LeFusil, Exactly! abra cadabra aside, that is a Best Boxlock; boxlock being a qualifier. It is not what was referred to when the term "Best" was delivered.
Of course we can change or tweak an original meaning; it seems many want to. Guns which do not have chopperlump barrels for example are not Best guns. Being less labor and talent intensive and being less costly to produce, neither are boxlocks.
People use the term "anal" today to mean just about anything THEY want it to mean. But the phrase anal expulsive and anal retentive coined by Freud had and still has only one true meaning. People who use the phrase to indicate something THEY mean does not necessarily mean they are wrong, but, they are not using the phrase accurately, correctly, etc. They either lack knowledge of it's true meaning, or are using it loosely to serve their purpose.
Those are both very nicely done and highly adorned boxlocks by the way.
So, by your definition, a best gun cannot have Damascus barrels eh? You and I both know that is pure bollocks. Many "best guns", boxlocks and sidelocks sport damascus tubes, the finer, more elaborate, the better.
I've never seen chopperlump damascus barrels, have you?? I know a fellow by "Parsons" patented chopperlump damascus barrels in the 1860's (did you know that?), but these are extremely rare and most definitely not the "norm". The norm for a makers best effort during this time period would have be the finest Damascus with
dovetail lumps
. I think its safe to say that a set of Sir Thomas Kilby's finest English Damascus cost alot more to make in both time and effort than Sir Joseph Whitworths fluid compressed steel . Well Mr. Rowley, looks like its back to the drawing board for ya.
Dustin
