doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com British gunmaker; Page Wood Of Bristol

Gentlemen,greetings. I am trying to find information concerning this particular gun-maker as regards quality and when he was active in the trade. I know that he was active in the late 1880's and from the photos of a particular gun I am viewing, built guns with side-levers. Any information that you have would be very helpful.

Business founded in Bristol by Mr T Page-Wood in 1876. It became a limited company in 1907.The company called its self,"The Gun Makers of the west."[ England of course].They had branches in Bath, Shepton Mallet and Cardiff. They also had agents in Malta,Cyprus and Canada.In 1920 they offered London style sidelocks in the range 75-50 pounds stirling and a range of boxlock guns for 9-27 pounds stirling.
They were perhaps best known for their cartridge which they patented in 1924; this cartridge had a coned nose and over-shot wad which was much reduced in diameter.
Boothroyd reports this company was still in business cica 1964

Trying to establish Original Quality grade based on maker's name will get you nowhere. British gunmakers supplied a range of Original Quality grade guns based on what they could sell to their various customer bases. London based firms tended to a higher % of higher grade guns as their customer bases tended to be more affluent and socially involved. Provencial firms tended to a higher % of lower grade guns as their customers mere more rural,less affluient, and less socially involved. Some firms did a good bit of export business and their guns show the bias of whatever market they were biggest in (USA, Canada, Australia, Africa, India, etc.). The makers name is recognized in the market via a Brand Value factor.