Edmund Woods, 46 Waterloo Road, London
12 bore Bar Action Hammergun
No. 1084
Date of manufacture: pre-1880
Very likely made as a Live Pigeon Gun.
Click on these images for more detail.
Heritage
Guns' Comment
Edmund Woods was in business in
the centre of London from 1864 until 1891 and gauging by the unmistakable
quality of this example, his customer had money to spend..
This lovely Rotary Underlever hammergun was made in the period
of much change in the gunmaking world. Centrefire guns had only
recently started to replaced pinfire guns and percussion before
them. Gun number 1084 was built with old-fashioned non-rebounding
locks, converted in the 1880's to the modern rebounding mechanism
and it also features an early type of snap action bolting. However,
many of the aesthetic and design features that would become the
norm can be seen in this early gun. The engraving is a very striking
bold foliate pattern and not in the usual symmetrical form, in
itself a high end feature.
The 30" barrels have been re-proofed for 3"
nitro cartridges and this all adds up to a very strong
gun that is a joy to shoot and should give many years of service
on game or clays with normal maintenance.
When we started restoration on this gun, we thought it to be a
most unusual wildfowler with its fine wood and lovely engraving
but we dared not declare it anything but. We have since come to
believe that it was made as a Live Pigeon Gun. These were often
beautifully engraved as befitted their high profile while guns
intended for the foreshore tended to the plain and 'workmanlike'.
Furthermore, guns for the foreshore were more likely to be 8 and
10 bore in this era rather than a heavy 12b. Conversely, Live
Pigeon shooting was run with strict rules of competition and a
heavy, long chambered 12b would have been of great advantage.
The last piece of the puzzle is supplied by the location of Edward
Woods' premises. Waterloo Road lies just south of the river Thames
and to a large extent the river marks the boundary between the
Victorian wealthy to the north and the poor to the south.
Many Live Pigeon shooters of that time were drawn from the working
classes and the south of London was a fertile breeding ground
for gambling and 'blood sports'.
WE REGRET THAT
THIS GUN IS NOW SOLD. IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A SIMILAR GUN,
PLEASE CONTACT US.
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The action is
of traditional bar action sidelock design and features:
Percussion fences and Bold Foliate Scroll engraving;
Jones Rotary Underlever with Webley patent spring assistance;
Double triggers;
Rebounding bar action locks with high, faceted hammers;
Sprung strikers;
Cross wedge forend fastening.
Gun weight 8lb 1oz
Engraving style Bold Foliate scroll.
Trigger pulls measure approximately: Front trigger 3 ½
lbs Rear trigger 4lbs
The Damascus barrels are 30 ¼ " in length, chambered
for 3" (76mm) cartridges and are of
brazed dovetail lump construction with soft soldered ribs.
Top rib is of the smooth, concave game type. The RH barrel has
a few light vestigial pits and there is evidence of some pitting at
the front of the chambers.
London reproof for 76mm nitro powder
cartridges in 2013.
Approximate barrel measurements
at date of publication:
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Nominal Proof Size
|
Bore Diameter 9" from Breech
|
Minimum Wall Thickness
|
Choke Constriction
|
Right Barrel |
18.4mm (0.724")
|
0.724"
|
0.033"
|
0.023" (Mod)
|
Left Barrel |
18.4mm (0.724")
|
0.725"
|
0.032"
|
0.021" (Mod)
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Pistol Grip Stock and Splinter Forend are crafted from figured
walnut. The stock is cast-off for a right-handed shot and features
a vacant white metal oval and engraved heel & toe plates. There
is an antique inlet repair to a shake near the butt, one inlet repair
to the forend's edge and the stock appears to have been converted
from semi- to full-pistol grip. The forend has a horn tip.
The approximately 18 lines per inch chequering
is freshened to normal bar action sidelock, pistol-grip pattern.
The stock is finished with a traditional linseed oil based preparation
as used on best guns by one of the top English makers. This finish
uses no grain fillers to achieve its deep, smooth lustre, only many
hours of alternate build and flatting off of the surface.
Approximate stock
measurements at date of publication:
Pull to Heel
|
Pull to Bump
|
Pull to Centre
|
Pull to Toe
|
14 1/2"
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14 3/4"
|
14 1/2"
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14 7/8"
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Drop at Comb
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Drop at Face
|
Drop at Heel
|
1 1/2"
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1 15/16"
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2 5/8"
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Cast at Comb
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Cast at Heel
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1/4 (approximate)
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1/8 (approximate)
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For the purposes of these measurements,
'Drop at Face' is the 'drop' measurement taken on a line perpendicular
to the
line joining the trigger and centre of the butt at approximately 8"
from the trigger (front trigger on a double trigger gun).
Patents Exhibited include:
Stanton's rebounding lock patent no. 367 of 1867,
Jones rotary underlever patent no. 2040 of 1859,
Webley's spring assisted bolting patent no. 3022 of 1866.