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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 322
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 322 |
Looking for basic information about the firm and specifically the SLE Imperial model. I handled one recently and it seemed to be of very high quality. Is it generally considered a London Best gun? I can't seem to find much on the internet, and only one comment on quality. All I really know about the firm is that the founder worked at Holland and Holland about 100 years ago and left to set up his own shop.
Also this gun has a serial number of 16xx, so a time frame of manufacturer would be great. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of receiver or barrel flats for proof marks.
Thanks.
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,274 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,274 Likes: 1 |
According to IGC the firm Ogden Smiths and Hussey were in business from 1921 to 1933 at 62 St James Street London. They have sparse info about the firm. Apparently Ogden Smiths was a fishing tackle business and joined forces with H. H. Hussey in 1921. There were other Hussey's in the gunmaking business earlier.
Jim
I learn something every day, and a lot of times it's that what I learned the day before was wrong
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 15 |
Imperials are nice guns. I've seen some that are fantastic - the equivalent of a London best. Others have been just a step down - they didn't have chopperlump bbls or disc-set strikers.
The first Hussey used to work for J. Lang - I think as an overall manager (I would have to look it up). He was fired for some finanical irregularities. He started his own shop and made guns under the name H.J. Hussey. His top-of-the-line gun was the Imperial.
His son joined him after a while (I think he was apprenticed at Lang) and then the boy took the shop over. The company went through a number of incarnation - Harrison & Hussey being one, and Ogden, Smith, & Hussey being a later one (maybe the last).
They made lots of different grades of guns, boxlocks and sidelocks. There seem to be a lot of them out there, even though they couldn't have made that many of them.
A nice Imperial with lot of color and original condition seems to be about a $10,000-$12,000 gun these days. I've seen really nice ones go for a lot more though.
OWD
OWD
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,250
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,250 |
Nothing more magical than money, the London trade could hammer-out a best gun for those who had it.
There will always be questions about B'ham offerings in the best gun game.
...and not all went the big three's route(have some trouble with Woodward being the fourth) for their gamegun needs.
The better Husseys are from London, the not so good from B'ham.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 322
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 322 |
Thank you all for the information. I was not really in the market when I handled this gun, but I got to thinking how well it fit me, the sweetness of balance and exceptional cosmetics and now I am thinking - well maybe.
It is purportedly a London gun, but I need to call and check on ejectors and strikers. If it were a 16 it would really have the blood boiling. They seem to have a high number on it.
Thanks again.
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