I am looking for information/history on an English gun maker named John Foster. The Shotgun in question is marked
“J. Foster, 7. Duke St Darlington”.
thank you
PL
John Foster was a long time gunmaker/gunsmith/barrel sleever. I have seen a few rather nice guns with his name on them. Well finished from probably a Birmingham start, or similar. He retired a few years ago and someone else took over the business.
This should get you closer to him, if you wish.
http://www.johnfostergunmaker.co.uk/
Thank you Daryl.
I did find the link you provided in my initial google search and sent them an email but did not receive a response. I also found reference to a "John Foster" in Vic Venter's book about the "Scales" Purdey. I was hoping to find out more about this gun maker as I am researching a small bore that he apparently built in 1981 that is quite nice.
PL
Met him several times at the Vegas gun show and always the gentleman. Great visits and I loved and appreciated his comments and critiques of various arms at the show.
One of the things he did beautifully was seamless stock extensions with well-matched figure and grain. When he retired, there was no one who could do his quality work on stock extensions, until Mark Larson (now in Vancouver, Washington), a professional artist as well as a lover of guns and hunting, got into this line of work. Now Mark is the man for anyone who wants a beautifully done stock extension with matched figure and grain.
Foster Gunmakers were (are?) a licensed UK firearms exporter. I used his services to import a Harkom 16 a number of years ago. No problems.
One of the things he did beautifully was seamless stock extensions with well-matched figure and grain. When he retired, there was no one who could do his quality work on stock extensions, ....
The Birminghanm gunmaker who more than 40-50 years ago allowed John Foster to visit his gun shop and observe and learn the proper way to sleeve shotgun barrels (and who apprenticed as a stocker at S. Wright & Sons, or Churchill's I cannot remember,60 plus years ago) continues to work well into his mid seventies producing stock work the quality and beauty that others (both retired and still working) in the gun trade tried and try to emulate. From time to time some of this Birmingham gunmaker's shotguns (BLE's) with his name engraved on the action appear at auctions in the UK.
Here's a nice John Foster gun.
Bushveld ,
Pray , who may that be?
Bushveld ,
Pray , who may that be?
I was wondering the same thing.
Best,
Ted
Thank you for the replies. Does anyone else have examples? I have a 410 two barrel set by foster that I am trying to determine value of. Very nice gun but I can find nothing to compare it to.
PL
John is a very nice and decent person. I remember going to an auction in London with him and having a great time. He was the best at sleeving guns.
Bushveld
who may that gunmaker be Please let us all know. I may be able to put you right. the only one that has pioneered welded joint sleeving is me. and all the work was done not 10 feet from where I am sitting now. If you want to know anything about my sleeving ask me and get it straight from the horses mouth.
John Foster.
Bushveld
who may that gunmaker be Please let us all know. I may be able to put you right. the only one that has pioneered welded joint sleeving is me. and all the work was done not 10 feet from where I am sitting now. If you want to know anything about my sleeving ask me and get it straight from the horses mouth.
John Foster.
Richard
Very nice to hear from you. I remember it well we had a great time together in London and a good lunch in the pub next to Bonhams. All the best
John.
John,
Please forgive me but I think that you may be exaggerating just a little about pioneering welded sleeve joints.
But I don't wish to get into a tussle over it .
I notice Bushveld has maintained his silence ? Is it that he can't speak because his foot is in his mouth?
Only joking boys , but come on Bushveld , pray tell.
Looks like Mr. Bushveld is keeping his head down.
John
I have an 1893 Purdey with what I assume are sleeved barrels and a very knowledgeable friend speculated the only one he knew that could do that good of a sleeve job is Mr Foster. If I provided the ser # would you clarify for me, Mr. Foster?
I have a Charles Moore hammer gun with invisibly sleeved barrels. The sleeving work is so well done that no one I've handed the gun to has ever noticed it was sleeved, even in full daylight. Only when I point out the very, very slight bluing difference between the breech end (the original barrels were damascus) and the barrel sections inserted into the stub do they see it. I don't know who did it, but it's a level of craftsmanship I find astonishing.