I have done work on a customer's pair of H&H No 2 over several years. They have been in the family since new and have had hard use but not been abused.
Although they may have been serviced regularly in their early years, they had not seen the inside of a gunsmith's workshop for quite a few years when they landed with me.
However, although they looked scruffy on the outside, I was very pleased with the condition of the internals which ,although dirty, were bright and tight under old gun lube and 'varnish'.
With a re-joint, light lap and a thorough strip and clean they were good to go for another few years.
Quality of finish internally was very fine.
They may have been built in Birmingham but, like many 2nd quality guns built for the London trade, I believe they were finished in London and the attention to detail was superb.
