Hunting dogs, fine firearms, and enjoying both.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on May 22nd, 2013
Stephen Grant was one of the 19th century’s finest gunmakers. Today, he may be one of the under appreciated. Born in 1821 in Tipperary, Ireland, he started his apprenticeship in Dublin and then moved to London where he worked with Charles Lancaster and Thomas Boss. In 1867, Grant went out on his own. He quickly [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 31st, 2013
Holland & Holland Royal SXS 12 GAUGE: Made 1952. #339XX, 26″ bbls, Chokes 009 and 016, 2 3/4″ chambers, self opener, leather covered pad, excellent original condition with light handling marks. 6lbs 11oz . 14 3/4 LOP. Price: $37,500.00 Army-Navy Side-by-Side Double Rifle .470 Nitro Express: No. 45921, 25″ barrels. Built on the Webley Long [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 4th, 2013
When it comes to high-end side-by-sides, Purdey is the name most people know. The one you see here is a 20 gauge, built on the company’s famous Beesley-patent action. It’s a modern gun, built in the early ’90s, and it’s in fantastic original condition. A friend of mine was kind enough to show me see [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 10th, 2013
Last week I put up this post about shooting a James Purdey & Sons .303 double rifle. I had a lot of questions about that rifle, and I wanted to share some more pictures of it with you. I also snapped some pics of a Holland & Holland double rifle that I saw the same [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Dec 19th, 2012
Here’s a good look at how Holland & Holland turns out best-quality side-by-side and over/under shotguns today.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Sep 18th, 2012
Yesterday I wrote about the 20 gauge Woodward coming up in Julia’s fall 2012 auction. Today we’re going to talk about the 12 gauge Woodward that’s in the same sale. This 12 gauge is an killer double, and in capable hands, it would be an absolute hammer in the pigeon rings. Made in 1927 for [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Sep 1st, 2012
Henry Atkin, Sr, used to be one of the big boys of the London shotgun trade. Coming from a family of gunmakers, he learned his trade at Purdeys. In 1875 he went out on his own and by 1890 he was doing so well that he moved to Jermyn Street–a prestigious part of town . He [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jul 18th, 2012
The story continues on the Boss & Co. Over & Under Double Rifle. It turns out that’s a 2-bbl set. It also has a Boss-style rising bite on the barrels and action. Check it out.
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Mar 26th, 2012
From about 1870 to the late 1880s, “The Premier Gun” was W. & C. Scott’s finest double barrel shotgun. Offered first as a hammer gun, and then in hammerless models, The Premier Gun was made right up until World War II. Today, these side-by-side shotguns pop up on the market on a regular basis. This Premier was [...]
Posted in DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUNS on Jan 27th, 2012
Over and Under double barrel shotguns don’t seem innovative to us. But back in the 1920s, shotguns with stacked barrels were still a new idea to most shooter. This old add from Boss shows how they sold these new-fangled things. I like the “Vertical Gun” description, as well as the claims of “Perfect and quicker [...]
