Hi folks, just back from a very long day (for an invalid)at the CLA game fair. It was a lovely day, no rain (just) and I bought my next project! VERY pleased. Back to that shortly.
I thought the layout at Ragley Hall was not as good as last year’s event. It seems more splayed than symmetrical and it just didn't feel as good to me.
Gun makers row seemed smaller, again, maybe me, but maybe it's just the current economic climate that kept some of the smaller dealers away. Who knows?
The Really Wild clothing company had delicious (for some, not I, a happily married man with two kids) girls outside tempting one in. Not sure why but just outside their stand always seemed very busy with passing traffic.
For me I was looking for something new, maybe odd, and I got it. I went to see my friends at Francis Lovels, but I knew what they had, Avalon, nothing of interest, same with many others.
I then arrived at "Pantiles Vintage Guns". Not a big stand, but my lord, I wanted two or three of the guns. Now having literally 15 minutes earlier bought my some a new Yidilz .410 over and under I had to be careful with the pennies.
Now, just before I move to it, the Yidilz. It's brilliant, for just shy of £500 ($800) I got a new Turkish made and highly rated short stocked double for my son, just brilliant, he's chuffed and so am I, we go out to play tomorrow..Somehow.
OK, my purchase. Amongst the guns I picked out from the corner of my eye what looked like a Joseph Lang sidelock...I had a closer look. It turned out to be a quite rare to (find for me) Joseph Lang under lever plate lock (sometimes called round lock I think). A Joseph Lang patent (although at least one other Scottish maker also appears to have claimed something very similar) the gun has a very clever locking system with decorative side plates. The action is action inside the centre and drops out with the main action and triggers.
It's not perfect, the main breech pin has been replaced and I'll need to fix a scuff on both sides of the action, but it is very nice with original damascus barrels and re-nitro-proofed in 2010. I snapped it up...pictures VERY soon.
Anyway, great day, couple of super little guns. Enjoy it if anyone is going over the weekend...beware...the trip in sucks...ask the satnav to re-direct just after the m40 and avoid the main Stratford road drag and you'll go in the back way.
Cheers!
T
