Originally Posted By: obsessed-with-doubles
I don't think a competitively priced gun was a Best-grade gun.

Since most of the London makers were in the Best-gun business, it only makes sense to outsource the lower, competitively-priced grades.

OWD


I agree with your basic concept on competitively priced guns. Note that, over time, it made increasing sense to outsource as Birmingham developed big factories which shifted from bench built to manufactured. A manufactured plain, but sound and functional, boxlock non-ejector could be delivered for 10% - 20% of the price of a best gun. Bench built less-than-best guns couldn't economically compete. Lower priced guns greatly broadened the economic possibility for gun ownership while changes in culture opened shooting to a broader range of people.

I don't agree that most of the London trade was about best guns; H&H, William Evans, Army & Navy, and W. J Jeffery for example. Best guns were, of course, the gold standard. Few people could afford them. There are a lot more "competitively priced London guns" than "London best guns."