doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Webley Manton date of proof

I missed the "maximum" in the original photo. As I understand it, that went away under the rules of 1904, so agree with Lagopus' date range.

Gunman, as far as I know they only applied the word Max. or Maximum for the 1896 to 1904 period and after that they used the word Shot i.e. 1 1/8 Maximum or later 1 1/8 Shot. Lagopus.....

A bit OT but....
Rocketman, I know there are those that will question whether they are 'Best' guns but Blanch made their 'Best' baraction sidelocks in the early 1900's on a Webley screw grip action. They also generally had a through lump. Usually engraved by the Kell workshops and, to my eye, up there with the best but no doubt the purists will say it can not be a 'Best' gun with top extension, Screw Grip and Thru Lump.
Frankly I don't care, they are gorgeous guns and I would take one over a cookie cutter Purdey or post 1900 H&H any day.
Blanch engraved their 'Best' guns with the production year in Roman numerals on the trigger guard bow and all the above described guns carry that engraving.

Toby
Burrard in his book, The Modern Shotgun, Vol;1 page 38, plate V published in 1931, selected a side lock shotgun engraved, "Manton" to illustrate the different parts of the action of a gun.
Burrard must have held these Webley Mantons in some regard. There is also the possibility that Burrard did not want to offend the active London makers of the day and thus chose for illustration purposes, a gun with the name of a respected deceased maker.