A lot more gun makers made their own guns in the period up to 1880 or so. After 1900 very few small makers found it cost effective to produce their own models from scratch and most 20th century guns are immediately recognisable as models supplied by the big trade firms like Webley, on a few basic templates. These could be finished to order by the supplier or provided in various states of finish, or 'in-the-white', allowing the smaller firm to finish the gun in the manner of their choosing

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