Stephen Grant & Sons, 67a St James's Street, London
12 bore Bar Action, Sidelock Ejector
no. 6377 (No. 1 of pair)
Date of manufacture: 1891

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Heritage Guns' Comment This is a superb example of a Best London sidelock ejector from this highly respected gunmaker, made in the heyday of the British gun trade. Although undoubtedly a Grant gun, details of its internal mechanisms suggest that the gun was actioned in the workshop of John Robertson. Robertson was arguably the top independent London gunmaker, actioning, stocking and screwing guns for nearly every big name in the capital and beyond. He became the proprietor of Boss & Co in 1903, having been a partner in the company since 1891, but maintained his factory at George Yard where he made guns for Boss and many others of the leading London makers, moving to Ham Yard in 1899. According to Donald Dallas, Robertson's trade actions were very distinctive in having an angular internal junction between top strap and action. Also, his locks were unusual in using his own hook design for an interceptor sear as opposed to the Block Safety used by Holland & Holland and Scott. Furthermore, the design of his favoured safety slide detent mechanism, a variation on the 'over-centre' system, appears in all his patent specifications drawings although not mentioned in the text. Lastly, the ejector mechanism is the functional equivalent of provisional patent no 11623 of 1887, produced by the collaboration of Henry Holland and John Robertson. All these features can be found in Grant gun no. 6377. The action is delightfully engraved, shows lots of original hardening colour and is in fabulous condition. The original wood has great figure and dimensions and the 30” steel barrels have been sleeved and recently re-proofed for 2 3/4" nitro cartridge. This all adds up to a strong gun that is a joy to shoot and should give many years of service on game or clays with normal maintenance. Presented in a beautiful oak & leather case with some accessories and a reproduction Stephen Grant & Sons trade label. Fantastic value at only £7990

The action is of traditional bar action sidelock design and features:
Top lever opening, operating a classic, double bite 'Purdey Bolt' via a 'Scott Spindle';
Double triggers bolted by an automatic top tang safety slide;
Roger's cocking levers; 9 pin bar action locks;
Interceptor sears; Disk set strikers;
Coil spring ejectors tripped by slides in the bar of action
and Anson's push rod forend catch.
Gun weight 7lb     
 Engraving style Very Best fine foliate scroll with substantial original hardening colour.
Finely carved action bar. Beautiful, fluted fences engraved with Acanthus leaf.
Gold inlaid SAFE and ‘1’ on toplever and forend tip.
Top rib and ejector box engraved ‘1’.
Barrels, action, forend iron & triggerplate stamped ‘6377’.
Locks signed ‘STEPHEN GRANT & SONS’.
Top rib engraved with Maker’s details and ‘PATENT EJECTOR’.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ¼ lbs Rear trigger 4 ¼ lbs
The sleeved steel to steel barrels are 29 7/8" in length, chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed 'through' lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Barrels are free of any pitting or marks internally.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type.
There is a little ‘bleaching’ at the sleeving joint.
Birmingham reproof for 2 ¾” nitro powder cartridges in 2024.

Approximate barrel measurements at date of publication:

Approximate stock measurements at date of publication:

For the purposes of these measurements, 'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8" from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).

Patents Exhibited include:

Roger's cocking levers patent no 397 of 1882;
 'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863:
 'Scott Spindle' patent no. 2752 of 1865;
 Holland & Robertson's ejector patent 11623 of 1887;
 Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.