"If you can accept the "London best work" as a fashion subset of "best work," we can look a bit deeper. Can a hammer gun be "best work?" Yes. Can a flatback SLE be "best work?" Yes (1890's Boss). Can a boxlock be "best work?" Yes (Greener G-gun). Can a non-ejector gun be "best work?" Yes (1880's - 1890's). Can a damascus barrel gun be "best work?" Yes. Can a gun with through lumps be "best work?" Yes. Can an unengraved gun be "best work?" Yes (funeral style guns). Can a plain figured stock be on a "best work gun?" Yes (early 1900's Purdeys). And, of course, a top lever. Oh, yes, can a "best work gun" bare a plebian maker's name? Yes (all makers could get out a best gun via the trade if so commissioned)."
I agree with this statement absolutely.
Boss guns squared back action, used up until around 1900: not stocked to the fences, yet top quality workmanship.
Whitworth may have been the first to use pressed fluid steel but other firms such as Siemens and Cammell turned out steel of similar quality which was used by the best barrel makers alongside Whitworth steel.
Steel all a bit topical here in the UK currently, since it seems our home-based steel industry is in danger of dying out. Swedish steel seems to be the best favoured high quality steel currently; I know Longthorne use it to mill their double barrels from billet. Very good they are too. But I digress, sorry!
This is take nothing away from Henry Atkin and the excellent work they turned out. I'm sure this gun fits the bill.
Tim
