February signals the end of the game shooting season here in England but we have some compensation in the form of the British Shooting Show at the NEC and some interesting gun auctions to look forward to.
Harper Field (Gloucestershire)
This auction takes place on February 12th and concludes on 13th. It features a decent quantity of modern and vintage guns from British and continental makers.
I notes a couple of inexpensive hammer guns by in demand makers; one by Rigby and another by Stephen Grant. Neither are in pristine condition and the Rigby is what the firm classed as ‘sold by’, ‘guaranteed by’ and ‘other guns’. These were second and third grade guns bought in from the Birmingham trade, rather than made in Rigby’s workshops.
The Grant is a bar-action hammer gun with under-lever in restored condition and looks worth inspection at the £400-£600 estimate.
For something more modern, a Beretta Diamond Pigeon’ 20-bore at £1,500-£2,500 is a desirable gun and there are some small bore AYA boxlocks for under £100 by estimate.
I always have an eye for the unusual and one description peaked my interest: ‘William Mears of Boss & Co St James's London 12 bore side by side shotgun with named and engraved locks, engraved underside, trigger guard, top plate, thumb lever and fences, chequered grip and forend, carved teardrop to the wrist, vacant cartouche to the underside of the stock, double trigger and named 30 inch Damascus barrels choked ¾ and improved cylinder, overall length 117cm, length of pull 36cm, serial number 1947’.
It is a grubby, neglected thing but raises questions about the maker I had not considered before. The tradition of a former employee selling guns and referencing his previous master is not unusual but I do not recall one with Boss claimed as a mentor before.
Converted rook rifles are often very high quality and can be had for very little today. Harper Field has .410 singles by Mortimer & Son and by Army & Navy for under £100 and another .410, a converted Lee Enfield service rifle for an estimated £400-£600.
For those with slightly deeper pockets there is a very nice looking Holland & Holland 16-bore ‘Royal’ sidelock ejector with hand detachable locks, fine scrolling engraving to the locks, underside, trigger guard, top plate, thumb lever and fences, chequered grip and forend, carved teardrop to the wrist, vacant gold cartouche to the underside of the stock, single trigger and named 28 inch barrels choked ¼.
The upper estimate of £5,000-£8,000 is strong in today’s market but historically it is very good value if you want a beautiful, best, sidelock for game shooting. The 16-bore is an extremely elegant size for a sidelock and, in this buyer’s market, guns like this are very good value for the end user rater than the dealer or speculator.
Rising up the price scale there is a James Purdey & Sons 12 bore assisted-opening sidelock ejector with hand detachable locks, fine rose and scroll engraving to the locks, underside, trigger guard, top plate, thumb lever and fences, chequered grip and forend, carved teardrop to the wrist, vacant cartouche to the underside of the stock, double trigger and named 30 inch barrels choked ¼ and ½, overall length serial number 23265, in fitted leather carry case with three original labels.
I think the lock pins are a later addition and I would replace them with conventional ones, hand detachable locks of the H&H pattern are, in my opinion, a liability and best dispensed with. They invariably come loose and if you can’t wield a turn-screw properly, you have no business taking the locks off your gun anyway.
As with the Holland & Holland, I think the higher estimate is bit ambitions at £15,000 and would expect it to sell for the reserve of £8,000 if it makes that. I’d actually see this as a £6,500 gun today. It has beautiful wood and looks in good order but has no case colours left and has been extensively (and well) restored.
Wilson 55 (Cheshire)
The sale is on February 5th and runs into the 6th.
For a cheap pair of boxlocks, take a look at Lot 307 by Trulock & Harriss of Dublin, serial numbers 10991 and 10992, 30inch browned Damascus barrels with bold patterning and doll head extensions, quarter and half chokes to both sets of barrels, 2.5inch chambers, London proof marks, the ribs engraved Trulock and Harriss, 9 Dawson Street Dublin, each set bearing gilt gun numbers, boxlock ejector actions with auto safety, finely engraved with floral displays, scrollwork and maker name, figured chequered stock with vacant escutcheons. Together with a leather and brass travel case, the inside lid applied with a Trulock and Harriss label.
They are in good, shootable order, having been restored, but the walls are marginal on one. These are buy, shoot, enjoy and don’t worry about the value guns at £1,000 - £1500 the pair.
If you don’t have a bore gauge, you need one and Wilson55 have two Chubb versions for £150-£200 each. These essential tools help us make informed decisions when appraising potential purchases.
An out of proof (or almost out of proof) gun is a serious opportunity to lose your shirt if unrecognised. I have appraised several collections for owners thinking they are holding very valuable retirement plans only to discover the guns are mostly out of, or close to, out of proof. You need a wall thickness measuring tool for the same reason. Fortunately, there is one in the sale for £200-£300.
I have never been a big fan of the Lancaster ‘wrist-breaker’ spring opening gun but I do admit that is it a best quality London gun of refinement and craftsmanship and at £400-£600 for a used but not abused example, Lot 368 looks good value, even with one barrel down to 20-thou.
Big bores are ten-a-penny these days. Few use them and the heady days of the early 2000’s, when several collectors were fighting each other to buy every one on the market are long gone. However, a Dobson & Rosson double 8-bore hammer gun in good condition, with some remaining case colour and of good quality looks cheap and good value for £2,000-£2,500. Remember, this is an obsolete firearm under Section 58 so you can hang it on the wall and enjoy it if you don’t want to use it. Contrary to the description, as well as black powder proof, it has been re-proofed for nitro.
On the subject of licence free collecting, for the man who has everything, there is a deactivated FN Model D .30-06 light machine gun for a trifling £400-£600.
Holt’s (Norfolk)
With an auction catalogue already building on-line, Holts will hold their first sale of 2025 on March 24th & 25th in Norfolk. I have my eye on a lovely W&J Rigby percussion carriage pistol made circa 1860, with etched (Rigby recorded these as ‘pickled’) Damascus 5” side-by-side multi-groove rifled barrels, the flat top-rib signed in script 'Wm. & Jno. RIGBY, DUBLIN', .
It has a dove-tailed fore-sight, standing notch rear-sight, moulded breech-blocks with traces of colour and platinum lines and vented plugs, engraved rib-end, fully border and scroll engraved top-tang retaining much colour, colour-hardened back-action curved border and scroll engraved locks signed as the barrels, front 'moustaches' extending below the barrel breeches, carved and engraved dolphin-headed hammers, walnut half-stock with chequered grip of typical Irish form and fitted with and engraved iron cap, engraved trigger guard and mounts, captive iron ramrod.
Elsewhere in the sale there are already ten Purdeys listed, four Boss guns and plenty of collectable air rifles. Expect the list to grow significantly over the next few weeks.
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