doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The Price of Neglect

A delightful pair of Gallyon Boxlock Ejectors in this week’s Southhams sale with an interesting back story.



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Against a conservative estimate of £1,000 to £1,500 they achieved a hammer price of £1,600, which means (assuming one owner throughout and ignoring inflation ) he will have recovered much of his repair bill but nothing of the original purchase price.

Bet it’s an heir who doesn’t have a need for a nice pair of guns who sent them to auction.

Best,
Ted

Been working my way through the book on Gallyons by Richard Gallyon.

Matt;

Just an aside note about G. M. Cruxton late of 63 Price Street, Birmingham, England.

I have known and called Malcolm Cruxton a friend for 25 years and his skills as a highest quality stocker, gunmaker and gunsmith are well known. I am 84 years old and Malcolm is about the same age. Just a few years ago the City of Birmingham decided to demolish the the oldest section of the Price Street Birmingham gun quarter where Malcolm had his shop; and Malcolm moved his shop to his home.

Malcolm and I were discussing his career a 2-3 years ago and I believe Malcolm told he that he had stocked 10,000 guns in his career and made a couple hundred guns, mostly boxlocks. From time to time I see a Cruxton shotgun for sale. Recently, he re-stocked a Purdey bar-in-wood hammergun for an American client and did it in record time. He is known in the trade as the "quckest" stockmaker in the trade.

If you have David Williams book: "the BIRMINGHAM GUN TRADE" turn to pages 156-157 to see photos of the Malcolm Cruxton workshop with Malcolm working at his bench.

Kindest Regards;
Stephen Howell

You are probably right , Ted, in saying that it is sale by an heir.

A pair of nice boxlocks is more likely to have been bought by a man in his maturity (unless it was an exceptional 21st present!).

Hopefully the present owner won’t know what Dad or Grandad paid for the guns (let alone what a new pair would cost now) and will be well pleased that they sold for more than the top estimate.