IGC - Forum

I have recently been offered a very old, 12-bore, back action, hammer gun with Damascus barrels proofed for black powder with non-rebounding hammers and with its original steel buttplate. The Birmingham proof marks date it from around 1875. On the side of both locks it is engraved ‘LANKESTER’. After...

Just for information- the set of London Proof Marks that relate to 1883 are as shown on the well published chart as annotated on the screenshot attached below.

John, Thanks for your reply to my post about the C & H .410 Hammer Gun. Since neither the carpet or the photograph are mine, I’ll pass or your cleaning suggestions to my clay shooting friend (or his wife). I think the carpet is probably on his garage floor where he cleans his guns. Thanks also f...

Very recently a clay shooting friend of mine has bought a single barrel, .410 Hammergun by Cogswell & Harrison. From its serial number, it dates from 1883 and is in good working order. It’s hammer is not rebounding and consequently it has a half-cock and full-cock positions. At that date it woul...

Mark, Interesting quick response from Holts. It feels like they’ve been as helpful as they can be. It does presently leave it as a mysterious rook rifle though now probably continental rather than English. As their notes suggest, Holts do specialise in English gunmakers for rifles and shotguns. Not ...

Mark, Thanks for the update. Having checked my geography, yes, I guess that the 4,500 miles between Vancouver Island, Canada and the U.K. is probably a bit far for a day trip to the NEC Birmingham! Probably going to go myself with some clay shooting friends from our local club. If you’ve no objectio...

Mark, Thanks for the update and progress report. Interesting comment from Rigby’s. Regarding Holts Auctioneers you might find the 2 email addresses below useful in contacting them. I have bid and acquired several items from them over the last 2 years and have always found them very helpful. Certainl...

John39, Thanks for your posted reply. Frustrated as ever that there are no serial number records available for Rosson of Derby. With regard to your comment about Rosson’s patent, I’m assuming you mean Patent 15,313 of 1889. I’ve looked it up in Vol 2 of Crudgington & Baker, Page 210. For boxlock...

I have recently searched the historical database for 2 gunmakers based in Derby called Dobson & Rosson and Rosson of Derby. The search shows up quite a lot of information about Dobson & Rosson at 4 Market Head, Derby and the text suggests that the Internet Gun Club has some unpublished infor...

Thanks for your most recent post confirming the details about this mysterious ‘English’ rook and rabbit rifle. For me, the word ‘mysterious’ about sums it up. Despite many searches on the internet for both English and Belgium rifles, I have found nothing quite like it. Frustrating because, with so m...