doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com ? FOR ENGLISH GUN EXPERT

Here you go, a bit of their history.

http://www.wrichardsguns.co.uk/history.html

Photos of original post gun. Curious the letter "S" in Richard's is a different font. Quality and engraving does not look Belgium. Any comments on where this gun was made is appreciated. Yellow band on top lever reminds me it is a 2.5" chambered gun.

Not a high grade gun, I grade it as low mid-grade. But, I am still curious as to where it was made.

Thanks for your replies.

I think this may have solved another mystery. Since it confirms the Folsom-Clabrough relationship, I suspect that Folsom may have sourced their FA Loomis (Birmingham guns) from them also.

Anyone have both a W Richards and a FA Loomis ad from the same time? Preferably pre-1890. I suspect the Loomis would be offered at a slightly lower price point.

TTT

Any comments on where this gun was made?

I'd say that it is most probable that this is a Folsom W Richards made by J P Claybrough in Birmingham. If it was made by Richards of Liverpool or a related firm it would have the address on the rib. Really, the only other, very slim possibility, is that it was made "in the trade" in Birmingham, for an unknown company in London also using the Richards name. Not much evidence for that. Lack of a complete address on the rib is somewhat indicative, as at that time gun makers could put about anything on guns simply for marketing purposes. Now it would be called misrepresentation, but back then it was common, in an attempt to associate guns with better makers, such as Westley Richards. It's still very common to find W Richards Folsom guns, both those made in Birmingham and the later Belgian guns misidentified by dealers as being made by Westley Richards.

Yours appears to be a mid-grade Birmingham gun of good quality, made to the Birmingham standards of the day. Much better quality than the later Belgian guns.

I think that if you review pictures of Birmingham guns marked W Richards and FA Loomis, and compare them to JP Claybrough guns of the same period you'll find them very similar.

Agree with Ken that it's likely British rather than a Belgian imposter. Proofmarks are British, just not many of them.

I think we can eliminate the Belgian possibility. It has all three Birmingham proofs, View, Provisional, and final Black Powder proof. Those, along with the rough bore markings and NOT FOR BALL are consistent with the Birmingham markings of the 1875-1887 period.