Joseph Lang & Son, 102, New Bond St, London. W
12 bore Back action,
Sidelock Ejector no. 8418.
Approximate
date of manufacture: 1896-7
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
The Joseph Lang who was responsible for this gun was the 1st
son of the original Joseph who started the business in 1821. The
son was apprenticed to James Purdey in 1845 and the very beautiful
guns that bear his name reflect this illustrious training. Perhaps
most conspicuous is the truly breathtaking engraving that covers
every external surface of action and forend; this style will also
be found on guns by Makers such as William Evans. The reason for
this similarity may be that many Makers bought in guns from P
Webley & Son, a manufacturer of very fine guns for the trade based
in Weaman St, Birmingham. The gun has been rebarrelled and
restocked in the relatively recent past and together with its
fabulous engraving and great dimensions,
this gun is a ‘shooter’ in the best possible way and should give
many years of sterling service with normal maintenance. Cased
with some accessories.
WE REGRET THAT
THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN,
PLEASE CONTACT US.
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The
action
is of P Webley design and features:
Double triggers bolted by an
automatic top tang safety slide;
Back action, 9 pin sidelocks fitted
with interceptor sears;
Top lever opening, operating a 'Purdey Bolt'
by way of a Webley ‘Screw Grip’;
Top rib extension with 3rd bite;
‘Southgate’ style ejectors tripped by cocking rods running from
the action knuckle to the breasts of the tumblers;
Anson pushrod
forend catch.
Note: Replacement LH Mainspring.
Gun weight 6lb 10oz
Engraving
style ‘Ribboned’ fences. Best bouquet and scroll. Toplever and
forend tip engraved ‘1’. Toplever engraved ‘PATENT’. Gold inlaid SAFE.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½ lbs
Rear trigger 4 ¼ lbs
The replacement steel barrels are 28" in
length, chambered for 2 3/4" (70mm) cartridges and are of brazed
'dovetail' lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top
rib is of the smooth, concave, game type.
Birmingham reproof for
70mm nitro powder cartridges in 2019.
Approximate barrel measurements
at date of publication:
|
Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9"
from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel
|
18.5mm (0.728")
|
0.730"
|
0.030"
|
0.005"
(Skeet)
|
Left Barrel
|
18.5mm (0.728")
|
0.729"
|
0.028"
|
0.020" (M)
|
The replacement Straight Hand Stock and Splinter Forend
are crafted from well figured walnut. The stock features a vacant gold
oval, well defined drop points, is lightly cast-off for a right-handed
shot and is finished with a chequered butt. The forend features a
finely engraved steel tip.
The 24 lines per inch chequering is refreshed
to the normal sidelock design.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based
preparation as used on best guns by one of the top English makers.
This finish uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre,
only many hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.
Approximate stock
measurements at date of publication:
Pull to Heel
|
Pull to Bump
|
Pull to Centre
|
Pull to Toe
|
14 3/4"
|
14 7/8"
|
14 7/8"
|
15 3/8"
|
Drop at Comb
|
Drop at Face
|
Drop at Heel
|
1 9/16"
|
1 3/4"
|
2 3/8"
|
Cast-off at Comb
|
Cast-off at Heel
|
Negligible
|
1/8" (approximate)
|
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:
'Purdey Bolt' patent no. 1104 of 1863,
Webley & Brain’s ‘Screw Grip’ action patent no 3053 of 1882,
'Southgate' ejector and lockwork
patent no. 12314 of 1889,
Anson's forend fastener patent no. 3791 of 1872.