doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com G.E. Lewis?

G.E.Lewis displayed a print of Annie Oakley in the shop and advertised the fact that Annie was a patron, although this has been disputed.He built a good reputation for assembling robust wildfowling guns.

H.A.A. Thorn aka Chas. Lancaster supposedly gave lil sure shot some shooting lessons and also built a few guns for her too. Must've been good pr back then?

This what IGC has on GE Lewis:

Name G E Lewis
Other Names George E Lewis & Sons
Address1 Bath Street
Address2 32-33 Lower Loveday Street
City/Town Birmingham
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun engraver; gun & rifle maker
Other Address Duke Street, Manchester Square, Paddington, St Marylebone, London; 172 Strand, London
Dates 1850-1988

Notes

George Edward Lewis was born in Birmingham (possibly in Mosley Street) on 23 January 1829. He was the son of John Lewis, a brick manufacturer, and Elizabeth Lewis. He was apprenticed in the gun trade, and established his business in 1850 in Bath Street, Birmingham. Reportedly, he had studied art while completing his apprenticeship, and started his business as a gun engraver. This may well be partly true, but within a year or so he described himself in the 1851 census as a gun finisher employing 5 men. At time, he lived with his parents in Great Ring Street. In 1859 the business was described as gun and rifle makers and reportedly, they built a very large new factory at 32-33 Lower Loveday Street. If they did indeed build the factory, this would have been a remarkable achievement after only 9 years trading; it is more likely that space in the factory was leased, enlarged over time and, perhaps, bought by the firm at a later date. Perhaps George's father, being a brick maker, had contacts in the property development business. In 1862 the firm exhibited their guns in London. On 25 August 1863 G E Lewis together with Henry Walker and Joseph Blout Wayne patented a drop-down breech loader (No. 2100) which had two plugs in the breech face which entered sockets in the sides of the chambers by movement of a side lever. The patent seems to be a variation of the Dougall "Lockfast" breechloader, it was Lewis's only patent and very few were made.

In 1867 the firm exhibited in Paris. Initially, the firm had been trade manufacturers who also did repair work, re-barreling etc., but they were typical of the major Birmingham manufacturers. They exported guns to the Confederate army in the US Civil War (1861-1865) in return for cotton, and after the war developed export markets in the USA, India and Australia. They built military rifles for the French during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). In 1871 the firm began to sell direct to the public as well as to the trade. They exhibited in Vienna in 1873, and in Paris in 1878 where they introduced their "Gun of the Period", a registered trade name for a high quality gun made in hammer and hammerless versions (their other famous trade name for a model was the "Ariel", a 12 bore weighed under 6lbs). At some time G E Lewis introduced a type of recess choke boring, and over a period of time he popularised magnum small bores (12 and 20 bores with 2 3/4 inch chambers). From about 1873 the firm had two showrooms in London, one at Duke Street, Manchester Square, Paddington, St Marylebone, and another at 172 Strand. It is believed these premises closed in about 1905. The firm exhibited in Sydney in 1879/80, Melbourne in 1880/81, and Calcutta in 1884.

A son, also named George Edward Lewis, was born in 1863, and another, Ernest Charles Lewis, was born in 1865. In the 1901 census G E Lewis was recorded as a widower aged 72 living with G E Lewis (II) and E C Lewis, and three of his daughters, at 2 Cambridge Crescent, Edgbaston. In 1909 the name of the firm changed to George E Lewis & Sons. G E Lewis (I)died on 17 January 1917, and the sons inherited the firm. G E Lewis (II) handled the day to day management of the firm, E C Lewis was involved in production and, because he was an excellent shot, was responsible for the regulation the firm's rifles. E C Lewis won the Birmingham Rifle Club Championship six times and the Gunmakers Association Challenge Cup five years running. In the very late 1930s two of E C Lewis' sons joined the firm, G E Lewis (III) who in 1951 became a guardian of the Birmingham Proof House, and E V Lewis.

