The difference between a true, best-quality double barrel barrel and real nice shotgun is small. It doesn’t take much to lift a gun to the top level — a few more passes with a file, a bit more attention to detail, a little more refined eye for aesthetics. But it’s these extras that add up and make a big difference.
To see what I mean, check out the tip on this forend. The gun is a 1921 Boss, and the quality of the work is Best quality.
It amazes me that the stocker was able to fit the wood and metal that precisely. Another thing that impresses me is the shape of the metal. Why make it that way? Those little points, the curves, the shark-fin flares — what a pain in the butt. Imagine how much easier it would have been to fit if it were just V shaped. Functionally, the little extra don’t serve any purpose. They sure look nice, though.
You can see more pics of this gun here. It’s #2 of a pair Lewis Drake had a while back. Like most of the stuff Drake has, the Bosses were fantastic guns.
and to watch the craftsmen that do this type of work, with their skillfull hands whittling away on a $3000 piece of wood, carrying on a conversation, without a care in the world, is nothing short of amazing——-