Heritage Guns Update 14th April, 2022
As usual I must apologise for not sending out an Update since last November but as some of you will be aware, this year has been hugely challenging with illness in the family culminating in bereavement within the last few weeks. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my very humble thanks for the many good wishes I have received during this difficult time.
Spring has very definitely sprung in East Anglia with the daffodils nearly over and the hawthorn and fruit trees bursting into bloom. Temperatures are climbing into the ‘comfortable’ zone and Tilly is moulting like crazy! Roe bucks are now in season but their girlfriends are not and of course one suddenly sees the does and their followers everywhere. Cock pheasants are strutting their stuff along every hedgerow and demonstrating even less road sense than usual as they bang heads with their neighbours. We have quite a few English or grey partridges hereabouts. They are all neatly paired up and seem to take great pleasure in bursting from under ones’ feet with burring wings and ‘rusty key’ call, shocking one out of a day dream.
Anyway, to guns…
I have just successfully exported a mixed consignment of antique (pre-1899) shotguns to Bob Nay of MacNab Fine Firearms, some of my stock and some for J-P Daeschler of John Dickson & Son, for exhibition at the Southern S/S Classic in a few weeks’ time.
My offerings are as follows:
Firstly, another J Blanch & Son boxlock joins its stablemate. This one has original 30” steel barrels, is 2 3/4” nitro reproofed, scallop-back action and carries a beautiful, highly figured replacement stock.
Pre-1898
J Blanch & Son 12b BLE no 6129
Next we have a 1st Type Holland & Holland 12b
Royal from 1891. Rebarrelled by the Makers in 1909, it has 30” steel barrels, 2
3/4” nitro reproof and the most fantastic replacement stock.
1891
Holland & Holland 12b Royal no 12988
Thirdly is another lovely Damascus barrelled side-lever
hammergun by Stephen Grant. 2 ¾” nitro reproof, 30” barrels and a long, very
highly figured stock: what’s not to like!
1878
Stephen Grant 12b Hammergun no 4419
My last export this time round is a really lovely,
ultra-lightweight, 16b hammergun by Thomas Turner, complete with pigmy forend
and original cutaway stock. Presented in its original case (which turned up at
auction quite independently!), this is a simply amazing little gun and ideal
for upland game or quail.
Pre-1887
Thomas Turner 16b Hammergun no 4319
Guns from my October 2022
export yet to find new custodians are:
Firstly, a
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 almost exactly
the same in all respects.
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. 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.
And last but not least,
pre-1881
Baraction 20b Hammergun by Frank Hipgrave of Huntingdonshire.
Nitro reproofed Damascus 28” x 2 ½” x IC/Cyl barrels and 14 ½” well figured stock. Leather bound, canvas Brady case.
pre-1881
20b Hammergun by Frank Hipgrave in its Brady canvas & leather case
Meanwhile, Bob Nay of
Macnab Fine Firearms already had several items of mine in Virginia, USA:
Here is another sidelever hammergun by Stephen Grant. It has 30” TIG sleeved barrels and a vintage replacement stock with fabulous figure.
1877
Stephen Grant 12b Sidelever Hammergun no 4247.
1877
Stephen Grant 12b Sidelever Hammergun no 4247 in its Oak-lined case.
Next is a very pretty J Blanch & Son 12b backaction SLE with its original 2 ½” x 28” damascus barrels and boldly figured stock.
Pre-1896
J Blanch & Son 12b Backaction SLE no 5601
Pre-1896
J Blanch & Son 12b Backaction SLE no 5601 in its leather case
Then we have another Blanch 12b, this time a BLE from around
1900, complete with interceptor sears and replacement steel barrels by the
Maker.
1900
J Blanch & Son 12b BLE no 6135
Recently returned to the USA after a little TLC in our
workshops is this extraordinary, unique Powell SLE with non-functioning
hammers, specified by the customer as a new gun back in 1893!
Unique
1893 William Powell & Son 12b SLE with non-functioning hammers no 9622
And lastly, an extremely rare, un-messed-with
pair of 1897 James Woodward & Sons 12b SLE’s complete with original barrels
and stocks and many accessories.
True
pair of 1897 James Woodward & Sons 12b SLE’s no’s 5166/67
Well, that is about it for now.
Keep safe and enjoy the spring!
Very best regards,
Toby Barclay
Historic Guns For The Modern Sportsman