When G E Lewis (III) died in 1988, the business was sold to John Harris who was a friend of G E Lewis (III) and stocked guns for the firm. In 1989 John Harris moved the firm to Unit SF2, 63 Price Street. In 1996 it moved again, to Halesowen. In December 2003 the name, goodwill and records of G E Lewis were sold at auction in London to Grant Dempsey of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and in December 2009 they were sold by him at auction in London.
The records of the firm date from about 1871, they give descriptions, serial numbers and sales dates. There seem to be no earlier records. Internet Gun Club has some details of serial numbers and dates of manufacture which we have not published. Please send details of your gun and its serial number by email to archives@internetgunclub.com and we will reply with what information we have. Further information may be available from the Royal Armouries, Armouries Drive, Leeds, Yorkshire LS10 1LT Tel: 0113 220 1832 or email stuart.ivinson@armouries.org.uk . Basic information can be obtained by phone or email, a scan of the relevant page in the records costs �10.

Other Info

The firm sold Pegamoid cartridges under their own name, and also cartridges under the names "The Express", "The Keepers Cartridge and "The Premier". In the 1920s the firm produced their "Ariel" model, a lightweight 12 bore with 28 inch barrels as standard, and now fairly rare (it was designed to compete with the Churchill XXV).

Tim

The Art of Wingshooting William Bruce Leffingwell, 1895
http://books.google.com/books?id=e34EmE3tkfkC
�I was permitted to examine many of the fine guns used by Miss Oakley in exhibition shooting, and noticed among them one Charles Lancaster ejector, one Charles Lancaster nonejector, a Cashmore hammerless, a magnificent Smith ejector with a gold figure of herself inlaid, a Parker hammerless, a Scott Monte Carlo, a Scott ejector of highest quality, and an exquisite little Francotte ejector with Whitworth barrels. The value of the guns mentioned is $2,500.
The rifles shown were Lancaster oval-bore .360 double-barrel, Holland hammerless .32-caliber double-barrel, a magnificent Marlin repeater, and a couple of handsome Winchesters. She also showed me two single-barreled pistols made by the celebrated maker, Gastinne Renette of Paris. These pistols have 14-inch barrels, and are made expressly for pigeon shooting. With them Miss Oakley has scored nine out of ten pigeons from two traps, using one-half ounce of shot.
She shoots binocularly. Her shot-guns weigh about six pounds each, the right barrels being bored modified, and the left full choke. Her load for targets is 2 3/4 drams of nitro powder and one ounce of shot. For live pigeons she uses three drams of powder, but the shot charge is unchanged; an ounce of shot is used on all occasions and for all kinds of game.�


Frank Butler "conducted" a number of Annie's gift guns for immediate resale, and it is possible that a Lewis was among the bunch.

Look at BSA BLE and BLNE, Greener Emperor/Empire models or less expensive Facile Princeps guns? Your assumption seems to be contraindicated by what was made and available at that time.

Look at the internal parts and how well they were finished. Lack of engraving or fancy wood does not a beater make.

Rocketman that helps a lot. Thank you. And thank you fellas, for all the good information. I apologize for not responding sooner but it's been quite busy at work.

The gun has game scene engraving; pheasants on each side of the receiver. The wood is rather plain but a nice color with a few character marks. The barrels are very nice, fluid steel and no dings. I can buy it for much less than Rocketman's estimate. It also has a nice wooden case fitted to carry both sets of barrels. Neither the owner nor I are sure if it is original to the gun. I believe I'll buy it. Worst part of it is both the owner and I are working on the north slope and I wouldn't get to take possession of it until late April. This expected to be a long hitch.

Miss Oakley also shot Ithacas. Obviously not under contract with any single manufacturer, which was fairly common for some of the top shooters of that era. And as Drew points out, makers were eager to give her guns.

With all due respect to those who favour mathematics over aesthetics, I have different questions for the OP.
Do you like the gun in your hands? Does it feel right? Does it fit you and is the stock in satisfacory condition to live with or be refinished by skilled hands. Are there any flaws that will niggle at you later?
Once you have evaluated the aesthetics of the gun to your tastes, evaluate the technical aspects.
Do your due diligence regarding bore diameters vs proof. The British are/were over fond of lapping out pits. Has the gun been buffed over the engraving?
Only after all the above should you go on to establish a price.
A fair price can be higher or lower than formulaic analysis indicates, based on how much the gun calls to you.
You sound like you want a using gun, and not a short term fling with a floozie. Flaws never get better with time. Buy something that you really, really like.

Are both barrels by Lewis and were made as a set?