Charles Hellis is perhaps best known for the Featherweight a sidelock or a side-plated boxlock engraved with crossed feathers frequently featuring short 26 or 28 inch barrels. Like E. J. Churchill the house of Hellis was an advocate of short barrels; catalogues claimed, we have continually recommended the use of the shorter barrels, and for many years past over 95% of the guns built by us have had 26-inch barrels. Extant Hellis order forms suggest these were built in Birmingham by the likes of Arthur and William Howell.
I own a Charles Hellis two-inch gun I use for short range work such as quail over pointers which has 26 inch barrels and I asked Hellis researcher Terry Utterson about it. Your gun no 4132 is described as a 12 bore A&D non ejector with 2 triggers, 26" barrels and 2" chambers. It was built and placed into stock on 21st March 1938 and sold in July of that year to Sumner Moore for 17.10.00. The gun came back into possession of Hellis some years later (possibly as a part exchange) and resold July 1946 to Dick for 37.10.00. The only extra information in the sales ledger is that the gun is described as a 'Reliable 2" non ejector! The 'Reliable' model was quite basic and, I would imagine, built to a price by any of the Birmingham makers to the trade specializing in 2" lightweight guns at that time, e.g. Skimin & Wood, G. S. Holloway and very possibly S. Wright and sons.
Hellis models included the Premier, a best quality London pattern sidelock ejector, stocked to the fences which was represented as The Perfect Specimen of the Gunmakers Craft. The Mark Over, a moderately priced flat backed action sidelock built on best lines. The Featherweight a side plated boxlock which later became the Windsor. The Utility a high grade Anson & Deeley gun with a rib extension which became the Universal when that rib extension was removed and the Plain Quality which was re-branded as the Standard. This last model was described as A Gun produced of first-class material by skilled workmen, for economy and ruggedness and intended for heavy usage.
