The original Churchill era ran from 1891-1959. It was most famous for the revolutionary XXV double shotgun design which came out in the early 20's and utilized a 25" barrel. It was something of a fad and those guns demand serious attention and investment today. Like many of the older makers, Churchill did not really survive the post WWII era. The name was originally sold / merged with Atkin, Grant & Lang ceasing operations around 1980. Somewhat like how the name "Rigby" was batted about, the "Churchill" trademark simultaneously was acquired by Kassnar Imports, a US importer, who aggressively used the once prestigious Churchill name on mass produced shotguns and rifles made in Spain, Italy, and Japan. Again somewhat similar to Rigby, in 1996 the original rights to the trademark were reacquired by a British consortium which now both builds bespoke shotguns and licenses the name for a series of entry level shotguns.
The most common 30-06 rifles date to the late seventies through eighties. These were contracted and built on Mauser actions primarily in Spain or Japan and imported into the US by Kassnar. A very few rifles were also built in the 50's through 70's by the original E.J. Churchill Gunmakers. These are extremely well built bespoke rifles on FN Mauser actions. I have never actually seen one of these.
The Kassnar imports show up at large gun shows and seem to be solid no frills rifles. You can find one in good condition for around four or five hundred dollars. Simply adding the "Churchill" name to an import did not make it a London rifle. Should you locate an actual bespoke Churchill, you will know it when you see it, and you might want to call Rock Island and list it.
