Heritage Guns' Comment

Charles Osborne commenced trading under his own name in around 1845 in Lichfield Street, Birmingham but by 1855 he was in Whittall Street, Birmingham where he maintained premises right up until 1928 when the business was acquired by Skimin & Wood, a highly respected gunmaker to the trade. He first opened for business in London in 1881, situated in the City of London, moving to the vicinity of Houses of Parliament in 1885 and then a final move to the address on this gun's barrels in 1899 where he stayed until the business left London in 1928. A study of the company name and address on the gun's barrels confirm that this gun was rebarrelled shortly after the turn of the century but had been manufactured prior to 1896: Charles Osborne became a Limited company in 1896 (hence the addition of 'Ltd' to the name on later guns) but the barrel's address dates from after 1909. However, the proof marks date to 1896-1904 and one possible explanation is that the gun was rebarrelled before 1904 but was left 'in the white' until some time after 1909.
The gun number, which is from the later period, was originally only found on the barrel loop but we had it copied to the trigger guard to help in identification.
The gun represents the classic boxlock of its day, delightfully simple and reliable, and this combined with excellent barrel measurements and sensitive restoration makes it a pretty gun for either game or clays.

WE REGRET THAT THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN, PLEASE CONTACT US.