Gents, there are no magic handling properties inherent to best work guns. Sorry, but there just aren't. I've been searching for them for twenty years and haven't found so much as a sniff. The handling properties that suit one shooter will not suit all shooters. The handling properties generally associated with game guns are not the same for heavy game guns, high pheasant, light pigeon, pigeon, duck, and/or water fowl. The master of a shop was supposed to make sure the buyer got a gun that best suited his needs. Please, can we drop the magical handling properties of best guns.
Best work guns cost more than "A" grade guns because they required many more man-hours of work. In any product field, the last few % points of quality are expensive.
McIntosh's check list works OK for "London Pattern best work guns." Said "London Pattern" is by no means exclusive to all best work guns. Nor does a best work gun have to come from London. Most best work guns involved some outworker time as the guys able to do best work were in demand and could make more money working as a contractor. Trade masters knew well the names, addresses, and price lists of best work workers. As the market/demand fluctuated up and down the big makers hired best work in-workers or outsourced to talented out-workers.
DDA
