Rock gods live good lives, or at Eric Clapton does. Clapton is a big shooter and he has a passion/obsession for fine double-barrel shotguns. “It’s following the same pattern as when I collected guitars, cars and watches. I start out with a fairly broad spectrum, get obsessed and engulfed and finally narrow the collection down. I built a gunroom that can house a certain amount of guns and now I have to clear the decks for the new guns I have on order.”

Over the pass few years he has been selling off some of the side-by-sides and over/unders that he has acquired. Here are a couple that Gavin Gardiner had last year. I can’t imagine how much Eric sunk into refurbishing these guns. Even with their Rock-god provenance, they didn’t sell that well and I doubt he made his money back in the sale.

BOSS & CO.
A 12-BORE SINGLE TRIGGER SIDELOCK EJECTOR OVER AND UNDER GUN, NO. 7609

28-inch barrels with 2 3/4-inch chambers about 1/4 and 3/8 choke borings, short rib with top extension, the frame and locks with fine bouquet and scroll engraving and retaining some original hardening colour, gold lined cocking indicators, rolled edge trigger guard, 14 1/2-inch well figured replacement stock, 6lb. 5oz., recent nitro re-proof

The maker confirms that the gun was built in 1928 and that the gun was re-stocked and re-chambered by them in 2008 for the current owner. The gun has been maintained by the maker and no expense has been spared.

BOSS & CO.
A SCARCE PAIR OF 12-BORE SINGLE TRIGGER SIDELOCK EJECTOR OVER AND UNDER GUNS, NOS. 7449/50

29-inch barrels, the No.1 with recent replacements by the maker with 2 3/4-inch chambers, the No.2 with the original Whitworth steel with 2 1/2-inch chambers, about improved cylinder and 1/4 choke borings, short ribs with top extensions, the frames, locks and gold numbered top levers with fine bouquet and scroll engraving and retaining traces of original hardening colour, gold lined cocking indicators, rolled edge trigger guards, 14 1/2-inch highly figured replacement stocks by the maker with half pistol grips, 6lb. 10oz., nitro proof, in their maker’s lightweight leather case

The maker confirms that the guns were built in 1927 and that the replacement barrels numbered 10308 were fitted in 2008. The guns were re-stocked at the same time for the current owner by the maker, and have been maintained by the maker with no expense spared.

BOSS & CO.
A RARE PAIR OF 12-BORE SINGLE TRIGGER SIDELOCK EJECTOR OVER AND UNDER GUNS, NOS. 6151/2

30-inch replacement barrels by the maker with 2 3/4-inch chambers about 1/2 and 3/4 choke borings, short ribs and extensions, the frames, locks and gold numbered top levers with fine bouquet and scroll engraving and retaining some original hardening colour, the maker’s name signed within a scrolling banner, gold lined cocking indicators, rolled edge trigger guards, 14 1/2-inch well figured stocks with straight hands and recoil pads, 6lb. 13oz., nitro proof, in their maker’s lightweight leather case

The maker confirms that the guns were built in 1912 and that the replacement barrels (numbered 10243/4) were fitted by themselves in 2005. The guns have been maintained by the maker in recent years with no expense spared.