So what about the other English gunmakers? Watson, Cogswell, Army Navy

[CZDiesel]

I’ve personally been looking at William Evans rifles for a coupe 6ears now. I let a Evans Mauser Actioned 404 Jeffery slip through my hands and I really regret it!

 

[franzfmdavis]

I am frequently impressed by the amount of detailed information ya’ll have rattling around in your heads; if I had a fraction of that information accessible in my head I could just stay at home and ponder interesting thoughts!

 

[cm76]

Army & Navy CSL certainly retailed some pretty rifles as well as the plainer examples. I recently picked up this little A&N CSL 360 2 1/4 BPE for my collection.

 

[grand veneur]

Webley & Scott / 577 Nitro Express / PHV-1 action / built 1909

 

[Altitude sickness]

Nice gun bag also

 

[grand veneur]

Nice gun bag also

Off topic for a short time:

The bag is made of Moose deer leather and was a good opportunity to buy in Strasbourg/France. It was displayed as a decoration in the window of a fashion store that had from far no relation with hunting. I asked if they would sell it and they did.

 

[Dakota Hunter]

Wasn’t Woodward a maker also of fine doubles ?

 

[rookhawk]

Wasn’t Woodward a maker also of fine doubles ?

Woodward is one of the most expensive, finest made shotguns in the world. In fact, in the "old money" uber shotgun world, the true collectors and aficionados prefer Woodwards, MacNaughtons, and Dicksons to the "big 4" of Boss, Purdey, Holland, and Westley.

I don't recall seeing any Woodward double rifles over the years so if they did make some, they surely made very few. Woodward was most famous for a lightweight over/under game gun when SxS was a hundred fold more popular.

To the other points in the thread, everyone is wisely pointing out that there were a lot more retailers than actual makers with a gun works. Holland didn't even have a gun factory until 1898 yet people pay ridiculous money for Scott Dominions and Climaxes that say "H&H" on the rib. Manton was dead and buried by around 1850 and the name was used on working quality guns for sale in India in the 20th century. Almost every maker has a similar story pointing to them being merely a retailer (or stocker/finisher).

 

[JvW]

Woodward is one of the most expensive, finest made shotguns in the world. In fact, in the "old money" uber shotgun world, the true collectors and aficionados prefer Woodwards, MacNaughtons, and Dicksons to the "big 4" of Boss, Purdey, Holland, and Westley.

I don't recall seeing any Woodward double rifles over the years so if they did make some, they surely made very few. Woodward was most famous for a lightweight over/under game gun when SxS was a hundred fold more popular.

To the other points in the thread, everyone is wisely pointing out that there were a lot more retailers than actual makers with a gun works. Holland didn't even have a gun factory until 1898 yet people pay ridiculous money for Scott Dominions and Climaxes that say "H&H" on the rib. Manton was dead and buried by around 1850 and the name was used on working quality guns for sale in India in the 20th century. Almost every maker has a similar story pointing to them being merely a retailer (or stocker/finisher).

Woodward surely made double rifles, but not many. Winston Churchill owned a Woodward .500 NE with which he shot, inter alia, his Rowland Ward entry black rhino. If it would ever make it to an auction, it would raise the bar, price-wise, I suspect. This is a Woodward Automatic .450/400 (3,25") BPE, once owned by PK van der Byl, former Rhodesian defence minister.