The guys that made Bar wood action fits had to be incredible. I only have one Westley Richards > There is no telling what the man hours it took to make it . Cost some dollars today to replicate.

Probably not as long as you think....a gunsmith friend once told me how long it takes to do something doesnt matter as much as how good the end result is.

Probably less than 50 hrs sans finishing.

Things may be different on your side of the pond to find a stocker capable of tackling a Bar in Wood restock lets say on a Purdey, and making a superb job of things on this side of the pond would be a rare person indeed. And if you have to ask how long or how much you definitely could not afford it. I have seen some disastrous attempts to restock Bar in Wood guns, some so bad they would take too long to describe and would make a fine gun lover cry.

Damascus
Your funny.... and correct! There are plenty that probably say they can!!! That want the money up front.
Probably be one of those lessons you pay for.

They could do it over a century and a half ago.

Gee whiz what condition! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful shotgun Daryl.

My W&C Scott pinfire is a bar in wood. Don't have a picture of it to post. Now that I've learned how to post them, maybe I'll try to take some soon.

Daryl
I have the same gun but in a cartridge 10. Not in the same awesome condition as yours but good condition....Next generation.

Monty, that one is in the 3600 serial range. It has an "A" before the serial number. I don't know the significance of that.

I would like to take you back to the 1960s when hammer guns had very little value in fact so low their only value was for wall hangers.




This young man having very little sense decided to restore one of these wall hangers that needed restocking. Yes! It is me! Was I ever that young?












Contacted the makers Purdey and to put it in a nut shell they where not interested, though they did suggest I made a visit to the Birmingham gun quarter around Lower Loveday Street and gave me a name. The name was an outworker who did jobbing work for the trade. Now to say he was old was an understatement ancient fitted better, and yes he would do the work but wanted some of the money up front in cash and the rest when the work was completed also in cash because this was to be his last job. And in his words he wanted to end on a gun he could be proud of. So I handed over one hundred and fifty pounds and left the rest to trust, youth stupidity though it all ended well as you can see. And why all this stupid trust because he had restocked Bar in Wood guns before in his words many times. The gun has been in continuous use since then with no cracks appearing.

Yes it is a "Mop Top" hair cut what would you expect a lad from Liverpool to have in the 1960s, did not want to stand out in the Cavern Club. And yes I did know the Beatles and others.

Damascus...awesome story and spectacular gun!!!

Was the ancient fella named Ebenezer Hands?

mines a 12500.range serial
different engraving than yours.

IF that was truly his last stocking job, he ended on a very high note.

I envy you the opportunities to acquire such things in the land from which they came with access to the men who made them or at least were trained by the men who made them.

At the time I collected the gun and handed over for me at the time a staggering amount of cash, I was rather disappointed about how the stock figuring looked. Well it was not rich dark swirling and beautiful, with the stupidity of youth I did make a passing remark. His reply was simply this, the grain is as it should be for one of those guns strong and straight to take the shock from the head through the stock it wont twist shrink away from the action or crack through the wrist. It will out live you son if you treat it well. You know he was right fifty years I have used it regularly the chequering is still in good shape the wood to metal fit is the same as the day I collected it from his workshop. Regularly at the end of every season I would strip clean it, the amazing thing is how little wood there really is in the head when you remove the action and locks. It wont be that long now before I will be looking for another custodian because It is ageing a far better than I am. But not just yet!

Absolutely a wonderful tool there damascus.
My Father used to say, back in the sixties, that "You can't have both hair & brains". Once again the hairy youth proved that assumption wrong.

You would be surprised really at the amount of time a skilled hand takes to do such a job.
Done many times before & trained on all the tricks & knowledge from generations of artisans coming up through the trade it becomes a smooth deliberate action. Efficiency of moves & the right tools coupled with that knowledge of how to use them would make the job look simple in the hands of a master.
O.M

Damascus
That's a cool story... My dad said the Beatles weren't musicians they were just yelling..... I don't think he understood that it was the girl's that were yelling , not the Beatles... Lovely time ! I have never gotten to Liverpool .
Probably if there were one gun left I'd like to have it would be a Bar in Wood Purdey or Westley in a 12.

They would never buy me Beatle boots either. My mother said they were tacky...not too late for me to get some I guess.

Monty, I was a teenager during that time, too. When I was dating my sweetheart, who is now my wife of 47 years, bell bottom britches were the rage. Her family had a big German Shepherd named Max. Max tolerated me, but didn't really like me coming around all that much. One afternoon I drove up to her house in my '69 Camaro SS. I got out and started to the door in my new bell bottoms, which flapped and popped when I walked. Max did not care for this at all, and "treed" me forthwith, with teeth popping and fangs bared. After my visit with her, I arranged for her to walk with me back to my car...................and I walked slowly. Max watched with much consternation.

That was the end of me and bell bottoms.

SRH

What a perfect job. I too have been suckered into the beauty of flashy grain. Once they failed, I understood the advice I ignored to choose for strength not beauty. Still your stock does have as certain beauty and well matches your gun. Funny how so people can’t resist putting a stock that is three grades above the one which matches the guns level of decoration.

In the 60's and 70's I often said the people who grew up in the 50's as teenagers grew up in the best era ELVIS ! Gigantic after the war economy, but I have changed . I loved the 60's GTOs , Mustangs ,Beatles, Stones, and the good looking females which still seem to persist.
Hunted with a Remington model 11 for birds and a 30/30 Winchester no scope and dreamed for the day I could have a bolt action rifle with a scope. If I saw a doe It was a good day.
Stan you were cool if you had a 69 Camero SS . I had a Station Wagon that functioned well.
KY john I agree with you one the strength but I am one of those which likes 3 grades better wood ..... I hunted with boat paddle wood for so long .

Jeweler, I enjoyed your 50s and 60s memories. Don't forget, in the 60s cars, the Avanti. First time I ever went 130 miles per hour was in a 1963 Avanti. I was not the driver, and could see the speedometer went to 160 mph. I wanted out of the car at 130 mph. I now have an Avanti, a 1963, and about 50 mph is my max. these days.

I think that wood is beautiful. Not hard to find guns with lesser wood, just look in my safe!
Wonderful story and history, Damascus.
Best,
Ted

I had a ‘69 El Camino SS 396, four speed. Other than my wasted youth, selling it is still one of my greater regrets. Wasting my youth on cars, girls and cold beer is forgivable but selling that ride for a newer Camaro was like trading a classic double for a 1100. Big mistake only understood to many years later.

I had a 60 Chevy convertible with a 348 tri-power. Got more butt than a toilet seat with it! You can understand my regret at selling it when I entered the service in 1966.
Karl

Damascus, your contributions to this board—both pictures and comments are always appreciated and I never fail to read every word of yours. I hope you are around for many more years sharing your knowledge and experience.

What a beautiful gun! IMO, high figured wood often detracts from the artistry and craftsmanship that was bred into the gun by the sweat and skill of the workmen.

Damascus,

I'll second what Joe Wood said re.your posts & the wood on that Purdey is well laid out, classy looking & appropriate for just about any shotgun I would want to be seen with.

Gaudy wood,large gold inlays & naked ladies do not belong on shotguns.

I too have a ten bore center-fire WR bar-in-wood double with the high dolphin hammers. C4586. Love that old girl. Mine has the flat firing pins just like they used on the pin-fire to center-fire conversions, but with no evidence of the pin-fire holes in the barrels. It is a lovely piece and will be with me to the end, although I shoot it much less than I use to. She is not in the same condition as Daryl's beauty, but she's all original, as best as I can tell. Russ