Vintage British Doubles

Altitude sickness said:

My Hellis and sons. It’s a 3rd tier maker that made top tier quality guns. View attachment 715060View attachment 715061View attachment 715059View attachment 715058

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CJNJ said:

Just started what may be a new fascination for me: vintage British double shotguns. Have incoming a 1913 Charles Hellis and Sons 12 gauge box lock with engraved side plates. Have read a little about this gunmaker who had a London shop and apparently outsourced his barrels at least from Birmingham. I know this gun is not a London "Best" but to me it is attractive and fascinating. Will soon see how it shoots. Maybe next up will be a Westley Richards, George Gibbs or Jeffrey? I'm sure others here collect vintage British guns. Would love to hear your stories.

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Pondoro said:

My Purdey game gun of 1896 vintage..

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CJNJ said:

Just started what may be a new fascination for me: vintage British double shotguns. Have incoming a 1913 Charles Hellis and Sons 12 gauge box lock with engraved side plates. Have read a little about this gunmaker who had a London shop and apparently outsourced his barrels at least from Birmingham. I know this gun is not a London "Best" but to me it is attractive and fascinating. Will soon see how it shoots. Maybe next up will be a Westley Richards, George Gibbs or Jeffrey? I'm sure others here collect vintage British guns. Would love to hear your stories.

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Russ16 said:

Hellis made some great guns.

A great many gunmakers sourced actions and barrels from Scott and either stocked them in house or had them stocked and finished to their specifications by one of the many independent individuals in Birmingham.

The best advice I was ever given regarding British shotguns is evaluate every gun for itself. Even some lesser known makers sometimes made absolutely first tier guns, and even the best makers let a few slip out the door that they wouldn’t be proud of.

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Red Leg said:

I think they are some of the finest and most elegant examples of form following function ever created. Three of my favorites that are fairly rare.

Stephen Grant & Sons side lever side lock. It really is a better and more natural mouse trap but never really caught on with most shooters. This one is a 12 bore 2.5" game gun that has taken a lot of pheasants over the last 25 years. Standard with 29" barrels and made until 1914, they were considered "best" guns.View attachment 715170

And another from the same era that is more properly "British" rather than English. It is a James MacNaughton from the same period as the Grant. Also a 2.5" 12, it too is a game gun built on the elegant MacNaughton pinless round action boxlock. It was usually in hand when the Grant was not over the last couple of decades. Unfortunately, like German Lindners, these guns have developed a bit of a cult like following among collectors.
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And finally a money gun. This is a 32" 2.75" 1 1/4 ounce proofed William Cashmore "Nitro" pigeon gun also from the turn of the last century. I acquired it shortly after becoming addicted to box bird shooting in the early 2000's. With extremely long forcing cones and chokes, it hits like Thor's hammer dropping birds before they can leave the ring. It is functionally practically as new, but she needed a little TLC which was accomplished by Doug Turnbull. It has won a lot of races. Note the unusual reinforcing exterior locks.
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Red Leg said:

I think they are some of the finest and most elegant examples of form following function ever created. Three of my favorites that are fairly rare.

Stephen Grant & Sons side lever side lock. It really is a better and more natural mouse trap but never really caught on with most shooters. This one is a 12 bore 2.5" game gun that has taken a lot of pheasants over the last 25 years. Standard with 29" barrels and made until 1914, they were considered "best" guns.View attachment 715170

And another from the same era that is more properly "British" rather than English. It is a James MacNaughton from the same period as the Grant. Also a 2.5" 12, it too is a game gun built on the elegant MacNaughton pinless round action boxlock. It was usually in hand when the Grant was not over the last couple of decades. Unfortunately, like German Lindners, these guns have developed a bit of a cult like following among collectors.
View attachment 715171
View attachment 715172

And finally a money gun. This is a 32" 2.75" 1 1/4 ounce proofed William Cashmore "Nitro" pigeon gun also from the turn of the last century. I acquired it shortly after becoming addicted to box bird shooting in the early 2000's. With extremely long forcing cones and chokes, it hits like Thor's hammer dropping birds before they can leave the ring. It is functionally practically as new, but she needed a little TLC which was accomplished by Doug Turnbull. It has won a lot of races. Note the unusual reinforcing exterior locks.
View attachment 715198
View attachment 715199

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