doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com W. Palmer Jones - Thoughts

I've handled a few Midland sidelocks and hammer guns (maybe not their best guns)....but I'd argue they were well below some of the other English makers.

And there you have it! You keep trying to extend your experience to all of a maker's product. Midland made a complete range of original quality - farmer/colonial to best. The bulk of their production was in mid to lower end (that is where they were able to make money). But, that does not mean they didn't know how to make best guns or didn't make best guns. Surely they did. The intended original quality grade of the gun is what defines its quality, not the maker's name. Generalizations of a maker's quality will lead to errors that simply are not necessary.

It would be interesting to tear through some old shop orders, payroll records and the like to find out exactly who made what part and for who. Some high end London firms probably wouldn't tolerate another makers mark on their firearm therefore that may be a dead end. However if the firm's internal records survived through the ages then it may be possible to trace a specific part up through the food chain.
All the best

However, A London best is not considered the best because of its name but what that name has accomplished through the centuries.
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What is see is a "Generalization" of a maker's talent...

Best makers got their reputation by building the best not by some jOe blow declaring them the best.

Exactly Joe, no one can say that a Ferrari is just a name that's why its so expensive, not with that makers name and what it has accomplished over the decades in auto racing. Same applies to London's best and what they have accomplished shooting really big bone crushing animals in some might say life and death situations!!!!
All the best