told them what our intentions were, got laughed out of the Pub.....next morning we stated our "Walkabout" looking for Giant Coypu. I had loaded the Browning "5 Shot" we saw a Rabbit,Peter shot both Barrels of the Dickson...Missed, I took my 1st shot. all hell broke lose, all 5 rounds went off 'Full-Auto"It had an Extended Mag...and a Buggered Sear.....The 1st and last Automatic shotgun I had anything to do with in the UK. Hope this fits in somewhere on this Early Best Gunmakers Thread..I mean we were Fully Trained Best London Gunmakers......cc/dt
