Treblig, labour was cheap in those days and pride of workmanship high. I have an old Thomas Bland 'Keeper's' hammer gun that is as plain as a pikestaff with no engraving but the name on the lockplates. Plain it may be but the internals are all to the same high standard as his more expensive guns.
For those after Guy please try him on his other e-mail account of blackhillbooks@hotmail.com meanwhile I will chase him up.
Don, single barrel guns are covered but there is no picture of yours and I would think the author would be interested in what you have with a photo and serial number etc. This is just the sort of response we hope will come about from the book. The single barrel guns were known as the 'Knockabout'. Some were made by Harrington & Richardson in the hammer form and marketed by Midland. Yours will be the Hammerless Knockabout Gun which was also available with 3" chambers Plain at 6.10 shillings in 2 3/4" chamber. 7.10 shillings with 3" chamber and some engraving. 34" barrels were 7 shillings and 6 pence extra and 10 shillings extra with heavy 36" barrels. From the 1937 catalogue. Most of the single barrel guns they marketed were made elsewhere. I recall some years ago seeing a 16 bore Hammerless Knockabout with German proof marks. They did market some low price doubles of Belgian make but the vast majority were made in house. Midland Gun Co. was about the fourth largest gun producer in Birmingham behind the likes of Greener and Webley & Scott. They also made a lot for the trade as I have a W.J.Jeffrey double hammer gun that they made also a Rosson of Derby. Lagopus.....
