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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 105
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 105 |
I consider this to be a "best" A&D gun, a Charles Daly Diamond in 16 gauge. (Forgive me for posting it again, I know it's been up before.) 
John McCain is my war hero.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 14
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 14 |
For sure I'd not argue that point!!  Nice gun!! Who cares how many times you post it - it is beautiful.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21 |
If I were to take anything away from this thread, I will venture to say that "best" means that particular maker's best quality. Would this be an accurate interpretation?
I see "best" tossed out there by dealers more often lately, it seems.
Last edited by Chuck H; 01/11/12 12:16 AM.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21 |
I went to GunsInternational and typed in "best". One of the guns that popped up was this http://www.gunsinternational.com/HOLLAND...un_id=100219729There were so many "best" labeled guns that came up from dealers that I believe know better.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,860 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,860 Likes: 15 |
Best is an interesting idea, and I don't think it's just a hollow marketing scheme.
Like with car companies, different gunmakers had different ideas of what it meant.
KIA's best car isn't as nice as Bentley's, just as the top-of-the-line gun from A.H. Fox isn't on par with a Boss.
Different customers + different price points = much different products.
The idea of Best also evolved as gunmaker's competed with one another and refined their products.
A best-quality Boss from the Patstone era can't compare with one from the later, Robertson era.
All this being said, I think there's something to be said for making any style gun (boxlock, sidelock, etc) in the best way possible.
But defining this "best way" is tricky. What do you include? What do you exclude? What matters and what doesn't?
I've tried to quantify this and I'm always finding exceptions.
OWD
Last edited by obsessed-with-doubles; 01/11/12 10:44 AM.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 14
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 14 |
If I were to take anything away from this thread, I will venture to say that "best" means that particular maker's best quality. Would this be an accurate interpretation? I don't think that is quite accurate, Chuck. I think that at any given point in time there were fairly commonly accepted quality grades based on price point and the trade masters knew who did the best work in each of the gun making steps. If a small shop was lucky enough to snag a best gun commission, the shop master would have to make decisions as to how much in-shop work was to be done, how much out-work would have to be hired, if the gun would be bought-in in the white and finished, or simply ordered from Birmingham finished and with the shop's name on it. The master's job, reguardless of how much work he may or may not have put into a gun, was to make sure all guns were of quality that met the selling point.
I see "best" tossed out there by dealers more often lately, it seems. Sales hype for the unwary/uneducated.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,574 Likes: 167 |
"Best", in the British trade, would have meant a sidelock ejector gun, 100% engraving coverage, stocked to the fences, chopperlump barrels, fine and flawless checkering. But, with Rocketman's permission, we can't overlook his "brand value" category. Quite a few Brit makers were fully capable of turning out a "best" gun, but the price would likely be lower than an equivalent Purdey, Boss, H&H, or Woodward, because in those cases you're paying for the name as well as for the gun. A Scott might have been every bit the gun, but it didn't have every bit the name.
Gorgeous gun, Joe!
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 385
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,857 Likes: 385 |
how about the Hollands that were built before they had a real factory (1891-1892)not stocked to the fences and parts from Scott.and Scott having very similar guns for sale.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,860 Likes: 15
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,860 Likes: 15 |
So what about Greener's top-of-the-line G Gun (not a sidelock), an H&H Royal with original dovetail-style bbls, or a 20th century Boss that's not stocked to the fences?
The maker's considered these to be their best guns.
What are we to make of them?
And what about Purdey with "Extra Finish" or an H&H Modele De Luxe? These guns were one step up from the standard bests. So what are they -- even better Bests?
That's why classifying these things gets confusing.
OWD
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 13,883 Likes: 21 |
Sounds to me like there are basically two categories of "best" guns: the term applied to a model by the maker and the term applied by anyone else when the maker didn't use the term.
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