doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A quartette of Boss guns

Being at ease with figures and a fairly good memory on gun-serial
numbers, here is what I found out.
Nick Holt has in his forthcoming september auction as lot 1307
a pair of Boss nr. 5443/5444. The proofmarks,barrel dimensions
and description tell its a tired pair of Boss beauties,
with these typical fringed scrolls by John Sumner, the third.
Single trigger,locks up to the fences,still some colour,
one stock broken, a project.
One month later JamesDJulia has a pair of Bosses, single
trigger, locks up to the fences, complete description yet
missing, with the numbers 5445/5446. These are the neighbouring numbers to the Holt pair.
A nice coincidence.
The Julia pair has the golden lettering 1 and 2 , so its
not built as the nr. 3 and 4 to the Holt pair, its just
another single pair. Given the consecutive numbering
it could give a "matched"/"composed" quartette.
So if you ever wanted to have a Boss quartette, here is the
unique chance to acquire them piece-wise.
With such a quartette of Bosses you are obviously over-gunned
for the one-digit-quota of the gorgeous king eider of the
Aleutan-islands or the harlequins of Alaska mainland.
So here is a portfolio of options you could pursue with such
a Boss-battery.
Lets start with the first half year.
Outfitter and raconteur David Denis - and as well others -
have the Argentinian wilderness to go.
There are about 80 millions of doves near Cordoba, you have to start slowly to avoid an open shoulder after the first half day. He obviously can provide you
three gauchos as loader/assistants.
If after three days you can not see a dove anymore, its time
to move to his estancia in Goya for ducks.
If you use for this short trip an air-charter from the nearby airport of Jesus-Maria, issue a prayer before the plane
starts the takeoff along the grass-runway, hoping
it will not hit the high poplar trees at the end of the runway.
(You may as well understand then the meaning of the name).
With Goya you have moved into the area of the
Parana-swamps, infested by piranhas and
anacondas lurking for their preferred prey, the carpinchos.
Your are possibly seen as a too big prey, anyhow your
indio loader/assistant will accompany you into the swamps.
If barefooted he can easily locate the hidden
snake.
Goya has a variety of teals ( Brazilian,silver,ringed..)
and the ubiquitous rosybill.
Now to the second half of the year, you have to try
the northern hemisphere.
Go to Zidlochovice in Czechia for high volume pheasants.
If you end up with your buddies after one week stay
there , residing in the castle, and a bag most appropriate
to your quartette, you will possibly write a cheque of
about 30 kilo US-$.
Another exciting high-volume hunting destination in Europe
is "Les colverts (=green heads) de Sabournac" in France.
N.B. for the European destinations a Cabelas sourced
reed-green XXL-camouflage would be most inappropriate.
There may be more high volume days in old Europe.
...
So my dear co-patriots in the madness of gun-collecting
and bird-hunting, empty your over-flowing petty-cash and take
delight in procuring yourself a quartette ob Boss guns.
As to my person, within a few months I am turning 80,
although not sick, it is probably not the best perspective
to go for a quartette .
Wish you good luck and an enjoyable autumn-bird-hunting
season.

Weidmannsheil
DI.Felix Neuberger
..
Cordoba doves in flight /Photo courtesy Stuart Williams
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/52376
A Cordoba-dove swarm / Photo courtesy Stuart Williams
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/52377
A concentration of white-faced tree ducks /Photo courtesy
Stuart Williams
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/52378
Zidlochovice pheasant shoot / Photo courtesy Artia
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/51672
Sabournac duck bag / Photo courtesy Holland promo brochure
http://www.jpgbox.com/page/52379

My Boss book is packed for an upcoming move. The book describes some pairs and trios, maybe a quartet or two.

Great post Felix. Your description of the South American curriculum reminded me of my International Sportsman times. The snake business in the swamps around Goya was for real...Geo

I'd be so all over it if the auction house could find the other four triggers.

Any one of them would have looked splendid in the early pheasant season hailstorm I got caught in, down in Steele County, MN, three years past. If you are going to be carrying a lightning rod, at least make it a good lightning rod.


Best,
Ted

Hahahaha!!

Those are some pretty great shotguns.
A garniture of Boss', what a treat.

I shot a trio in England, and it was like being inside of a machine. A garniture would require even more motion.

It's not for me. Double gun days are just about right IMHO.

A year round wingshooting life is a very heavy load. Very tiring. Even more so without a valet and assistant laying the groundwork, and managing logistics.

I once owned a Boss gun. (Lord, I do love saying that) Our friend homeless jOe advised it was only useful as a tomato stake. The English gunsmith who was asked to sleeve it agreed with jOe. Just the same I did own a Boss gun once:






I not only owned it, but traced the ownership back to Brit Royalty...Geo

I remember when Boss Doubles sold for $3-4K in the Sheep Shed at Friendship, IN. 'Course, they were muzzleloaders. Still, they were Boss quality .......... and beautiful.

SRH

Re "missing four triggers"
Here are 3 statements of highly esteemend gunsmiths who did or still building guns of Boss type incl the Boss single trigger
1. The Boss single trigger has "no expiration" date, like a
car engine, it's a reliable feature.
It may need a new spring, but that's it.
2. Oiling this single trigger is not a DIY exercise.
It should not be kept dry, too much oil sill stick it.
The profi uses thin oil PlUS blowing it out.
3. You will earn a lot of problems if you let restock a gun with this trigger by a stocker who is not familiar with this trigger-specs.
Felix Neuberger