doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Woodfield & C", London 12 ga shotgun.

Hello gentlemen:

Here in Mexico city it is not common to find "English shotguns" for sale.
Some guy is selling a Woodfield & C" London 12 ga boxlock sxs shotgun and I am interested in buying it if it worth the price. The seller says is in great shape, but I do not have more information.

I never own an english shotgun and it seems it is a good oportunity to have one.

Do you know about the maker? the quality?
The asking price is about $1,560 USD. but I think I can negotiate a little.

Any advise will be welcomed.

Best,

Post some pictures of the gun.....might save you some pesos

Hello:

This is the link for the local forum ad. You can see 3 photos but bad quality.
I was asking if someone knows about the "Woodfield & Co" trademark; it is really English?
I hope you can see the pictures, but I am not sure if the link will work.

http://www.enlamira.com.mx/foros/showthread.php?t=68744

Best,

Do someone know about the name "Woodfield & Co. London"?
It is really an English made shotgun or perhaps it was made in Europe and then traded in England?

I hope someone who knows could help me to know if I will buy an English shotgun or a "fake" with an English name.

Best,

Jose,

Membership is required to view photos on the "enlamira.com" site.

Copy the photos and post them in a E-mail, my E-mail address is in my profile.

Jose's Woodfield

Jose do you have a good close up of the barrel flats?

She ain't looking too English to me if she is she's been ruffed up real good by an imitation gunsmith.

I'd say that she is definitely English.

The action flats show what appear to be pre-1904 Birmingham view marks and clearly show Anson & Deeleys Patent (patent owned by Westley Richards) use number 4848.

It looks like both wood and metal have been refinished.

If does not appear to have been nitro proofed in England.

It would sure help to have sharp close-up photos of the barrel flats.

Quick look at eh photos and a little speculation. Looks refinished to me. Looks to be of Birmingham origin. The name is most likely a iron monger ( USA hardware store) who retailed the gun.

Quick value starting point. Brand value is level three (BV3, values at half as much as BV1 and 2/3 as much as BV2). Original quality grade appears to be about OQ6 (second grade boxlock ejector). Current condition level is restored (CC5). BV3-OQ5-CC5 = $1336. However, it is very difficult to asses the restoration quality. If you "ding" it down to CC6, the value is $984. So far, I think the ask is high.

Hope some other opinions come is from people with time to really look over the photos.

Might be just the pictures but the receiver looks polished and possibly blued. All that engine turning doesn't look too kosher either.

From what I see I wouldn't be interested at any price.

I have no reference to a gunmaker named Woodfield. There is a Woodfield Avenue in London.

As stated above, the gun was never submitted for final proof.

It appears to be a decent field gun, but no collector value. I agree with Rocketman, it is over priced. I would not pay as much as.

Pete

There is nothing legible on the flats.

The gun looks Spanish to me.

The gun has what appears to be British proofs on the barrels, the "not for ball" dates the gun 1875 to 1887. I would suspect the barrels to be composite (damascus or twist) that have been re-blued. Be cautious on this one.

Jim A.

Wow! How are you guys able to read the stampings? The "not for ball" definitely makes it English.

Hello Genelang
Put a picture in the middle of your screen
Then move your cursor to the little black arrow just
above the AM or PM of the clock of your lower right hand
screen
Click on the black arrow and make it 200 or more percent
Let us know how this works for you
Mike

So that's how you do it! Works fine.

Even easier, just right click the picture, select view image.

Jim A.

James you are correct this is a gun proof tested in Birmingham during the period 1875 -1887. There was a period of time in this era when Birmingham made guns,ordered for export were proof stamped on the barrels and not on the barrel flats. This practice was in place for a several years but was discontinued. In my opinion it was abandoned because the proof marks stamped on the barrel tubes rather than on the flats could act act as stress raisers weakening the barrels.I spent some time trying to identify the time frame when this practice was in vogue including discussions with the Birmingham proof house and leading figures in the Birmingham trade.I never obtained more than an aknowledgement that this was a practice used by some makers engaged in the export market.
This grade of gun boxlock none ejector is sold in provincial gun auctions in the U.K.for $100-200. The proof marks are black powder. The barrels a should be measured to see if they are in proof and to confirm the barrel material.

I wonder if that machine work on the flats is an attempt to hide a damascus pattern.
Steve

Gentlemen:

Thank you for all your comments.
The "temptation" to own an English shotgun is high, but I will pass because all the "defects" you show to me.
You do not see many English guns for sale here south of the border, but it have no sense to buy a shotgun with a lot of "gunsmith manipulation" like this.

Yes, de jeweled surface in the flats do not seem to be original, the forend wood also does not coincide with the stock. Thank you to "open" my eyes!

Regards,