doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Any reports from Vegas???

The H&H hammer gun, the Grant side-lever hammer gun and the cased Purdey bar-in-wood hammer gun stayed with me in the US. If anyone has interest, questions, needs or photos, just let me know. (Dave will get his $10).
It costs too much to just bring the guns back and forth across the pond. If Toby doesn't have a UK show, I park the guns in the vault until the next US show.
Details and photos are on Toby's website;

http://heritageguns.co.uk/hgframset.htm

Joe

I really enjoyed Toby's stand at the show, it was filled with unique items with a novel approach. His stand was a neat "bit of kit" for sure

There were more Flli Rizzini's at the show then I've seen before in one place. I thought the most striking guns at the show were the pair of Rizzini 12 gauge R-1E's Hallowell had on sale for $80K for the PAIR. They may have also been the "bargain" of the show at that price.

Here's the $80K PAIR Hallowell had on display: http://www.hallowellco.com/rizzini%2012ga%20pair.htm

A single, nearly identical 20 gauge sold at Julia's auction for $92K:

http://collectorebooks.com/jamesauction/shotguns/32847.htm

And a nearly identical single 16 gauge sold for $86K

http://collectorebooks.com/jamesauction/shotguns/32845.htm

12 Bores,Pads and Beavertails are the only thing I see with Morris's guns holding them back. While both useful in the field, they kill Art Gun value, so they are priced accordingly. Thats why Purdey & Boss O/U's small bore fetch 3x more than their 12 bore brethren Very nice guns BTW

I think there are more R1s on the market right now than it can ever absorb. That and Fabbris.

The market is drowning in that stuff.

Looks like FL real estate in '06.

OWD

Spaghetti guns aplenty....LOL!!

Somehow, Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns are still the best "American" westerns, so perhaps similarly the Italians might make the best "English" guns as well!

The things that jumped out in looking at the high grade Rizzini's and Piotti's at the show was how flawless the wood to metal fit is and the crispness of the engraving. The really deep red stock finish on the Rizzini's doesn't come through on the web photos either.

No wonder Purdey has Perugini & Visini building their Sporters, and EJ Churchill now has Perazzi building theirs.

No doubt the Italians know their guns and metalwork.....thats not the issue. As Gregg pointed out above, there is a finite demand that is more than being filled. Same can be said about the top line makers in all countries including England. There are only so many Dave Perrets, Ron Holdens, Bob Lees in the world. Thats why Toby's booth there was so refreshing. New products, new slant on the gun trade that I think will bear fruit going forward.

BTW, Purdey does 60% of the work on their Sporter, albeit on a P & V action. I regularly tour the factory, parts of those guns are strewn all over the place. Not my cup of tea-- I'll bust clays with a Perazzis

Couldn't agree more. We've been very fortunate here out East to have Toby, and previously his colleague Bob Brown, introduce many of us (including me) to fun of collecting and shooting vintage English hammer guns at events like the Vintage Cup and Southern SXS shoots. The work they've done finding, restoring and bringing over these lost treasures from across the pond has really sparked an interest in true vintage guns and brought a lot of enjoyment to a lot of collectors and shooters.