doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com "Deal" case

The records of William Powell & Son contain many references to "deal" cases. I assume the item is a standard leather case as the more expensive oak & leather cases are so-identified. Can anyone shed some light on "deal" - is it a brand name, style, etc?

Hi Steve.

White deal as known here in Brit land is Pinus Sorbus a soft white timber with not a lot going for it because of its soft open grain mostly used for internal work in houses.
Red deal is the name we Brits have for Scots pine a far superior timber used for quality house parts like door casings skirting boards.
So a white deal gun case is the cheapest and usually covered with canvas.

Attached is a copy from the ledger books of Wm. Powell & Son #8409, a .410 back-action toplever hammergun that I previously owned. The gun was completed on Dec. 24, 1886. Peter Powell was kind enough to look it up and e-mail me a copy of the ledger page. It, too, mentions a deal case, but I have no idea what the case was because it was long gone before I acquired the gun.

So "deal" refers to an inexpensive pine case rather than a more expensive oak or oak & leather model?

Interesting stuff....

Thanks

OWD

Where else can one get such good answers ? Great job, Damascus.

Deal was a utility wood used in Europe in much the same manner as pine and poplar were used here a hundred years ago. These two American woods were the predominate ones used as interior woods by cabinetmakers. Most often the sides, backs and bottoms of the drawers in case pieces are made of these woods.
Jim

damascus,
Many thanks.
A reference to deal cases can also be found in Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790 by Neal & Back. An inventory c.1748 lists "a Deal Case" with a cost of two shillings and sixpence.

Great thread! I learned something from it.

I to learned something about a deal case.

I did not expect the interest in such low cost gun cases so from my collection of associated gun things is a Victorian Deal gun case which it is in line for me to restore if I live long enough!!!
From the photographs you can see that there is none of the usual leather edge protection strip fitted in fact there are marks from corner protectors made from compressed paper that had been fitted with glue though now long gone. The covering is Cotton Calico a very light weight canvas. The external lock is made from plated steel rather than the traditional Brass, also the leather fittings are made from low quality leather so possibly the handle did not stay attached to the case for long before the case and it parted company.
Inside the there are just the necessary partitions for the barrel and action plus a strap for the action fitted to the case with a rivet having a steel buckle not the usual brass variety, also the case does not have the usual provision for barrel cleaning rods. The case inner lining is felt rather than the higher costing woven Baize and the wood it is constructed from is rather thin in section white deal.
I think we must keep a sense of proportion here this case is just one step away from the basic nailed Pine delivery box, but as lowly as they may be these cases have been the only protection and storage for some guns for many years.