Heritage Guns Update 16th May, 2024
We are now some 6 weeks on from The 25th Southern Side by Side Championship & Exhibition in North Carolina and starting to make inroads into some new gun restoration projects.
The timeline on these guns varies widely from a few months to maybe a year when one factors in the number of specialists that will need to be involved. I know this can be very frustrating for you all, desperate to get your hands on a new toy, but if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well and the craftspeople I call upon have very long queues for their services!
Also, the cost of it all can be impossible to estimate: so often I have seen a seemingly minor issue become a major challenge and turn a small bill into a large one!
So I would ask you to bear with me: I will post full details as soon as I can but I do not post photos nor prices until the job is finished, or at least until the finishing post is within sight!
Anyway, here we have a selection of the goodies that I am
working on….
Stock No.
339 1898 J MacNaughton 12b
‘Edinburgh’ round action ejector, 28” x 2 ½” nitro steel
replacement barrels by J Dickson & Son, 14 5/8”
well figured stock inc. 1” leather covered recoil pad.
This is a very clean gun with crisp engraving. With its replacement barrels and
fine dimensions it would make a lovely gun for game or clays.
337 1874 William Tanton of Tenterten, 16b backaction, sidelever hammergun, 30” x 2 ½” nitro damascus barrels, 14 3/4” well figured stock inc. 1” leather covered recoil pad. This is a very high quality gun, my guess is that it was built in London by the top of the trade for William. The engraving is very similar to Sumner’s style on a whole generation of Boss hammerguns and I think there is a very good chance that it was engraved by the great man.
328 1892 WP Jones 12b backaction sidelock ejector, 30” x 2 ½” nitro damascus barrels, 14 5/8” highly figured stock inc. 1” leather covered recoil pad. Dismissed by some as ‘just another Birmingham gunmaker’, WP Jones was actually a very significant player in the gun trade, patenting a wide range of mechanisms and licencing a very successful try-gun design to both London’s Holland & Holland and Trulock & Harris in Ireland. The very attractive SLE we have here is finished to a high standard and would be equally at home on the clay ground or hunting field.
329 1913 ‘Centennial’ model J Blanch & Son 12b back action, sidelock ejector, 29” x 2 ¾” nitro Whitworth chopperlump barrels, 15” highly figured stock inc. 1” well matched extension. This gun is from my own personal collection but is just too nice to take out on my ‘rough and tumble’ days and is simply not being used so I am seeking a new home for it.
331 1887 Holland & Holland 16b Royal sidelock ejector, 28” x 2 ¾” nitro modern replacement, chopperlump barrels; 15 3/8” spectacularly figured replacement stock and forend wood. This is the most startling rebuilt gun. Someone spent a fortune on rebarrelling and restocking this little beauty and we will be offering it for a fraction of what must have been paid!
332 1875 Joseph Harkom & Son 16b baraction hammergun, 30” x 2 ¾” damascus barrels, 14 ¾” well figured stock inc. 1” leather covered recoil pad. Well, not much to say about this one other than it is gorgeous! It is currently being reproofed and providing all goes well, I will be knuckling down to get the aesthetics done later this summer.
And so on it goes: lots more guns in the restoration process, you can see a full list at http://www.heritageguns.co.uk/stock.htm.
I have also recently updated my case listings and would suggest that you tour my offerings if you are looking for a case for your treasured possession!
Full listing can be found at http://www.heritageguns.co.uk/Cases/Case%20Stock.htm.
A few worthy of mention are:
Stock No.
051528 Holland & Holland double leather gun case. A lovely case lined with original ‘Rifle Green’ baize, blocked for up to 30 ½” barrels and 17 1/2” breech to butt, 2 lidded compartments and provision for oil bottle, snapcaps and cleaning rod.
061590 Boss & Co double hammergun/hammerless case. Beautiful original crimson baize lining blocked for 30” barrels and 17 ¼” breech to butt. 2 lidded compartments.
101126 Westley Richards single leather hammergun case. Original green baize lining with full compliment of labels. Blocked for 30” barrels and 18” breech to butt. In need of some restitching to the lid corners.
271416 Very rare double sided mahogany and leather gun case, possibly built for Live Pigeon shooting: blocked for a single hammerless gun with 30” barrels and 17 ¼” breech to heel. Opposite side takes up to 96 x 12b cartridges. Lined in purple velvet with new handle and captive straps. This case is of the highest quality and is a must for someone with the appropriate gun to go inside!
Gun side:
Cartridge side:
Outside:
As usual, I have left a few guns behind in the USA with
Bob Nay of MacNab Fine Firearms in Virginia and he will be marketing them
through Guns International.
First up is a gorgeous 1890 Holland & Holland 1st Type Royal with two sets of barrels, both 30”, one 2 ½” Nitro and the other 3” Nitro (1200 bar). Presented in a leather case blocked for both sets of barrels. This is an absolutely delicious example of H&H’s premier model. It features the best level of engraving and with its two sets of barrels can handle everything from soft, 2 ½” x 3/4oz up to the occasional 3” wildfowling load (not Superior Steel).
Holland & Holland Royal 12b SLE no 12561
Holland & Holland Royal 12b SLE no 12561 in its leather case with both barrel sets.
Then we have
the spectacular, true pair of James Purdey hammerguns in their original,
relined case. To find a complete pair of hammerguns is very rare indeed and we
restored these in parallel to maintain the true pair ethos and keep them
exactly the same in all respects. I know that pairs of guns aren’t everybody’s
cup of tea but these guns’ rarity and magnificence makes them a must for any
serious double gun collector. They would make a fantastic pair of travelling
guns: beautifully simple, of the highest quality and surely would be the
stand-out guns in any shooting event. Furthermore they are compatible with standard
pressure, steel shot cartridges.
1871
Pair of James Purdey 12b Hammerguns no. 8521 & 8522
Next, with lots of original colour, chopperlump Whitworth
steel barrels and a very smart ‘Rifle Green’ relined case is another Holland
& Holland Royal 12b. Nitro reproof 30” x 2 ½” x Cyl/IC
and a 15 3/8” replacement highly figured stock.
1891
Holland & Holland 12b Royal SLE no 12860
1891
H&H no. 12860 in its Leather and Brass case.
Lastly, we are still looking for a suitable guardian for the lovely William Powell SLE no 9622. This gun is not only a fascinating insight into the way the bespoke gun trade worked but also a truly lovely gun. If you haven’t heard about this gun: it was ordered with non-functioning hammers and various other features from the hammergun era. These hammers were easily removeable so we have put them safely in their case and made up engraved blanking plugs for the mounting posts. They can easily be refitted if the new owner so wishes.
William
Powell & Son 12b SLE no 9622 (with hammers fitted)
William Powell & Son 12b SLE no 9622 (with hammers replaced by engraved blanking discs)
Well, that is about it for now.
Keep safe and enjoy the summer!
Very best regards,
Toby Barclay
Historic Guns For The Modern Sportsman
