doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Arthur ilsley Gunmaker of Birmingham England ????

I am looking for any and all information on this gentleman and his guns.Production numbers, style, anything.
I have only found a few sentences from an auction site. " ARTHUR ILSLEY, b.1885, first worked in the Birmingham trade in 1899 for Armstrong Stevens & Son at 15 Whittall Street. Subsequently he worked for the Ward family of gunmakers before setting up for himself c.1910 at 131 Steelhouse Lane prior to WW1. He ceased business c.1932 and died in 1976."

thanks !

He set himself up as a finisher after working for the Wards, and was known in the trade as a maker of Best Quality boxlocks and sidelocks.

This is what I have: He was born in 1885 and set up in business aged 21. His father and Grandfather were also in the gun trade. Arthur Ilsley, Gun Finisher. 27 1/2 Whittall Street, Birmingham 1909, back of 131 Steelhouse Lane, 1910-12. Arthur Ilsley & Co, Gunmaker 28 Whittall Street 1922-23. 8 Whittall Street, 1924-25. Arthur Ilsley 16 St. Mary's Row 1926-28. Arthur Ilsley & Co. same address 1929-30. 11, St. Mary's Row 1932. Not recorded after this date but did amalgamate with Ward & Sons and the Warwickshire Gun & Manufacturing Company in 1945.

Boothroyd's book The British Over and Under Shotgun shows an Ilsley O/U gun on page 27. Lagopus.....

Thanks for the info. It has tripled my knowledge.
I do wonder what his production rate was like.
Anybody have an idea. Mine is in the 5000 range.

There was a Mr "Ilsey" in Greener's finishing or actioning shop who worked on their best guns at turn of the century and I have wondered what the family connection was.

There are some really nice Ilsey guns out there, and the boxlock above is quite handsome.

Wish I could add more...

It would depend on how he started his numerical sequence. I woould suspect an output in the hundreds rather than thousands. All the Ilsleys that I have seen, and that is not all that many, have been of very good quality. Yours looks to be a good specimen. Lagopus.....

If it is not possible to track down actual production numbers.
Is it possible to say how many small gauge guns (28g) where made for ever so many 12's in that time era.
In other words, how rare was 28 ga. compared to 12's.

All I can say is that if it is a 28 bore it will be pretty scarce and command a premium price above a 12 in the same condition. I don't think his records are available. Lagopus.....

During the 1970,s Eley[IMI] held 60% of the U.K.market for shotgun shells. Over a period of three years cartridge sales by gauge was reported to be: 10G O.1%, 12G 87%,16,G 3.2%, 20G 3.25%, 28G 0.5%, .410bore 6.0%,Even allowing for imported guns in use, these statistics I believe give a close approximation of the guns made by gauge, by the british makers.

Do we have to take into account that shooters of 28ga. & .410 might also miss more often? That would make a difference only if limits were in force and shooters shot their limits.

Also there may be more 28's than were actually used, closet queens.