doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com JIM FERGUS

I just heard from Jim Fergus. He has been pursuing partridge in Montana with Danny Lahren and reports that huns were down due to the wet, cold spring and summer. He did get a few points though.

Jim has asked that I do a little research into his English made J. Barrett & Son 20 bore prior to him selling the gun. Do any of you miscreants have any information on Barrett beyond the one line mention in Nigel Brown?

Thanks.

We supposed to know this Jim Fergus ?.....Without pics it's just another Birmingham clunker.

Below are some photos of a Barratt and Sons 12ga that was made on a Powell's lifter action around the turn of the century. Not my idea of a Birmingham clunker but who knows! This gun was one of a pair of guns and was attacked by bubba, I am still trying to figure out how to save it. It has excellent bores, works perfectly and has nitro proofs. More photos at http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/Barratt%20and%20Sons/

Many thanks James for posting images of your Barrett retailed �Lift Uplever.� Clearly a Powell product based on their patent 1,163 of 1864 and a lovely gun if a little tired. You can see an almost identical gun of page 94 of Birmingham Gunmakers though this one is signed W. B. Barrett of Burton-on-Trent. Jim Fergus�s gun was retailed by, I believe, Barrett of Thetford in Norfolk. Does anyone know of a connection?

James, when I was researching Birmingham Gunmakers Peter Powell told me they produced huge numbers of these Lift Uplever guns which were mostly signed by the provincial trade. When I asked just how many I was told they had lost count!

Doug,Burton is better known as the home of Bass Beer rather than for its gunmaker!Records show the following locations.

Barratt, William Butler 48 High Stret 1849-1854
Burton-On-Trent
with & Son,same location " " 1857-1870
Listed without son " " 1862 only
48&49 High Street c1900
There was a gunmaker in business in Burton in the 1950,s but I cannot recall if they were trading under the name Barratt.
William Powell sold/exported finished hammer guns with their patent lifter action into the U.S.A. The name engraved on these guns was, John E.Long,Detroit.

Hey JoE:
Where ya been man? Honin' dat sophisticated personality at the local tap? Man, I love ya. You can really still stick it to those Brits! Birmingham clunkers... Yes! What insight. You can see right through those bums in B'ham.

Hey... why don't ya show some pics of Your Birmingham clunkers? Wassn't dey called "Scott" or somthin'?

Doug, nothing in Boothroyd (at least the books I have) to add to the above.

Jim Fergus-- sounds like a Scot to me- only Scottish double I can think of is the Dickinson round action. We have a separate forum sector for those impeccable German and Austrian firearms, we don't we have one for the Limeys??

Thanks Roy

Could you be thinking of Coltman & Co. who succeeded Barratt & Son on Station Street in Burton-on-Trent? I hadn�t realized they�d survived through the fifties.

Both my father and his were Bass men despite coming from the home of Broon Ale!

OT: Run - I found a spring for my Simson. Merkel USA had some and they're sending it to my smith directly.

In any event, thanks for all the help!